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Is it possible to live without a fridge?

A few years ago, on a perfectly normal Tuesday, we had a moment of revelation.  There was nothing special about this particular Tuesday, nor anything amazing about the lunch that we had.  But, as I was putting a bottle of tomato sauce back into the fridge, I noticed the light bulb flicker on in this cold cupboard.  This in turn sparked a flash of an idea as I had a light bulb moment.  Could we live without a fridge?!

We, as a couple and as consumers, have been convinced that we  NEED  to keep these condiments in the fridge, we have also been conditioned that we needed a fridge!  
​We have been living fridge free for almost two years now, and would like to share some of the top tips of fridge free living that we have gained. 

So what would you normally have in the fridge?
​Fresh fruits and vegetables - Root veg stores perfectly well in a cool dark cupboard or within a crate of sand.  Salad, such as lettuce and celery lasts even better if the base is dipped in a bowl / glass of water and left on the countertop. 
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A bowl of fruit
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Rustic bread rolls
Bread and cakes - A sure fire way of making your bread and cake go stale is to put them in the fridge, so you can extend their shelf life by leaving them out (although, they do get eaten more quickly as they are not hidden away!) 
Leftovers - We found that storing leftovers was not a problem - we simply adapted our portion control so that we had no leftovers.  With dogs and chickens on the homestead, if we had leftovers there were always willing mouths! 
Condiments - Well, these were originally created as a method of preserving food without refrigeration. The high content of salt, sugar and vinegar in most condiments mean that they can be safely stored out of the fridge - as was their original purpose. 
Meat and fish - It is perfectly safe to cook meat from frozen, although it does take a little longer, but this can be overcome with a little forethought and prior preparation. Normally however, a chicken goes into the oven once it has been plucked and a rabbit gets hung in the cool room for a few days before cooking. 
Eggs - NO! Just please. . . NO! Eggs will have a shorter shelf life if they are kept in the door of your fridge, so this is counter intuitive.  As eggshells are porous, they are susceptible to being tainted by strong flavours and smells from within your fridge.  If you happen to keep your eggs next to that onion (which will sprout more quickly in the fridge), there is a high chance that your boiled egg will taste onioney! 
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Eggs in egg cups
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Cold beer
Beer and Wine - Ok, you have me there, there is nothing better than a pint of cold home made beer, or a pint of chilled homebrewed wine, however, in our two years without a fridge we have made, drunk and enjoyed many cold beers and wines.  There are simple methods to cool items down, such as the terracotta pot or hessian sack fridge.  We will write up these methods at a later date.
What do you keep in your fridge?
What is in there right now?
Could survive without your cold cupboard?
Let us know in the comments below!
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Refrigerator - a luxury or a necessity?

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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Wine List & Recipes
    • Banana Wine Made Simple
    • Blaand
    • Blackberry Mead
    • Christmas Pudding Wine!
    • Easy Rhubarb Wine
    • Gorse Flower Wine
    • Gutsy Ginger Wine
    • Liquorice Wine
    • Mead Making Made Simple
    • Mint Wine Recipe
    • Mushroom Wine
    • Nasturtium Leaf Wine
    • No Boil Rhubarb Wine
    • Pine Needle Wine
    • Pumpkin Wine
    • Rose Hip Leaf Wine
    • Red Kidney Bean Wine!
    • Rose Petal Wine
    • Seaweed Wine
    • Spiced banana wine
    • Turnip and Red Cabbage Wine
    • Wine Making 101
    • What is a country wine?
    • ​Can I use bread yeast to make wine?
  • Homestead
    • Dee's Corner >
      • Military wife blog
      • First Time Pregnant
    • Projects >
      • SmallholdersUK
      • Beard Award
      • #Eday on Twitter
    • Recipes >
      • Homemade Cheese
      • Pickled Quail Eggs
      • Simple Bread Loaf
      • Banana Ice-Cream
      • Rhubarb Chutney (Old)
      • Making Sea Salt on the Log Fire
      • Shepherds pie for the dogs
    • Our Island >
      • Homestead or Smallholding
      • 18 days until we move!
      • 10 days until we move
      • 2 Days to go!
      • We are here!
      • Waterworks!
      • Location is not the answer
      • Remote Living Challenges
      • The Caves
      • Reason to waggle (caves)
      • Sea Fishing in Eday
    • Duck >
      • Duck shed
      • Duck 1: Incubation
      • Duck 2: Imprinting
      • Duck 3: Outdoors
      • Duck 4: Attached
    • Quail >
      • Quail 1: Reasons
      • Quail 2: Incubation
      • Quail 3: Brooding
      • Quail 4: Raising
      • Quail 5: Suicidal
      • Quail 6: Permaculture
      • Quail 7: Environment
      • Quail 8: Setup
    • Chickens >
      • Chickens Fancy vs Warren
      • Ebay Eggs
      • Our Egg Hatching Plan
      • Nursing Chickens 1 - 2018
      • Brooding Chickens 1 - 2018
      • Hatching Chickens 1 - 2018
    • Home & Garden >
      • Baby Starling
      • Spider Plants
      • Aloe Vera
      • Fuel for winter
      • Peat, Coal, Wood
      • Hoarding Supplies
      • Coffee grounds
      • Brewers Hops
      • Brewers grain
      • Teabag compost
      • Essential oils
      • Eco Toothbrush
      • No Fridge?
    • Other articles >
      • The best and the worst of dog food!
      • Random acts of kindness
      • Bristol No Foraging
      • Philosophy on Raising Children
      • Close encounter with Bulls
      • Blog