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Learn to make your very own pot-in-pot fridge with a few simple items
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In a community or situation without electricity, storage of food long-term can be tricky. One simple solution is to build your own pot-in-pot fridge, using basic pots, sand and water. An idea revived by Mohammed Bah Abba, this refrigerator is now being used by many farmers in warm climates who need to preserve their food for a longer time and keep the insects away.
Keeping the sand moist all the time enables evaporation to cool the produce kept inside the inner pot. This enables the storage of freshly grown vegetables to last much longer than usual in a hot climate. It is also great for using at a picnic or outdoor meal where there is no electricity outside but food or drinks need to be kept cool. Here is how to make your own.
Steps
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Obtain two large clay or terracotta pots. One pot must be smaller than the other pot. Check that the smaller pot fits inside the larger and that there is a space around it of at least one centimetre, up to three centimetres.
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Fill in any holes at the base of the pots. Use clay, large pebbles, cork, a homemade paste - anything suitable to hand to fill the hole. If you leave the holes open, the water will enter the inner pot and will also run out of the larger pot, making the fridge ineffective. [1] X Research source
- Putty or duct tape can plug the hole.
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Fill the base of the larger pot with coarse sand. Fill about 2.5cm/1 inch deep, and only fill to a height that will ensure the smaller pot sits even in height with the larger pot. [2] X Research source
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Place the small clay pot into the large pot. Arrange its base flat on top of the lower layer of sand.
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Fill all around the small pot with sand. Fill it almost all the way, except for leaving a small gap at the top.
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Pour cold water over the sand. Do this until the sand is completely soaked and unable to take any more water. As you pour, do so gradually in order to give the water time to soak into the terracotta. [3] X Research source
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Take a cloth, tea towel or towel and dip it into water. Place it over the top of the inner pot so that it covers it completely. [4] X Research source
- Wet hessian or similar fabric also works well.
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Allow the inner pot to cool down. If you have a thermometer, you can use this, otherwise test the temperature with your hands.
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Keep the pot-in-pot refrigerator in a dry, ventilated space for the water to evaporate effectively towards the outside. [5] X Research source
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Place vegetables or other items inside for storage. [6] X Research source You will need to keep checking regularly for the dampness of the sand. Pour in more water as it becomes drier to keep it well moistened. Usually this will need to be done twice a day.
- You can add food or drinks to the pot-in-pot refrigerator if you're having an outdoor party or picnic. Make one for the drinks and one for the food if you have a lot of items.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDo I have to use clay pots or will PVC/metal cylinders work?Community AnswerYou cannot use PVC or metal containers because they don't allow evaporation like clay pots do, which is the whole point of the device. Clay pots allow evaporative cooling to take place because they are permeable to air.
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QuestionDoes this pot system use a lid, or just the cloth?Community AnswerIt can have an earthenware lid or a wet cloth, but both togther would be better to use.
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QuestionAs an artist, I can throw pots on a wheel; do they have to be that shape, or as long as they fit together and have a lip will it work?Community AnswerShape of the pots does not matter. But inner pot with small mouth covered with clay lid works tremendously well.
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Tips
- Meat can be kept for up to two weeks, as opposed to a few hours without this device.Thanks
- The pot-in-pot refrigerator is also known by its Arabic term, a "Zeer" pot.Thanks
- It is also possible to store sorghum and millet grains this way - the pot-in-pot refrigerator protects against humidity and stops fungi growth.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do not use glazed earthenware; only unglazed.Thanks
- Evaporative cooling works most effectively in dry heat and this pot-in-pot refrigerator is no different. In high humidity, you will find that this solution does not work.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Two clay (terracotta) pots, unglazed, one larger than the other
- Sand
- Water
- Cloth to cover the pots
- Clay, cork or other material to plug holes in the pots if they have them
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nctr9xJIxUs
- ↑ https://movement-verein.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/informationen_projekte_clay_pot_cooler_2014_en.pdf
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DvEMyjesLU
- ↑ https://www.survivalsullivan.com/how-to-make-a-zeer-pot/
- ↑ Wikipedia, Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator
- ↑ http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1936165_1936254_1936632,00.html
About This Article
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Reader Success Stories
- "I was looking for a way to keep sprouts and microgreens growing containers cooler in the summer months. We have tried styrofoam cooler with ice packs, home made indoor evaporative coolers, etc. This looked interesting. Not sure how to set it up for my sprouts but will think about it, as it is a great idea." ..." more
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"I was looking for a way to keep sprouts and microgreens growing containers cooler in the summer months. We have tried styrofoam cooler with ice packs, home made indoor evaporative coolers, etc. This looked interesting. Not sure how to set it up for my sprouts but will think about it, as it is a great idea."
..."
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"Very helpful, including the step-by-step illustrations, where to store and keep the clay pot refrigerator, the types of vegetables and how long they store for in the pot, how long meat can be stored for, and the tip about using unglazed pots."
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"I was looking for step by step as well as details on when the system will not work and what can be put into the pots. I got all my answers on this site. Thank you!"
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"In my country, some regions can't use electrical power, so this article is helpful in understanding how to store fresh vegetables. "
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"I was at a place where refrigerator was not available. I had to keep the butter cool, so used this device, it worked well for me."
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