3 Ways Amish Keep Food COLD

Without access to public power, how do Amish keep their food cold? Do they have refrigerators? It turns out Amish have a number of ways of cooling food - some quite simple, others relying on creativity & technology.
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My name is Erik Wesner and I'm not Amish. Back in 2004, I met the Amish while selling books. Since then, I've visited 5,000+ Amish homes & dozens of Amish communities. I run the Amish America website. More: amishamerica.com/
Images: Jerry in PA, Don Burke (www.flickr.com..., Tom in NY, David Marvitz ( / marvitzphoto , Jim Halverson, S.I.,

[@6stringgunner511]

I'm not from an Amish background, nor am I now. But. Back in the day, I grew up on a 350 acre farm. My folks had an ice house below ground. Cement floor, a trench with a steel grate leading to a sump pump. We cut ice from our 5 acre lake and hauled it up by our tractor and wagons. The ice house stayed Round 45°f ALL summer. We kept produce, apples, jars of canned meat and veggies. We hanged sugar cured and smoked hams from the ceiling. THOSE were really good times!

[@LokiOdinssnn]

And i imagine it must be very cheap compared to paying for electricity.

[@faithenichols6947]

Wow. You have a wealth of knowledge. Do you have a channel?

[@amandat4716]

Awesome, what we All need now!!😄🤗🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💕🙌

[@tammiescreations4340]

I had an uncle and aunt that lived 95% of their lives with no electricity or running water. They had a refrigerator that was powered by kerosene. I was a young girl and it always fascinated me how kerosene could keep anything cold. This was very interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@flxmkr]

Especially since kerosene is used to keep stoves hot.

[@captainamericaamerica8090]

@@flxmkr my guess is that the kerosene was fuel for a small type compressor fridge

[@stolenlaptop]

@@captainamericaamerica8090 or just like modern propane refrigerators it works the same. It heats ammonia where it cools in the condenser and cycles that way.

[@ScientistDog]

@@captainamericaamerica8090 They use absortion cooling, with propane, kerosene or a eletric resistance (for the ones that work with multiple sources in mobile houses) as a source of heat for the system.

[@andybratt6022]

Sounds cool. (no pun intended) But why is Kerosene ok but electricity bad?

[@susandarling1457]

We keep two amish freezers in an outbuilding we have that has electricity. One is for our neighbor, and the other for their inlaws. They pay us for the electricity with sausage around Christmastime.

[@muddogtracker7449]

They make great neighbours! From my experience, if they know you need help... You don't even have to ask.

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

It seems to me that Amish make good neighbors and have a strong social bond not only with each other but kindness to all.

[@1newearth]

Luke 4:16 KJB clearly states that it was the custom of our Lord Jesus to go to church every sabbath. He was not a sundaykeeper and every sundaykeeper is on his way to hell if he does not repent. Why did the Gentiles ask Paul to come the next sabbath day so that they could hear the words of salvation? Acts 13:42, Acts 13:44. Why did Lydia a Greek and other Gentiles go to pray at a river on the sabbath? Acts 16:13. God only blessed, sanctified and hallowed the sabbath. Isaiah 66:22,23 and Colossians 2:16 prove that in the new earth, we shall worship God in the new moons and the sabbaths. He never blessed sunday nor Christmas. The Pharisees were wrong about healing on the sabbath because they considered it work but our Lord Jesus is right, was right and will always be right.

[@gowest5145]

I like your bartering

[@RoseSimpson1111]

Nice. They're good people. I wish I had Amish neighbors.

[@lindamoses3697]

I toured sn old pioneer home in Utah while hunting for a home to buy. The walls were so thick that the home stayed cool in the blazing heat of the summer and the fireplace in the living room kept the home heated in the winter. The bedrooms we're upstairs. The kitchen had steps going down to the back door. Off the the steps was was a door that opened into a large underground room with concrete bench all the way around. Sandstone squared off rocks were above the bench as walls. I imagine the concrete was put on the bench and floor later. This was the cold room or root cellar where foods were kept cold. It was hot outside but felt like a refrigerator in that room. It was large enough to store a winter's worth of crops. Very ingenius.

