Living without a refrigerator

[MisterHappy]

To you, is it movement or is it action?
Is it contact or just reaction?
And you, revolution or just resistance?
Is it living, or just existence?
Yeah, you, it takes a little more persistence
To get up and go the distance

-Enemy Within, Rush.

 

[MGnoob]

Man! I thought I was wierd for not owning a toaster

Bought the wife a toaster for Christmas. Was not one of her favorite gifts.

View: https://youtu.be/03N2uIoXptU

 

[FrugalFannie]

I hate explaining to people how to use the refrigerator. Get jugs of water or fill it with laundry or whatever.. It’s about thermal mass. Every time you open that door, your power meter is ticking. Empty space is a waste, the more you have in it that’s already chilled the less the compressor runs. But I’m not talking about pinching pennies, It’s just obvious.

I’m waiting for @FrugalFannie to chime in.. But he has a freeze dryer. He’s out of my league.

Dehydrate, can.. Slaughter your own animals.

ahem... SHE. Thank you.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

I wish we could say that. We tend to be big eaters and make more then we should.

WE?

Ya, we're in the same boat.
2 fridges and too much food.
I try to eat the leftovers but don't always get to them.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

ahem... SHE. Thank you.

And your thoughts on refrigeration vs freeze drying?

 

[rogersmithiii]

I’d like to hear more about this. We have 3 freezers and I main fridge. I like to buy for the long haul. Definitely interested in perspective without one

I own two restaurant fridges and a restaurant freezer. Love them to the moon and back.

 

[MGnoob]

The only redeeming part of my old fridge was the drink drawer.
The ice make never worked, water dispenser was painfully slow the filters were retarded expensive, didnt last and the water still tasted terrible..

Warm juice seems like the only downside to not having it anymore

 

[FrugalFannie]

And your thoughts on refrigeration vs freeze drying?

different use cases.
I own both even though I live tiny.
I love fresh vegetables and meat that needs chewing. We have a regular sized fridge in our skoolie. Something like 17 cf. Not huge but big enough for us. The freezer portion is a consistent struggle especially when I end up seeing meat on sale that I wasn't planning on buying and forget the freezer is full. So then I start cooking!
Our freeze dryer is too big for the skoolie. And too loud. But we have it in storage and I have many meals made up for backpacking. Actually getting ready in probably about 6 months to do a much larger batch. Planning on thru hiking the AT next year.
Freeze drying is great for long term storage and it's lightweight. Also, you don't have to worry about your stored food if power goes out. There is quite an investment in it but I look at it as an investment in our health as well.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I own two restaurant fridges and a restaurant freezer. Love them to the moon and back.

Do you read this to your fridge every night?

 

[rogersmithiii]

I do, I do, Mr. Fawlty!!

 

[MGnoob]

So it’s been about 4 months without a refrigerator.
Wife was originally pissed. Just last night she said “I don’t even miss it”

I find we eat better, waste less, save several hundred dollar a month, one less thing for me to yell at the wife for not cleaning. Now if I just get her to do the dishes, I’m going to start throwing those out too.

I had said the only thing you need a fridge for is milk and we don’t drink milk.

But to add to the list of things you might need a refrigerator for is:

Horseradish, once opened only last two weeks outside of the fridge.

Jams/jellys we don’t use a lot so once opened you have to freeze, the small portions that are left.

Yogurt.. while it last a while outside of the refrigerator, I don’t even like yogurt. I just try to eat one a day for my stomach lately. Also warm yogurt would be disgusting like eating cum

Produce. This is more of a winter issue. Most vegetables keep a long time outside of the refrigerator but when you buy them from the grocery store and they’ve already been refrigerated that really cut the time in half. When you buy your stuff at the farmers market, that’s never been refrigerated. It last substantially longer.
There are a lot of tricks to preserve them outside of the fridge besides feeeze drying/dehydrating.

It’s the leafy/green vegetables that expire more quickly. but those are the things I like fresh anyway I’m looking forward to spring through fall. I drive right past the farmers market every day anyway.

I know you guys thought it was crazy at first but I truly prefer not having the refrigerator.

But what I really need when I finally move up to my farm is a root cellar.. I don’t like keeping things in my basement.

Edit you guys are right about the beer thing, but I don’t drink beer.

 

[smokey-seven]

Horseradish, once opened only last two weeks outside of the fridge.

Buy the small jars. They are enough for 4 servings.

 

[MGnoob]

Buy the small jars. They are enough for 4 servings.

It’s what we’ve been doing, just trying to minimize waste

 

[MaroonedinMA]

I’m on week 6,438 of a kitchen renovation.

You can live without a fridge is the winter pretty well… but I’m f’ed in a month or so.

 

[mkm]

I’ll always have a fridge because Insulin.

Opening a vial or keeping a vial of insulin at room temperature greatly reduces it’s efficacy after 28 days.

I realize this is not everybody’s reality.

 

[MGnoob]

I’ll always have a fridge because Insulin.

Opening a vial or keeping a vial of insulin at room temperature greatly reduces it’s efficacy after 28 days.

I realize this is not everybody’s reality.

That’s completely different. You need a refrigerator.

 

[Kevin_NH]

The worst is when citrus fruit, tomatoes, onions and the like are refrigerated - it actually ruins them. Took me two years to train Madame on that and to this day she insists on putting oranges in the fridge.

Assuming your produce drawer isn't approaching freezing, there's nothing wrong with storing citrus fruit in the refrigerator, just need to bring them up to room temperature just before you intend to eat them.

Oranges keep best at cooler temperatures, go bad quickly in warmer temperatures. Stored in ideal conditions, refrigerated oranges have a shelf life of up to 3 months.