Keeping food fresh (or at least edible) in a hot climate

[attrayant]

Back home in the states I could keep many things at room temperature. Here in Thailand, 'room temperature' has an entirely different feel. Just about everything has to go in the fridge. Even condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayo that used to last weeks - even months back home will give up the ghost here after only a few weeks. Sure, they're still edible, but have an off flavor due to oxidation which happens much faster in my almost-always 35+°C kitchen. Butter used to stay soft at room temp, but here it melts almost completely.

24×7 air conditioning isn't an option because it's an open floor plan (there's no way to seal-off the kitchen from the rest of the house) and, like most Thai houses, the shell wasn't built with climate control in mind. It seems my only option is to put everything in the fridge. But that means I can look forward to ice cold ketchup on my french fries, and chocolate as hard and brittle as plastic. I suppose I could buy a second small fridge and set it at the warmest possible temperature. That would be good for chocolates, bread and even some non-food items like medicine and lotions that don't do well in the heat.

Comments/ideas?

[lopburi3]

Yes use the fridge (we have 3 large size in kitchen for this very reason). Nothing bad about cool ketchup (it gets warm quickly) and find cool chocolate just as nice as room temp (and a lot less messy - but only takes a few minutes to warm up if you need that. And yes some medications will also need to be in there (or keep in room that you do have airconditioned) - although for many used daily the few days until used should not hurt much. Refrigerator also keeps moisture down so potato chips do not become taffy. Keeps the fruit cool. Overnight storage of Thai foods that are not finished.

Although we still use butter they now sell mostly blend type here which should spread better out of refrigerator.

[balo]

I use the freezer a lot here for fresh food, any meat, some fruits, bread , veggies. Most of the food will stay fresh when you defrost it, even after months in the freezer . And of course the fridge for anything else. In room temperature I only keep my spices, sugar and some biscuits , all stored in air tight plastic containers.so ants and other insects will stay away.

[Bantex]

One option for condiments, chocolate, snacks, fruit etc would be to use a cool box and occasionally add/replace an ice pack. One ice pack in the cool box and another in the freezer, just rotate them daily. Frees up space in your fridge and the air tight cool box will also keep out the ants etc.

[attrayant]

By "cool box" you mean something home made? I Have several of those blue-ice packs but I'd be worried about dampness, condensation and mold. I wonder if anyone makes a small fridge without a freezer compartment. That's probably my best bet.

[lopburi3]

Small units are not going to be frost free so there will be moisture issues much of the year - especially if frequent access is required.

[ColinChapman]

I use a wine refrigerator, set to 16 degrees C for things like chocolate tea coffee and obviously wine.

[BKKdreaming]

How hot is the ground if you dug a hole 3 to 5 ft deep ?

Just wondering if you could rig up a coolbox that pulled up from the underground pit ?

[akentryan]

I have 4 refrigerators. Bedrooms are upstairs - one reefer upstairs holds cold water, medicine that requires refrigeration, and the freezer compartment holds imported beef. One reefer downstairs holds beer, wine, chocolates and bagged ice. The other two hold normal houshold food stuff that will spoil quickly if left out. Could not survive with even one less. Spoiled rotten I guess but it sure does cut down on the trips to Makro.

[SOTIRIOS]

...the refrigerator works better when it is stocked anyway....

...and keep vermin away..

..so what is the problem....

[A. BOOZER]

I suppose it would be too much effort to take items like your ketchup, chocolate and butter out of the fridge a little while before you wish to use (consume) them ?

[meatboy]

what frightens me more than anything is EGGS how long are they outside in the sun and are supposed to have a shelf life of 14days in store's.

[Don Mega]

In the floor of the kitchen ive dug a 30ft deep hole, I keep me sauce and stuff down there.

[attrayant]

I use a wine refrigerator, set to 16 degrees C for things like chocolate tea coffee and obviously wine.

That's an excellent idea - and no freezer compartment going to waste. I'd probably set it a bit higher, say 18-20.

[Checks Lazada] Oh they're expensive - more expensive than the big chest freezer I just bought!

I suppose it would be too much effort to take items like your ketchup, chocolate and butter out of the fridge a little while before you wish to use (consume) them ?

What a huge PITA. Labor saving devices are supposed to make life easier, not increase the amount of preparation and management we need to do.

the refrigerator works better when it is stocked anyway. and keep vermin away. so what is the problem?

Hope you don't mind I cleaned up the punctuation a bit to help make your comments more readable. Here are your answers:

1. My objective is not to help the refrigerator "work better".

2. I don't have a problem with vermin. Maybe you should check your baseboards and screen doors for holes.

3. The problem is premature food staleness and spoilage. It's right there in the OP.

I didn't mention it but the house (it's the inlaws' house actually) already had two huge refrigerators when I moved in. I bought mine because I got tired of getting hit in the face with a wall of stink every time I open the door (fishy ice cubes, too). So I was really leaning away from a fourth fridge, but that wine cooler idea sounds great.