[@pipfox7834]

@Linda Moses interesting story, thankyou for posting. In the seventies there was a revival in using a lot of these ideas in the Owner Builder movement, for which a magazine still exists! so there are still people out there making homes like this. At the moment i am living in one, built by a friend in about 1980 (forty years ago). I wish i had enough money to buy it from him, its fantastic. Very minimal use of power needed to heat and cool, due to the way the place was built (passive solar design being very important). Power is generated from the roof and exported to the grid, so no power bills. My friend was a tradesman, a panelbeater and metalworker. Many working class youth went in this direction, back in the day. Its a unique house and one day maybe it will be a place where people come to learn how to make life easier for themselves, at times when fossil fuel energy becomes unreliable.

[@EagleArrow]

How most America farmers did it. Farm homes were designed pre electric boom. Rooms facing south to allow sun. Double front doors with small foyer to block cold air during winter. My In laws home has a root cellar the size of a bathroom within the basement off to the side with dirt floor and door. It stays dark and a constant °50 all year. Their home was built in 1942. She has most in her back up refrigerator today, but she can move her items over into the root cellar if she needs to.

[@lisahertel2415]

Called a basement in modern times

[@poopdotzilla6192]

@@EagleArrow Ooooh! Imagine all the creepy-crawly centipedes & roaches, and mice, rats & bats! In a root cellar that stays dark and dank that never sees the light of day. I'll bet some of the critters that hide in the dark there are big enough to have a small child for a snack...

[@brrjohnson8131]

@@lisahertel2415 sorry, a basement is not the same design or purpose as a root cellar.

[@oldseadad]

Here in Central Minnesota it's been a really cold winter. Many below zero days. We have a good number of Amish here, and they build some wooden troughs, line them with plastic, and use them as giant ice cube trays! They take the giant ice blocks and put them in their ice houses and it lasts till next winter.

[@Mrs.TJTaylor]

That’s a great tip! Thanks.

[@lusnorthernhome3410]

We used to have what was called a spring house. Dairy and eggs where stored there.

[@crystalshen6]

Clever! I live in Minnesota. 🙋

[@lesliekendall5668]

That's a really fantastic idea.

[@BrassyBrunette]

I'm in west central MN. About 20 yrs ago it crossed my mind that knowing Amish ways would be smart. Esp after what we are witnessing today. 👍

[@GeckoHiker]

Not Amish here but we like to use alternatives like they do. The cold room or larder is something we built into our home. The room that gets the least sun is lined with rock and has stone shelves for storing butter, homemade beverages, vegetables, and some meats. These types of rooms have a long history.

[@elkeschmitt623]

I have a spare room = which I use as guest room and also as storage. It is right next to the AC, so it gets the coldest. It has 3 windows-2 of them I blocked off the other one I use for ventilation and allow the cold to come in for as long as I can. Getting creative.

[@GeckoHiker]

@@elkeschmitt623 A perfect setup! I visited a historic home in Pennsylvania that had the larder which was built like those in old English homes, castles, and keeps. Cool!

[@snipelite94]

When the ice is collected, won't incoming air, especially on hot days, turn the temp up enough to cause melt ? People surely need to grab something from the "freezer" daily?

[@DarkGhostHacker]

Where did you get the rock lining and stone shelves? And how did you install all of That? Because I assume setting that up is different than using the modern day synthetic materials

[@1newearth]

Ho Sandra. Luke 4:16 KJB clearly states that it was the custom of our Lord Jesus to go to church every sabbath. He was not a sundaykeeper and every sundaykeeper is on his way to hell if he does not repent. Why did the Gentiles ask Paul to come the next sabbath day so that they could hear the words of salvation? Acts 13:42, Acts 13:44. Why did Lydia a Greek and other Gentiles go to pray at a river on the sabbath? Acts 16:13. God only blessed, sanctified and hallowed the sabbath. Isaiah 66:22,23 and Colossians 2:16 prove that in the new earth, we shall worship God in the new moons and the sabbaths. He never blessed sunday nor Christmas. The Pharisees were wrong about healing on the sabbath because they considered it work but our Lord Jesus is right, was right and will always be right.

