Terryb Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The question really is in the title. So can anyone give me their experiences in storing food and milk etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The question really is in the title. So can anyone give me their experiences in storing food and milk etc Sorry but isn't the answer 'put it in a fridge' What am I missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChimneyChain Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 What are you missing, maybe someone who hasn't got a fridge maybe, to which the answer is for 8 months of the year your fine cause it's cold enough outside but for the rest of the year buy chilled food if and when needed. Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 What are you missing, maybe someone who hasn't got a fridge maybe, to which the answer is for 8 months of the year your fine cause it's cold enough outside but for the rest of the year buy chilled food if and when needed. Darren I just noticed the tags 'fridge' 'freezer' 'milk' So wondered why he had not considered the obvious. Perhaps if he had asked 'how do you keep food fresh when you don't have a fridge or freezer' it might have been clearer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Or find a way to store food that needs to be cool against the base plate below the water line. Not as good as a fridge, which I understand needs to be about 5 degrees C, but better than having stuff stand in ambient air temperature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BD3Bill Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The question really is in the title. So can anyone give me their experiences in storing food and milk etc Hi there, You will find most narrowboats have a 12volt fridge that runs from the domestic battery bank. Some fridges also run from the LPG supply but this is rather old school now. Boats with an Inverter ( converts 12v DC to 240v AC) or generator can use a household fridge. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murflynn Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Two large nesting terracotta pots, with fine sand to hold them apart, the gap kept topped up with water, and covered in a muslin cloth. Keep out of the sun, but in a breeze. Reduces temperature by about 10C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BD3Bill Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Two large nesting terracotta pots, with fine sand to hold them apart, the gap kept topped up with water, and covered in a muslin cloth. Keep out of the sun, but in a breeze. Reduces temperature by about 10C. Top old school tip, nice. We had been wondering about what to do when aboard for a long time and the fridge is full up, now we know. Thanks :0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pykebird Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Call me old fashioned, but I keep chilled stuff in the fridge and frozen stuff in the freezer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 When staying on an ex-working boat with no fridge I keep milk and butter on the base plate, near to one of the sides and it keeps fine for several days. It is much easier on my boat with a 12v fridge freezer though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murflynn Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Top old school tip, nice. We had been wondering about what to do when aboard for a long time and the fridge is full up, now we know. Thanks :0) remember to blind the holes with masking tape, then fill with car body filler. I bought 2 pots for under £20 at the local garden shop, inside volume is about 10litres. Edited October 11, 2014 by Murflynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The boat my parents had in the 1960s had an Osokool Fridge. Basically an aluminium liner inside a block of plaster, you kept the depression in the top filled with water which soaked through the whole block and evaporated from the surface and kept the interior cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The boat my parents had in the 1960s had an Osokool Fridge. Basically an aluminium liner inside a block of plaster, you kept the depression in the top filled with water which soaked through the whole block and evaporated from the surface and kept the interior cool. My parents used to have one of those on their boat, don't remember ever getting food poisoning so must of worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 I read this as the OP needs advice from the wet tea towel brigade of keeping food without a fridge and good advice has been given . I dont have a fridge and it's no real problem . In very hot weather it might be good but they use too much electric for somebody with only one leisure battery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murflynn Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 My parents used to have one of those on their boat, don't remember ever getting food poisoning so must of worked. Blimey, that's expensive at 2014 prices !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nb Innisfree Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Blimey, that's expensive at 2014 prices !! Approx one week's wage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Ambrose Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 Approx one week's wage.And people moan about 12v fridges being expensive.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ange Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) We have a problem during Autumn and Spring. Summer's fine - we have enough from our solar panels to run the fridge. Winter's fine - it's cold enough to put all our perishables in the cupboard where our plates are cold enough to freeze our food before we can eat it unless we put them on the stove first.. At this time of year and in the spring we don't have enough sun to run the fridge and it isn't cold enough outside to keep the perishables from going off. We've just had to bin a load of soft cheeses because we got a bit complacent and have to switch now from fresh milk to long life stuff. Obviously if you can hook up to the mains it isn't a problem, but when you're living off your batteries it is - especially when you're not moving the boat (before anyone jumps on me we've been in a marina without the benefit of hook up for the last few months) New batteries are on our spring shopping list - until then we make do as best we can. We don't buy perishable goods and live out of cans until the sun shines bright enough for us to turn on our 12v fridge again. Edited October 11, 2014 by Ange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ange Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Call me old fashioned, but I keep chilled stuff in the fridge and frozen stuff in the freezer! Are you hooked up to mains electricity? If not can you tell my hubby how that works - not trying to be funny but after 5 years of only having the fridge running during the summer and having no freezer I would dearly love you to tell him that we can. Please. I miss my freezer big time - it's the only thing that living on a boat has made me feel deprived of. The important thing is to answer the OP's question isn't it? Hey Terryb why the question - that would really help us to help you We'll still probably disagree though - such is the nature of the forum Edited October 12, 2014 by Ange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter X Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 We didn't have a fridge at home until 1975, and my mother used to keep milk cool year round by standing the bottles in a few inches of water in a bucket on the back doorstep, a spot which was always in the shade. On a canal I imagine a metal bucket dangling in the water, in the shade of course, might work quite well when there isn't enough oomph from solar power in the batteries to power a fridge, because the water should be not too far above fridge temperature during spring and autumn, and metal will conduct heat, plastic won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Ambrose Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Hi Ange, to be honest I've never tried a marina with no hook up so can't really say what the secret is but we have always had a 12v fridge and ditto freezer. Never had to turn them off, when we cruise power is never a problem but I suspect a powerless berth might be, the combined consumption of the cold kit is circa 70a/h to 80a/h we have 300watts PV array to help things along, engine runs a 90amp alternator, we do have a inboard diesel genny but never use it, domestic battery bank of 660amp capacity. Pykebird may well tell it differently Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pykebird Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Ange, In the 4 years since I have re done the boat, only been able to use hook up for about a year. From day one I have ran both fridge and freezer, although in this weather I have turned both down. Fridge is on 2, freezer on 2. This winter I will be on my original mooring, with no hook up and far too many trees so not great solar power! So the downside is I will have to run the engine for about 2 hours to re charge and get hot water. The only time I have ever turned off the fridge or freezer off is to clean it. I have 4 x 110 gel batteries, 95 amp alternator and 3x 125 watts solar. None of the equipment was cheap but I spent my money on the set up before I painted and did the inside. I bought second hand if I could and keep my eye out for bargains, not called pyke for nothing! If you guys are coming to buckby you are welcome to have a nose around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 We use a small 12v compressor fridge. It doesn't use a lot of power and keeps food and beer lovely and cold. Keeping milk cold isn't an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colmac Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 We have a gas fridge and. although not as efficient as a leccy one it seems ok. On our long summer trip during the heat wave this summer we ended up buying UHT milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magpie patrick Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 On Juno, which admittedly is fibreglass and may therefore respond differently, I used to put milk and butter under the cupboards against the skin of the boat below the waterline. The butter never melted, the milk was okay for about 24 hours but best bought in the evening to make sure the morning coffee (before the nearby shop opened at 7am) was okay, it wouldn't last daytime on a baking hot day even against the skin. I never had the nerve to dangle my milk over the side into the canal, but that might have worked better. from the temperature viewpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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