[Jedsada3]

Hello,

The coolest room in my house is the bedroom (aircon during the night) and situated North side.

There is a cabinet where I keep medication and other stuff which doesn't support hot weather (resin, candles etc). Except 3-4 bottles of wine, there is no food.

Butter, eggs and chocolate are in the fridge with water and vegetables. Self made mayonnaise and other sensible food come also in the fridge otherwise...

I buy enough fresh food to consume within 2 days and try to keep it out of the fridge.

[little mary sunshine]

I have a second fridge Keeps sugar,

Flour, cookies ant free too.

[smotherb]

Can't your wives or girl friends take care of those things?

[attrayant]

That's a good interim solution. For me the cool room is my office. When I moved in, I remodeled the two-car garage as my office since it was being used only for junk storage at the time. I do keep some delicate food in here but I'd really like it to be IN the kitchen because the office is on the complete opposite side of the house. It may be only 60 steps round-trip but you can see how doing that 8-10 times while trying to cook could get annoying.

[little mary sunshine]

No

[NoshowJones]

I keep my ketchup in one of the wall cupboards in the kitchen which lasts for weeks.

No need to keep in the fridge.

[facthailand]

We keep just about all foodstuffs in one large and one small fridge. We'd never buy Mitsubishi again. After only three years, it's a bloody swamp in there! (Recommendations for reliable fridges, please!)

We also bought a small Panasonic chest freezer. Don't cheap out like we did--go for the 48-inch! This way you can fill your suitcases with good olive oil, cheeses, smoked salmon, nut butters, etc. Rice advice: Cycle your rice through the freezer for 24 hours before storing it in your fridge--no weevils!

Yes, keep eggs in your fridge. We don't use a lot of butter but it was sour practically by the time it reached home. Switched to ghee (clarified butter). Not sure if it's sold in conventional supermarkets. We buy ours from Bimala Indian grocery store; it's in the little alleyway up the left side of Chuwit Gardens.

[lopburi3]

We using 17-20 CF models from Samsung, Panasonic and Mitsubishi and only failures have been Samsung (needing service 3 times for parts failures). But the Samsung is also the oldest and generally has been very good and keeps temperature very well (model made for Thailand weather). Mitsubishi ice maker failed rather quickly and freezer (top) does not seem to keep as cold during hottest days. Have had no issues with Panasonic and led lighting nice.

[GOLDBUGGY]

I suppose you could buy a small refrigerator which is quite cheap and use that at a warmer temperature to keep things like your butter soft.

I had an extra smaller one but not for that. I got it as cold as I could to keep my beer ice cold in it. But I suppose you could go the other way with it.

[bazza40]

The OP could consider changing his diet to suit the Thai climate. Anything protein-based in my condo is purchased and consumed the same day.

Change butter for margarine, which is spreadable from a refrigerator and healthier.

Put bread in the freezer, then toast it. If you want fresh bread, buy ciabattas or baguettes and eat them the same day you buy them.

Sweet chili sauce keeps well at Thai temperatures in lieu of ketchup. Think ketchup is pureed tomato? Wrong. It's pear pulp flavoured with tomato concentrate.

Sweet tooth? Substitute dried fruits such as mango, pineapple and papaya for chocolate. Or refrigerate Tim Tams and eat with dried ginger. Healthier than chocolate alone.

I tend to avoid leaving anything unpackaged out for ants. No point in encouraging the little buggers.

It does help to have a large refrigerator. Diced watermelon, mango, papaya and pineapple all feature in my refrigerator. And it's surprising how beneficial these are on bowel movement, if that's not too much information.

[SoiBiker]

Put them in the fridge, get them out a little in advance if you don't want to serve cold.

Hardly rocket science, is it? One wonders how some of you managed to survive this far in life, considering how common this kind of inane enquiry is here.

[bazza40]

Put them in the fridge, get them out a little in advance if you don't want to serve cold.

Hardly rocket science, is it? One wonders how some of you managed to survive this far in life, considering how common this kind of inane enquiry is here.

Perhaps not everyone is gifted with your omniscience.

[ableguy]

I use the freezer a lot here for fresh food, any meat, some fruits, bread , veggies. Most of the food will stay fresh when you defrost it, even after months in the freezer . And of course the fridge for anything else. In room temperature I only keep my spices, sugar and some biscuits , all stored in air tight plastic containers.so ants and other insects will stay away.

Ditto for me, bread in the freezer for sure as loaf of good quality bread will last me about ten days (rye )

Two fridges one freezer, one fridge for drinks other daily use.