No-Fridge Nomad: On The Road Without a Fridge

Phyllis, the presenter for this class, has lived and thrived in her cargo van for two years. For most of those two years, she has lived without a refrigerator. In this class, she is going to share what she has learned about planning your food purchases and how to store it. But most of all, you will see why it works for her so you can see if it would work for you!

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[gingermcintosh]

Thank you so much! I’m not on the road yet, but some of this info is useful in a house too! I have long cooked meat and left it on the stove all night. Mainly because you are supposed to let it cool completely before refrigerating and I don’t want to stay up waiting on it. And I leave my eggs out but everyone criticizes me. So thank you; I knew it was ok but you reassured me!

[sarahloy]

When I was growing up we just put melted paraffin wax on top of the jar when we made jam or jelly. It wasnt a total seal. It was just to keep dust out. We put it in small jars so once we opened it it was gone in a week or 2. Never refrigerated.

[tryingndoing]

Thank you for this video, Phyllis. I too decided on no refrigeration (couldn't afford solar, etc). And ice coolers seem to need ice every other day. Since i try to camp out for at least a week at a time, there was no way to replenish it. You gave me so many good ways to plan meals!! Thank you again.

[donnasloane]

For salad and bags filled with and place in shade. And thank you for all your suggestions!

[brianleonard]

Alesia, you're doing a fabulous job and I just want to thank you so much! Xoxox

[gardengenie]

I love kimchee! (it is fermented not pickled) You will probably find good quality kimchee in the refrigerated section. (You could probably do your own fermented veggies in a van, they are simple to do...) very good for the digestive system too. and my Scandinavian heritage shows-- I love pickled herring. We never had it at home as a kid but there was a buffet restaurant we would go to sometimes. At age 10 my first taste- I thought I was in heaven, my siblings thought I was crazy. lol i had forgotten about pickled herring, it is now on my grocery list! Thank you Phyllis! this was wonderful for me, and i hope to be traveling with the weather this winter. At least by NEXT winter if I don't make it this one.
You are a wonderful presenter. (this is Carolyne, I love Sunday mornings with Joni Z :-)))

[susanshaver]

Buy jelly/jam in the little restaurant packs so they are individual and do not get contaminated. Same with half and half in little individual containers.
Another vegetable that stays pretty well without refrigeration is zucchini.

[jennyjadwin]

Just saw this webinar last night, lots of great ideas! I have two suggestions: 1) Ghee (clarified butter) stores very well on the counter, and is great for cooking as it doesn't burn on high heat like butter does. I make my own ghee, but it's available everywhere now, though cheaper in Asian markets.

2) Feta cheese also keeps well on the counter when stored in a jar of brine (1 tsp kosher salt to 1 cup water). I used to make and sell feta cheese, keeping it several months this way. Long-stored brined feta gets stronger in flavor, however, which personally I like. lol

[laurab]

Hooray! Another valuable class for us! Hi Phyllis! Thanks to you both!

[colleenkaralee]

I keep a spray bottle of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) which is anti-fungal, antiseptic, and always shows foam when interacting with blood or even invisible molds on surface of raw fruits and veggies. Also I spray cutting board after cutting meats - just in case....

[chavak]

jellies and jams will mold, but did you know? You can take a clean spoon and spoon that mold off and the rest is fine to eat. Take care to not drag mold around any of the rest of the jar; rinse the spoon off after each skimming and you're good to go!

[createartmarxs]

Yes! Zucchini & yellow squash(3 days at least), butternut squash, grapes (at least 3 days), turnips, acorn squash, just about any hard squash is good for days and days. Cabbage, jicama, etc etc lots of veggies can last longer than most ppl think w/o refrigeration

[gardengenie]

I eat a lot of butter, cooking with it mostly, and I do buy real butter in 1 lb. blocks. I found a butter dish at Walmart that holds it (its a tub type dish with a lid). But of course I am in the cold NW weather and the butter is always hard... <sigh> lol Land O Lakes has individual creamers that don't need refrigeration. And Phyllis I also do as you do-- cooked food stays in a lidded container between meals. No refrigeration. I do have a cooler but its a PIA to get into, so I don't open it often.

[gurgleblurgle]

I just want to add that if you keep the bags that your bread and tortillas come in, they are great at keeping down the smells from stinky trash since they are made to be air tight enough to keep the product from going stale.

[freelanceover]

Great Video. I'm moving into a smaller space and don't want to bring a refrig. Thanks for thinking outside the box. Also, when I visited Germany, the grocery stores there don't refrigerate eggs. They last a long time on the shelf. Thanks.

[Vangobetsy]

Terrific news on all the tips and hints ...
all of it makes sense 🎖

[brianleonard]

Wonderful point on the mayo (wow) makes so much sense! Philly's this was just wonderful. Thanks so much. Xooxxoxo

[deborahlile]

This was a great presentation!!! Lots of great info. I know most dont like to travel with glass but glass containers keep my lettuce good for at least a week and longer if it is kept cool.

[colleenkaralee]

RE Cheese - Italians keep large rounds of parmesan or other hard cheese rounds un-refrigerated.

[irisgreene]

You can put ripe avocados in water and it will halt the ripening process for at least a week if not two.

I prefer popping them in s mason jar but I’ve also put them in a ziplock bag with water successfully too.