To ask if you ever put stuff in the garden overnight in winter when your fridge is full?

[Owlsintowels]

I do this occasionally, it feels elicit and wrong but logically I think it's fine?

Eg last night. Made a big pot of curry for friends visiting this weekend. Finished cooking at 9.30pm.

I could either put this steaming cauldron in the fridge, put it in numerous sinkfuls of cold water until the core reached something cool, or pop it on the patio in the back garden where the temp was about the same as a fridge, and the supply of extra cold is near infinite.

If I hadn't been going to bed early then I might have brought it in at 11 to move to the fridge, but as it is I left it out overnight

At 7am the temp was ~4.5, that's within the normal range for a fridge, so scientifically I don't see how this could be bad.

Does anyone else do this?

We don't get foxes and it was a big heavy lidded pot, so no wildlife concerns.

AIBU?

Don't think DH would have been too impressed if I heaved my gigantic pot into the car, the smell would have become permanent I'm sure

Is curry one of the options for car scent hanging things?

I use my shed for stuff like this - our foxes would also appreciate the gift of curry a little too much. And the dog would probably pee on the pot, now i come to think about it.

I never thought of using the car, I'm going to do that this year. I usually put a table just outside the back door for beer,wine etc that won't fit in the fridge. I also have the recycling bin next to it and light the fire pit for the smokers - some people end up outside more than inside

I do all the while. It’s covered properly with a weighted lid and sits happily on the terrace table at a temperature slightly cooler than the fridge overnight. Much safer than on the side.
I use outside for cooling off cooked food quickly before freezing too.
Shed has the bottles and things like fresh vegetables.

I spent several seasons living in a ski resort...chalets had normal size fridges but 18-30 guests. 3 course evening meals, breakfasts, afternoon teas. I’m not sure where guests think the food is kept🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

I’d feel weird doing it ‘out in the open’ (like your pot of dinner on the table etc) but I’d have no issue with it in a chillie bin or whatever -so creepy crawlies I guess & possibility of someone tampering with it maybe depending on your location.

I’d do it if it was the only option but I wouldn’t be overly keen. Drinks etc definitely fine.

Op - I can just imagine ‘getting rid’ of any lingering smell until a hot sunny day returning to your car and being blown away - possible beach clearance as environment agency investigate a la south coast evacuations recently.
Love curry - wouldn’t store it in car !

This is the only good reason for having a conservatory.

Yes, frequently. We tie the lid on with string. Or put it inside a tied bag. Loads of wildlife round here and nothing has ever got in.

We've been meaning to get one of those large outdoor boxes for drinks.

What is your recipe for mutton curry?? Misses point of thread entirely. I have been known to use the coal shed for drinks and food!

We can't because the foxes eat everything.

Frequently. Especially at Christmas and Hogmanay when I've got extra in.

I have a lockable meat safe in my back garden. It's a wooden cupboard with fine steel mesh instead of glass in the door so no insects can get in.

It comes into its own in the festive season as I use it for storing drinks, milk, and other produce as my large fridge is usually overflowing although I always make sure there's room for cooked and uncooked meat.

I do regularly in the winter if it is cold enough. I use the garden shed so the local fox doesn’t have a midnight feast!!

I have the utility room for vegetables, salads, trifle, and cheese, and then the garage for drinks.
And yes, as a student and broke 20-something in a bedsit with no fridge, I always used the balcony.

Yep, drinks definitely, but not food unless I could secure it against foxes.

put our (ancient 1960's!!! my mums!) cool box out side to get cold without its lid for a while (on patio table) than replace lid with cold bricks & placed cooled container inside done & dusted. No insects no fox - you could put something heavy on top if you want

My parents use the car at Christmas.

Have hung meat in a garage or put chilled items in a coolbox outside.

Christmas drinks overflow into the garage and one of those big IKEA lidded recycling boxes in the unheated conservatory stores dry food like biscuits, crisps, nuts, sweeties etc. I think one of those would be fox-proof outside with a brick or two strategically placed on the lid.

No because I live in South Australia but I do put my dough outside to rise.

Yes! Use the roof of my neighbours' extension (don't tell them )

I haven't, but I have a spare fridge. There's an integrated one which we don't use because I wanted a fridge-freezer with the fridge at eye level. It's not switched on and is normally empty, apart from the time my dad, when visiting, shoved a box of fruit in there which we didn't discover for about two months, by which time it was a box of mould .

I usually defrost the freezer on snowy days, i bag it all up into bags for life, bung it out the courtyard whilst I defrost the freezer. In fact it's what i usually really look forward to doing on really snowy days, as i then tend to put all the stuff I want to use in the next weeks in the top basket and clear down reserves.

No children will be eating it, and it'll be thoroughly reheated so anything grizzly will become part of the curry.

Bit of extra protein, it won't hurt

We have a few out buildings that lock and are safe which we use for chilling things - mainly wine and beer, but I can’t see a problem with a curry. I might have put a couple of bricks on the lid though. 😉