'outdoor fridge' or basement???

[ernest]

Our fridge is full to bursting already, and I haven't even done the food shopping yet. And we have 2 lots of guests over Christmas. And the shops'll be shut a lot, so will need to get extra in..

SO I'm thinking of just keeping our food outside (we have a roof terrace, so no people or animals could get to it) It that insane or weird?

Or in the basement, where it's cooler, but not as cold as outside.

How cold are fridges? WOuld outdiôor temps of 4 ish be cold enough?

If I go for it, should I get boxes esp, or just dump the carrier bags out there?

Or any bright sparks got better idea?

Get a cool box and the food will be fine outside. What do you think our ancestors did?

i am putting the 24pints of milk thats due to arrive in buckets of cold water outside the back door.

students often used to hang plastic carriers of food out their windows to use as a fridge. can't see what's worng with putting it on the terrace.

would wrap it up really well thugh

Cool boxes full of ice or water stook outside with the food in will be fine.

It 'll be fine outside . especailly now that the temp has dropped .I often do that when fridge is overflowing when we have people to stay.

just checked weekly forcast, supposed to be max. -2 during day for next week. bollox. everything'll bloody well freeze. Might have to be the cool but not cold basement after all

but thatks all, so many replies so quick.

The shops are only shut for one day? Can you do a few shops?

Putting drinks outside works v.well IME

We have an unheated conservatory (doesn't freeze but is only a couple of degrees above outside temp) that currently contains all the soft drinks inc the kind of juice you're meant to keep in the fridge, the white wine, the beer, all the root veg and cabbages etc, also non-christmas things like jam and pickle that have been ousted.
Meat gets priority in the fridge.

Don't forget the birds if you put stuff outside - make sure everything has proper lids (ie not just cellophane / clingfilm / foil).

thanks mrs b, I def. wouldn't have thought of the birds. oh, and nearly forgot to add booze and soft drinks to shopping list, so ta. that would have gone down well.

itschrismurftime, I'm not in UK and shopping is usually very linited around holiday times. Sunday shopping doesn't exist, except twice a year, and that, coupled with the day trips with the relatives, I'll have very limited shopping oportunities so will need to get loads. Our roof terrace is going to be packed, I think, assuming it doesn't get tooo cold.

I put the drinks/jars of stuff in a cool box in the wendy house so it is safe from birds etc but v.cold

A fridge is typically kept at 4 degrees so outside may get a litle too cold. I would go for the basement, or cool box in the car perhaps.

well that was my original concern. I'm torn between outdorr fridge too cold and basement not cold enough. Took temp and it's 16 degrees, so not good enough is it?

Put it outside, cellar is definitely not cold enough! As long as the temp outside stays below 8 and above 0 degrees during the day, all is fine. A few degrees of frost during the night won't hurt either although you should be careful with non-alcoholic drinks as the bottles could burst when the liquid freezes.