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Have you ever wondered how the Amish
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keep food cold without electricity? They
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use a brilliant cooling system called a
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zer pot that requires no power
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whatsoever. This ancient technology
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dates back to Egyptian times and can
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maintain temperatures around 40° F even
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in hot weather. Creating your own zerot
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refrigerator is surprisingly simple.
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You'll need two unglazed terracotta pots
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of different sizes with the smaller one
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fitting inside the larger with about 1
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to 2 in of space between them. You'll
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also need sand, water, and a cloth
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cover. Place the smaller pot inside the
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larger one and fill the gap between them
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with sand. Pour water into the sand
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until it's completely saturated. Place
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your food in the inner pot and cover
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with a damp cloth. As the water in the
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sand evaporates, it pulls heat from the
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inner chamber through a process called
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evaporative cooling. For maximum
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efficiency, place your zer pot in a
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shaded, breezy area and rewet the sand
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one to two times daily. This simple
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device can extend the shelf life of
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vegetables from 2 days to nearly 2 weeks
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in hot weather. The Amish have preserved
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countless self-sufficiency techniques
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that most Americans have forgotten.
