There are many things in life that we take for granted. Often we don’t even think about them until something goes array. Like refrigerators. They work hard all day and night, 365 days a year without a break. Tirelessly they march on while we sleep and then continue once we go about our day. If we are lucky they will survive many years without a hitch. Their sole purpose? To keep our drinks cold and food fresh or frozen – ultimately resulting in less trips to the grocery store (if that’s the way we like it!). When they suddenly stop working or our electricity supply is cut off this sends many of us into panic mode – what do we do now? Our stored goods are going to perish!?
Which leads me to the purpose of this blog…. What did people do before refrigerators were invented? How did they keep food and drinks cool?
Turn back the clocks to the ages of hunter gatherers and the notion of storing foods wasn’t even a thought bubble. Whatever food was hunted and gathered was simply consumed. As times changed though and hunting for food diminished, people had to start finding ways to keep food fresh. That’s when people started pickling, smoking and curing foods.
Natural sources such as streams and caves were also a great cooling option. The deeper the cave in the earth, the cooler the air would be. Streams also offered a way to cool things faster due to the flowing water moving around the object.
As the ages progressed other solutions developed including holes in the ground, nooks in wooden walls, and storing in cooler locations such as cellars, or in wooden or clay containers to keep it fresher for longer. Community cooling houses were an integral part of many villages to keep meat, fruit and vegetables stored. At various points in time ice houses were built often underground or as insulated buildings – these were used to store ice and snow sourced during winter, to keep foods cold during the warmer months.
There was also the ice box which referred to a wooden insulated crate with ice, essentially what we refer to as an Esky these days however we’ve modernised it somewhat with plastics or materials that offer longevity and colder cavities. In some countries ice was purchased (if not readily available) so households could use an ice chest – which was three insulated boxes (similar to a fridge cavity) – ice was placed in the top box, food in the middle and a tray in the bottom (to catch the water which inevitably dripped down as the ice melted).
It wasn’t until the 1800s that the idea of a refrigerator started to take form and over the forthcoming centuries is the necessity we know today. I don’t think that many of us would raise our hands and say we could live without one!
So, in summary before fridges came along people couldn’t necessarily keep things from perishing with the available technology or natural resources but it assisted in keeping things cooler and fresher for longer periods. Unlike today’s technology such as Liebherr’s BioFresh specifically designed to keep things fresher for up to three times longer than a traditional fridge.
FAQs
In modern times, before the invention of the modern electric refrigerator, icehouses and iceboxes were used to provide cool storage for most of the year. Placed near freshwater lakes or packed with snow and ice during the winter, they were once very common. Natural means are still used to cool foods today.
What did humans do before refrigerators? ›
If ice or snow wasn't an option, underwater or underground storage, like cold cellars, provided refrigeration. People also began building their own iceboxes for cold storage, using chunks of ice or snow in boxes insulated with natural materials like sawdust or seaweed.
How do people live without a refrigerator? ›
One basic rule for living without a refrigerator is to buy fruits and vegetables that have never been refrigerated. Buy them at the local market or in the non-perishable section of the supermarket. Once they have been refrigerated, we can't keep them at room temperature for more than a few days, as they start to spoil.
How did people cool drinks before refrigeration? ›
Using ice to cool drinks dates back to the ancient Egyptians, Athenians, and Mesopotamians who put ice or snow into their wine or water. The Roman emperor Nero placed ice around his wine glass to cool it, preferring not to taint his wine. During the Turkish Empire, people put ice into fruit drinks.
How did people keep things cold in the 1700s? ›
Many times, food was put in caves or root cellars which held consistently cool temperatures even in the New England summers. To help keep temperatures down, ice blocks were wrapped in hay to keep root cellars cool - an early 'refrigeration' technique.
What were used before fridges? ›
By the end of the 1800s, many American households stored their perishable food in an insulated "icebox" that was usually made of wood and lined with tin or zinc. A large block of ice was stored inside to keep these early refrigerators chilly.
What was used before the refrigerator was invented? ›
In modern times, before the invention of the modern electric refrigerator, icehouses and iceboxes were used to provide cool storage for most of the year. Placed near freshwater lakes or packed with snow and ice during the winter, they were once very common. Natural means are still used to cool foods today.
Is it OK to lay a fridge? ›
Can you lay a refrigerator down to transport it? Never lay a refrigerator on its front or back as it could cause damage. It is advised to strap it standing upright to the side of a moving truck or other tall truck. If the refrigerator must be laid down, only do so on the left or right side.
How did people store food without fridges? ›
Before refrigerators, people used various methods to preserve food. These included root cellars, where cool underground storage kept vegetables fresh, and drying, smoking, or salting meats for longer shelf life. Canning, pickling, and fermenting were also common.
How long can you go without a fridge? ›
Refrigerated food will stay good for four hours if your power goes out. Frozen food will stay good for one day in a half-full freezer and two days in a completely-full freezer. Ensure you do not eat food at a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for longer than four hours.
I live in the UK, so we get warm but not usually very hot summers. In the “olden days" ( i.e. when I was a child and not everyone had a fridge), people used to keep milk cool mainly by keeping it in a place that didn't get much, or any, sunlight, so that it was unlikely to get very warm anyway.
How was ice cream kept cold in the 1800s? ›
Keeping cool
Instead they would have collected ice from rivers and ponds in the winter, and stored it in ice houses. Many large country houses had one, including Kenwood, Audley End House, Osborne and Battle Abbey. There were also commercial ice houses, stocking ice from Newfoundland and Alaska.
How did Cowboys keep drinks cold? ›
Saloons would harvest ice from the caves during the summer to cool down their beverages. Other areas relied on Root cellars for keeping food and drink supplies at controlled temperatures. Root cellars were a good place to store wine, beer, or other homemade alcoholic beverages.
How did people get ice in 1800? ›
In the 1800s, people began harvesting ice in huge blocks cut from lakes and ponds in New England then shipping it all over the world by barge or railroad. By the 1860s, access to ice transformed the way meat and produce were stored and transported in the United States.
How was meat stored before fridges? ›
During the Middle Ages, people preserved meat by salting or smoking it. They would also dry many foods, including grains. Vegetables were often salted or pickled.
How did people make ice in the old days? ›
In order for natural ice to reach customers in the 1800s, it had to be cut out of ponds, lakes, and rivers and transported to the customers. Shockingly, only 10% of the ice that was harvested ever made it to the customer, the rest simply melted en route.
How did people store ice before refrigerators? ›
In cold regions, during winter, lakes and ponds would freeze. People would cut large blocks of this natural ice using saws and store them in structures called “ice houses.” These ice houses were well-insulated, often with straw or sawdust, to keep the ice from melting as summer approached.
How did people keep milk before refrigeration? ›
Originally Answered: How did they store milk before refrigeration? In the well. Most homes had either a well or a spring where the family got their drinking water. This water was always cool and a perfect place to keep a crock of fresh milk cool.
Did people have ice before refrigeration? ›
For millennia, those rich enough got servants to gather snow and ice formed during the winter and stored it in straw-lined underground pits called 'ice houses'.
How did people preserve their food if there were no refrigerators? ›
Before refrigerators, people used various methods to preserve food. These included root cellars, where cool underground storage kept vegetables fresh, and drying, smoking, or salting meats for longer shelf life. Canning, pickling, and fermenting were also common.
