What to do with your frozen food if electricity goes off in 2000. Use your camping cooler, fill it up with frozen food from your freezer, take it outside and open the lid during the night if you live in a cold climate. In the morning close it and every night open it again to keep food frozen.

-- Freddie the Freeloader (freddie@aol.com), February 21, 1999

Answers

If I left my cooler open during the night, the racoons, skunks, fox, dogs, would have all my food eaten. Then they'll be back the next night and the next......

-- RockyRacoon (RockyRacoon@Munch..com), February 21, 1999.

Hello,

You can leave you Igloo Freezer Packs out at night, and then put them in, in the morning.

Deborah

-- Deborah (cold@midwest.com), February 22, 1999.

I plan to leave the coolers outside all the time because it's colder outside than inside. P.S. Bungy cord them, us racoons are pretty slick!

-- RockyRacoon (RockyRacoon@Munch.com), February 22, 1999.

Hadn't thought of the cooler packs, Diane, thanks for the tip. (Well, for the few times it gets below freezing here in central NC--but you can bet if/when the power goes off Y2k, we'll have the coldest winter on record.) Rocky, I bought lots of coolers at yard sales last summer, will use to keep food cool and keep in locked shed, away from varmints. Am using them to store beans at the moment, but am collecting 5-gall buckets to use instead.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 22, 1999.

Freddie: When the power goes out and the freezers start losing the chill, it's time to get busy. Igloo coolers are good for about2-3 days. Not a very good option. Time to get out the propane stove, pots and canning jars. A small smoke house will put a nice cure on the meat, which will keep it for a long while. If you live in an area where the temperature stays below freezing, try an old "sour dough" way. Get a clean 55 gal barrel, water,50lbs. rock salt and a potatoe. Fill the barrel about 2/3's full of water. Now peel the potatoe and drop it in the water. Next start pouring in the salt and stir,stir,stir... when you have enough salt in the water the potatoe will float. Now you have the right brine. Unwrap all your frozen meat and drop it in the brine. This will keep meat for a long time. Pork if lighty seared and layered with lard or its own fat and stored in buckets or large cans,will keep several months if stored in a cool place. Hope this helps. Good luck--Dennis S.--Alaska

-- Dennis S. (souza@ptialaska.net), February 22, 1999.

If the power goes out and you think it's going to stay out longer than your freezer can keep the food viable, you should start canning the food in your freezer.

-- Bob (canner@save.net), February 22, 1999.

Hey Dennis, thanks for the tip! However I'm a vegetarian and meat is not one of my favorites.

-- Freddie the Freeloader (freddie@aol.com), February 24, 1999.