[@dovely9279]

My Mom was born in the 30s and they built what they called a springhouse over a small branch of water that kept things at the cold mountain water temp. I wish I could've seen it.

[@landomilknhoney]

My daughters and I live in the fashion of the Amish. We also use a fridge with ice. On Warmer months, we use a meat locker (hole in the ground lined with straw). Thanks for a great video.

[@gameray2137]

Just out of curiosity, is "mountain" "Tarik" in your familial language?

[@chilisauce183]

How can you Watch KZbin Videos then?

[@X_mano]

​@@chilisauce183He does not say they live exactly like the amish, he's simply implying that they're living an off grid/somewhat primitive (not completely) lifestyle.

[@kimfleury]

I always hit the like button before I start watching. You never disappoint with your content! One year when I was a child in the 1970s, our refrigerator broke down, and the repairman said it was shot beyond repair. Back then there was no unsecured line of credit. Cards like American Express could be used a lot of places, but you paid an annual fee that was pretty hefty, and you lost that fee from year to year I think. Other than that there was store revolving credit, such as at JCPenney and Sears, but of those two, only Sears sold refrigerators, and they were pricey for our family's situation. So Mom and Dad had to take some months to save up to buy a replacement. Our neighbor had grown up in the Tennessee hills, and even when she moved to the more modern Michigan, people were still doing a lot of things the old fashioned way. She said they would turn off the refrigerator for winter, and had a box set in the kitchen window, with a door on the inside. It would keep food cold without freezing, because of the way they insulated it. So my Dad managed to get an insulated metal milk crate, and rigged that up in the window. We couldn't keep much in it other than milk, eggs, and meat for a couple nights' supper, but we got through that winter without a fridge. I don't suppose we could do anything like that nowadays, but I did go through a 7 day power outage due to an October blizzard in Buffalo, NY, and we packed food in coolers and packed snow around them. Got us through without losing any food!

[@dudleydeplorable5307]

My people migrated from Kentucky and Poland to Michigan. They were skilled at preserving food. We grew, fished, and hunted to feed the family. We survived. Live in the Ozarks now, power has been quite reliable. Suspect such will change soon in Brandon's Bizzarro world...

[@joeanderson9431]

You can use a refrigerator as an ice box there supper insulated so by putting ice in them they will keep your food cool when the power goes out I put ice in my fridge and that way I don't lose any food

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

Cool story bro.......

[@droolbunnyxo9565]

There's a cabin owner who cut a hole in the back of an old refrigerator & placed it against a wall, the hole aligned with a small metal vent to the outside air. In winter, no electricity needed to keep food cold. And he's able to adjust the interior temperature by reaching into the fridge & partly opening/closing a little sliding metal door that covers the vent. ↔️ Genius!

[@wandaarnt234]

Thank You cheers from Pennsylvania 👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@veulmet]

Sir, both of my parents lived on farms pre and post electrification and if you had a dug well or spring you could put food in a sealed container or box and put it in the water usually it was cool because it was flowing and or below ground.

[@MissRebekah1974]

Thank you. This was well presented, and nicely in depth without being dull or overly technical. I appreciate the respect you have shown to the Amish people and their various doctrinal beliefs. You have done yourself proud. Aunt B

[@kidr363]

Hi Aunt B I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@insimplebeing]

When I was very little, my grandmother had an icebox. That was literally a refrigerator-size white metal box with a compartment on the top, where a big block of ice would be stored. This is what cooled the food. There was an ice house in town, where you could purchase blocks of ice. I remember straw on the floor around the ice in the ice house. Life can be happily lived without electricity ... just not what passes for life, today.

[@olgadesousa3296]

And how did the ice house make the ice for sale?

[@TheNittyGritty735]

@@olgadesousa3296it was most likely delivered or dropped off from elsewhere into town…

[@candacesykora2238]

Amish families in our area show up at our Ice Rink and shovel the Zamboni-dumped ice. They have access to it nearly year-round.

