Can you picture a kitchen without a refrigerator? Difficult to imagine, right? For millions of people in rural and remote regions across the globe, they would be able to fully relate. From Rajasthan’s dry deserts to the cool hills of Ethiopia, people have developed ways to provide the freshness of food and the mitigation of waste without an electric refrigerator. These communities have created intelligent and sustainable ways of storing their foods over generations – and many are still being employed today.

These customary and age-old ways not only assist in food preservation, but also teach us valuable lessons about living sustainably and how to adapt to nature. Whether you are an intentional off-grid explorer or simply curious about low-tech alternatives, it may be interesting and opportunistic to learn about these traditional techniques and we can derive from them both functional value and value to inspire us.

1. Zeer Pots – This is Nature’s Refrigerator
The Zeer pot is used in some parts of Africa and the Middle East. The Zeer pot is an appliance, or more aptly, an inferior cooling device, constructed from clay pots. The Zeer pot has two clay pots, one sits inside the other. Once receiving the clay pots, you then moist a solution of dirt and sand to fill the empty space between the two clay pots, covering the top of the inner pot with a wet cloth to insulate against evaporation. The moisture in the sand will evaporate, thereby cooling the inner clay pot, making this a great way to store your vegetables, fruits, milk, or even leftovers for a couple of days in hot, dry climates.

2. Baskets Hanging over Streams
In steep areas like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, people use natural water streams to keep food cool. They hang baskets or containers just above where the water is flowing. The cool air and moisture from the stream keeps the food cool. Nets work because they allow air to flow while keeping insects away.

3. Salting and Sun-Drying
Long before refrigerators, people had salt and sun as food preservatives. Food can still be preserved in the same way. Fish, meat, and vegetables like mangoes and chillies have been preserved this way. Salting and sun-drying food is now normal practice in Kerala and Tamil Nadu (along with Ladakh). Salted raw mango slices can be used after several months of storage.

4. Cooling using Clay Pots
In Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, people use clay pots, or matkas, for cooling water, buttermilk, and rice. Clay pots are good insulators. For additional cooling use a matka, wrapped in a damp cloth and stored in a shady place. Mature pots do allow air to pass through, which also promotes the freshness of the contents.

5. Underground Storage
In the colder parts of regions like Kashmir or parts of Nepal, people dig small pits underground that serve to keep vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions for much longer. Because the soil maintains a stable temperature, the rate of spoilage is much lower. In urban areas, we can utilize clay lined boxes and simply place them in a shaded corner of the garden to utilize the same principles.

6. Fermentation
Himalayan households are good at fermenting food. Fermented traditional repeats such as gundruk (fermented leafy greens) and sinki (fermented radish) are produced by today’s households. Fermented foods are effective at longer-lasting food items, but they aid in digestion too. Fermenting cabbage or radish at home is simply accomplished through the use of glass jars, salt and chili.

Also Read: Sacred Science: Why People Avoid Eating Onion And Garlic During Sawan

7. Storage in Ash and Husk
In parts of Maharashtra and in Odisha, roots vegetables such as ginger, turmeric and sweet potatoes have been stored by keeping them in dry ash or husk. The ash and husk keep them dry and insect free, which aids longevity. A clay pot or a basket lined with all ash, would also be effective.

Refrigerators are great, but not the only solution to storing food items. These past preservation techniques establish that with a little creativity and assistance from nature, we will find a better way to store food items without electricity.

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