Keeping Food Cold

Are you travelling this year or perhaps going to the beach for lots of outdoor summer fun? You still need to eat and keeping food cold can be a challenge when it is warm can't it?

Trying to keep food cool when you are away from home, perhaps at the beach or on a camping trip can be a real challenge. Fortunately there are a range of portable coolers and refrigerators available for every possible need.

Whether it’s a day trip to the beach, a five day camping holiday or trekking with friends there are portable coolers suited to every situation.

You and your family might have a reunion or social gathering each year. If you are responsible for preparing some of the food and then transporting it to the venue you may be concerned about keeping it safe for everyone to eat.

How To Keep Food Cool

Making The Best Use Of Your Portable Cooler

When you are thinking about how to keep food cool remember that means keeping them at or below 40 °F.

Here are some ideas on how to go about it:

Why not use the foods you are going to serve to help keep the food cool and safe. So for instance you can add frozen peas in a green salad. Simply make the salad as you would normally however, you should not allow the peas to thaw first. If you are not going to be eating for a while, you will find that the frozen peas will thaw and your salad will be kept cold until it is time to eat.
When you are using a portable cooler make sure to pre-cool the cooler before you start to pack it. You can do this by placing a plastic bag with ice into the cooler and then leave it closed for a while. When you are ready to pack your cooler, think about what you are going to need first. Then place your food items into the cooler in the opposite order of what you expect to need them. That means that the items you will need first will then be taken out and the items you need later will be left in the cooler until they are needed.
Make sure to place ice packs or perhaps small bags of ice at the bottom of your cooler before you add the food. Then place your food or pre-cooled drinks into the cooler. Once the food is in the cooler, you should place more ice on top before you close the cooler for transportation.
If you can you should avoid transporting your cooler in a closed area such as the trunk. It would be much better to keep it in the backseat of your car so that your air conditioning will help keep the items in the cooler cool. One idea that I have found helpful is to insulate the cooler by placing a blanket around it.

If you fill the cooler as full as you can it will help it to stay cold longer.

Portable Coolers and Refrigerators

	Coleman Cooler \| Steel-Belted Cooler Keeps Ice Up to 4 Days \| 54-Quart Cooler for Camping, BBQs, ... With its charming vintage aesthetic, generous capacity, and durable stainless steel hardware, the Coleman 54-Quart Steel-Belted Cooler is the perfect companion for your next cam... Coleman / Only $79.30 View on Amazon
	Coleman 3000005350 Cooler, 28 quart, Blue/White Keep your food and drinks cold for an extended time, and make the fun last longer, when you bring a Coleman 28 Quart Xtreme 3 Cooler. Xtreme technology uses an insulated lid and... Coleman / ~~$37.99~~ $28.83 View on Amazon
	Wheeled Chest Cooler, 50 qt, Black Chest Cooler, Cooler Design Container Storage, Material Polyethylene, Insulation ThermOZONE(TM), Body Color Black, Lid Color Black, Capacity 50 qt. , Exterior Length 22-7/8 In. ... Coleman / Only $56.99 View on Amazon
	Coleman 3000001989 Coolers, 16-Quart, Red When it's time to take a lunch, take it anywhere with a Coleman 16 Quart Excursion Cooler. Large enough to hold 25 cans, you'll have plenty of space to pack a full meal for you ... Coleman / Only $17.14 View on Amazon
	Coleman 3000002169 Cooler Soft 16 Can Outdoor W/Liner Keep your food and snacks cool from the park to the campsite with a Coleman 16 Can Removable Liner Cooler. In addition to the leak-free main compartment that's perfect for using... Coleman / ~~$30.95~~ $21.00 View on Amazon

Updated: 10/05/2014, pkmcr

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How Do You Keep Food Cool On Your Summer Outings?

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petunia on 07/10/2011

Pre-cooling the cooler makes sense but I doubt I have ever done it!

tandemonimom on 07/04/2011

Precooling the cooler is a great idea!

Guest on 07/04/2011

Lots of great advice here. I think the most important is "make sure to pre-cool the cooler" it makes such a difference.

ohcaroline on 07/03/2011

You do have to be so careful with food when camping. I always tried to have everything as prepared as possible...so you aren't opening the cooler lid so much losing the cold air.

TerriRexson on 07/03/2011

Just what we needed for a day on the beach yesterday. It was much more convenient to have a picnic lunch with us.

dustytoes on 07/03/2011

I like the coolers with a handle and wheels so I can drag it to the beach myself. Keeping food cold was always a big issue when I lived in Florida, but well-made coolers will keep food cold for hours.