[@DareToBeDeviant]

Shipshewana, IN is probably the most peaceful places I'd go back to any time. My folks and I are only 45-ish minutes away and when we get there it's such a huge relief to be in a place where life slows down to a crawl. No one's in a rush, noise pollution is almost non-existent, and everyone is so polite. Everything is super expensive but hey, the foods are all natural and furniture is hand crafted and unique. Never knew the refrigerators were manufactured there.

[@Blueskies1180]

Watching this in March 2022, as the world turns upside down and we now know for sure we cannot depend on our governments for electricity, food, etc. We need to learn to live more like the Amish…now more than ever. Simple, independent, self-sufficient…

[@kimberlysmith4997]

Yes, this winter we will have to be ready

[@anneiconex1473]

Yes

[@lisahertel2415]

It’s a cult,& they are horrible animal abusers

[@nohaste4me]

@@lisahertel2415 most are depending on their animals, must be an exception you are talking about.

[@husher5142]

Right it's like their forefathers predicted societal failure.

[@Eva-xc8oq]

Always interesting to learn how other people live their lives.

[@rondias6625]

Awesome video ! The local Amish here have been using chain saws to cut ice out of their ponds ..they have them set up on some gizmo with wheels and it cuts uniform blocks ..and it amazes me but those icehouses will keep ice all summer long with minimal melting..great video thanks for sharing

[@AmishAmerica]

Thank you Ron glad you thought so - I've seen that the total value of ice collected during some of these harvests can be even $5000...lot of refrigeration value in a large haul of ice plus the proper icehouse technology to get the most out of it 😎

[@rondias6625]

@@AmishAmerica wow..I didn't realize the ice actually had a price on it..I learn something with each of your videos and I've lived with the Amish my whole life..lol

[@hollyholy641]

😂😂😂 I used to work with a man who had Amish renters for one of his warehouses and they had put 15 freezers in it and stored their food in there. 15 families splitting the rent. Don’t be fooled by their “Amish ways” they use modern amenities when it suits their purpose.💯💯

[@annmarienoone9879]

Absolutely, they allow people to drive them to the store, they are just ridiculous. They raise dogs in the most horrific conditions and then claim to be god fearing people. They amaze me ill.

[@hollyholy641]

@@annmarienoone9879 the child neglect and child labor departments would be swamped if they actually gave a 💩. They go to school to 8th grade, they keep their children uneducated and in the fields working heavy machinery, matter of fact the Amish family down the street had 3 of their kids, 4-9 year olds, killed by a baler/tractor last year. I’ve seen buggy horses drop on the side of the road hauling their family of 9 up the steep hills and hollers around here. Their wheels tear up the roads they don’t pay taxes on but use to their advantage, they have cellphones, house phones, accept credit cards at their businesses, use electric to take our money at their cash registers. They inbred their children, they only bathe once a week. And, I’ve always wondered about the elderly, you never see older Amish whatsoever. Like the really old, my grandma’s age 90’s+, where tf are they? And….locally 20yrs ago they had busted a huge Amish coke/drug ring. I really don’t get why so many people “respect” and “admire” them. 🤢🤢

[@EagleArrow]

A amish friend of my MNL let us come in and see her farmhouse. They build a summer kitchen for summers to cook in which is closed off the rest of the house. They have a door at the steps of the upstairs to keep heat or cool air downstairs. Everything is made with oak. Beautiful kitchens. The baby had an ear infection, the baby was sleeping at an incline in the crib to relieve pressure and had an onion in a cheesecloth on her ear to pull out the infection. It does work as I tried it with my own. My youngest was 6 weeks at the time and in a car seat. So she wanted to come see this car seat as they hold the babies in the horse carriage. She investigated everything about it. My MNL buys peaches from her.

[@elkeschmitt623]

The onion is an old remedy, which I have used many times with daughter when she was little (35yrs ) my house doctor told it to me. The other one was boiled potato with skin on= then peeled once done and mashed (they hold together better when done this way-more pasty like consistency )= put on cloth. I guess you could even use the 2 together. The onion for the sulfur and potato for the heat.

