I lived without a refrigerator for most of the 6 months I spent in
Nicaragua in 1986. Actually, there was a fridge in the house but it was
broken.
The worst part of it was not having cold drinks or ice. We bought ice from
the lady across the street (it was her home business). In that climate it
really helped to have something cold.
I learned that much of the emphasis on getting "parishables" in the fridge
ASAP was hype. Though that didn't mean you could keep food out
indefinately.
I learned that eggs do not need refridgeration. It is only because the
ones you buy in the market are a couple weeks old by the time you get them
that they have to go in the fridge. Fresh ones do not. I undercook my
eggs btw...hate them any other way.
Cooked food such as beans could be left on the (cold) stove in a covered
pot all night and eaten the next day. Eating it on the third day wasn't so
good though.
I didn't eat meat but of course it had to be used up the same day it was
bought. Same for fish and most dairy. There are limits to keeping food
without refridgeration, especially in a hot humid climate. Even fresh
vegetables and bread products didn't last more than a couple days.
The markets were far away (1-2 bus rides) so that was a pain but at least
we could get fresh tortillas and vegetables from vendors who went door to
door every morning. And the owner of the house I lived in was a cake baker
so we always had a good supply of fresh eggs. Dried beans and rice lasted
forever too.
I got food poisoning once though I don't know if it was due to the lack of
refrigderation or the eggs or something else entirely. I had ameboas and
it was miserable (and easily cured with some strong drug). I might have
had it a couple other times it's hard to know. I was the only person in
the household who got sick as I wasn't used to the bugs there. Btw, the
water was completely safe, though it had to be stored in buckets for the no
water days (twice a week, morning till night) so that might have been why I
got sick.
If I had to live without refridgeration again in a hot climate I'd at least
have fresh food year round. If it was a cold climate, I'd have a cold
cellar and might even be able to freeze foods. I'd also can a lot of my
food.
Mind you, given a choice, I want my fridge.
Cyndi
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Oakland, California Zone 9 USDA; Zone 16 Sunset Western Garden Guide
Chemically sensitive/disabled - Organic Gardening only by choice and neccessity
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"There's nothing wrong with me. Maybe there's Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG) [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.consultclarity.com/
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