by JudyJB » Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:00 pm
Even though I have a relatively large refrigerator, I don't tow and I am often in places not convenient to grocery stores--like right now where the nearest grocery store is 50 miles away. So my refrigerator was absolutely crammed when I left civilization last Sunday. I've been trying to clean it out by eating old stuff.
I like to bake, so I keep all the baking basics, including powdered milk and mixes. In a pinch, I can bake a loaf of bread if I need it and extend the milk with powdered stuff. I also try to take canned things that I can throw together into a meal.
One trick I learned is that those little packages of lunchmeat you buy at grocery stores usually have MUCH longer expiration dates than the stuff you get at the deli counter--like two months instead of 7 days. I take the sealed plastic bags out of the boxes or plastic cartons they come in. I also buy chunks of cheese that are sealed. They take up very little space once you take them out of the cartons. Eggs take up more space but do last quite a while and can be used for a lot of things--like deviled eggs, etc.
I take meat out of the package as soon as I buy it and put it in ziplock freezer bags. Vegetables and fruit are a real problem because they take up so much space and spoil so quickly. So is bread and milk. Apples and bananas can sit on the counter for a few days, at least.
Anyway, you will get the hang of it by experimenting and finding a couple of emergency meals you can keep on hand that don't require refrigeration.
Oh, and don't forget the first rule of RVing--all chocolate goes in the refrigerator or it becomes a puddle! And prescription medications should go in their own little cooler so they don't degrade in the heat. You don't usually need ice, but a cooler will keep things closer to room temperature.