[@EagleArrow]

@@elkeschmitt623 At one point our society was very much inline with the Amish. We are going back to the lost knowledge. My grandfather was a doctor, house calls and all. The doctors of his era were pressured to stop the old plant based methods around the 50s and to push the synthetic medicine for simple ailments. (The labs spent decades learning from these doctors just to create synthetic medicine ($$) then turn their backs on them and their knowledge. They were used them bullied.

[@calebmarek]

I like your use of MNL. I've never seen't these abbreviation before and I'm not going to look it up. I am assuming it means Mother in law

[@jkdee647]

@@EagleArrow that breaks my heart on how they were used. greedy. for the love of money is the root of all evil

[@BobL417]

My grandparents had a well just outside their front door for drinking water and another well that was probably their original well that they put milk , etc in a bucket and lowered it into the well. Stayed really colding in that well.

[@pipfox7834]

yes, having swum in spring fed lakes (inland Australia) i can vouch for just how cold. We used to warn visitors and tourists not to stay in there too long, there was a real risk of hypothermia out in the middle of the lakes. (or waterholes, as we call them)

[@pipfox7834]

and that was the water temp in the middle of summer! where the daytime surface temperatures can push up to fifty degrees C and more....

[@cherylhayes7135]

When I lived in Indiana back in the early 2000's I was delivering phone books for extra money and ended up getting questioned by alot of Amish why I was bringing the a phone book I said I'm just doing my job, showed them my list of addresses, some of them had to get their elders because I was a female in street clothes in a car not a Buggy. Some took the phone books to the outhouses and some took them to the community phone both on the residential compound. It was a eye opener. The other thing pulling up to a Wal-Mart store with Amish Buggies under a barn structure in Indiana and Illinois that was awesome to experience a up front culture difference in your face in public. Really can learn alot, there not aloud to interact with us locals really unless its a benefits to their well-being and personal guidance from the elders.

[@kidr363]

Hi Cheryl I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@brandywineblue]

I may not agree with their theology on every single point, but I can't argue with their lifestyle. These people know how to live right.

[@barbaramartin9264]

Have you ever stopped to think how they “ KNOW “ how to “ LIVE Right” 😊😊😊

[@brandywineblue]

@barbaramartin9264 Perhaps I wasn't clear. The only point of their theology I don't disagree with is their lifestyle. That part is 100% how God wants us to live. When people live like the Amish, they can only benefit, because as Our Creator, God knows what is best for us. You wouldn't put a fish on dry land, but that's exactly what humans do to themselves when they ignore God. "The Lord God took man, and put him into the garden, to dress it, and to keep it." - Genesis 2:15

[@Ziggy623]

I live a mong the Amish Not too far from Shipshewana Indiana. I'll make sure some of the nicest people you'll ever be around. Very helpful very considerate

[@truthwarrior2727]

Smartest people on this planet!

[@DevonExplorer]

That was really interesting. When I was a girl we didn't have a fridge but we did have a pantry in the kitchen. It had a small window space with no glass but with a metal mesh over it to keep out insects, and it kept cool all year round. Some 20 years ago I worked in a hotel kitchen and we had a cold room there with thick walls to keep it cool. We also had fridges in the kitchen as well of course but the cold room kept fresh foods fresh, such as eggs and veggies, etc. It's amazing all the different ways the Amish use; something to bear in mind in this uncertain world. :)

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

I remember this arrangement in my grandmother's house in northern England in the fifties! It was called a meat safe and they were always set into a north facing and shaded wall in the brick houses. Everybody had them, even when refrigerators became common, meat safes were still used.

[@DevonExplorer]

@@Thepourdeuxchanson Ah, yes. I'd forgotten the name for it when I wrote my comment. Cheers for the reminder. :)

[@droolbunnyxo9565]

Have seen large household propane refrigerators for sale & always wondered why anyone would want one. Now I understand why.👌 (And according to RV owners, using smaller units, they're very efficient.)

[@desertdweller9255]

They’re extremely efficient! I’ve always found them to be cheaper to run than electric refrigerators!

[@desertdweller9255]

@@NYCHairguru OMG! Thank you for letting us know! I get sick for a week and miss everything! Next comes our food.

[@janiceparks7742]

I tried to find any report or news article that said President Biden was rationing propane and could find nothing. Until you can back it up it didn’t happen.

[@desertdweller9255]

@@janiceparks7742 Same here. I looked and found nothing.

[@womanofsubstance8735]

When I was a kid (in the '50s and '60s) we had propane refrigerators and dryers, and of course, kitchen ranges. We lived in rural areas where the power frequently went out in the winters.

[@nim3186]

We used wooden box half submerged in the creek for dairy and meat when power was out for extended times. We also lined chest freezer with milk jugs of water and as long as we didn’t open freezer door it would stay frozen for a few days.

[@slickrick809]

When my grandpa was a kid living on the family farm during the 1920s, they used to lower milk and butter down the well in a basket during warm weather months to keep it cool. If I am not mistaken ground water stays at about 53 F year round, but I have been wrong before (once). Nice channel.

[@FarmsVilla]

I also once thought I was mistaken but it turns out I was wrong. 🤣👍🏻

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

I think groundwater temperatures vary depending where you are.

[@NickVenture1]

I lived with Mennonites for several months. These were of those who did not use electricity in their places.Horses for transportation and works in the fields. A very valuable time giving a good insight into their life style and way to see the world. I remember that once there was an ice cream prepared with a small barril shaped wooden machine used at home. In the style of a butter making device. KZbin suggested this video.. Smart A.I. coming to the rescue..

[@KCMcG-zq2tn]

My grandmother would take us down to Arthur Illinois, from Urbana, in the 60s to buy produce, cheese etc. Such a nice family. I am enjoying your videos. Thank you!

[@anewstart2010]

I live just a few miles away from Arthur.

[@anna-lenameijer9942]

Before refrigerator ice was kept packed in sawdust in the ice houses. I used an old method this summer to prevent my new sown lawn from dying through a draught and windy season: I let the grass grow tall before the heat (8-9 cm). In that way the grass shadowed its own roots and kept green and strong. I thought it grew a bit too tall and trimmed of the tips on half the lawn: BIG mistake! That grass immediately dried up. In September I cut the long grass and discovered that the lawn had grown thick and strong and BIG BONUS: Not a single weed! Maybe the seeds couldn't touch the ground? This method works. In the spring I will install drip-irrigation as I have water-demanding plants. It's best to prepare.

[@dudleydeplorable5307]

I seem to remember old ice houses, double walled, the cavity between the walls filled with sawdust. An early crude form of super insulation construction. Not certain such ever actually existed.

[@debweissler7808]

They did indeed exist. My dad, born in 1916, recalled how he loved working in a PA ice house in summer when he was a teenager. The double walled block building had sawdust from the local mill as insulation. The blocks of ice were wrapped in burlap and delivered throughout his small town by horse drawn wagon.

[@hollyholly4418]

@@debweissler7808 You are absolutely correct. Sawdust shavings were also used in people's homes. My spouse's family had no insulation in their home. So they used sawdust shavings to insulate their attic. My father said they built homes & used news papers on the walls for insulation.

[@debweissler7808]

@@hollyholly4418 When I lived in CA we lived in a Craftsman home whose walls were insulated with rice hulls!

[@tonyneilson1652]

The summer of 1950 I rode with the icemen many days in an Eastern Townships community in Quebec. Most people had iceboxes to keep their perishable food in and the icemen would deliver ice to each house once or twice each week, chipping the ice to size and actually entering each house and placing the ice in each box. Most boxes were quite fancy, fashioned from oak and metal and insulated to retain the cold. Ice was harvested from the local lake in the winter and stored in an Ice House which was a four story barn-like structure insulated with course wood sawdust. The sawdust was also packed between the blocks of ice preventing the air from circulating, the ice from melting and the blocks from fusing together. As insulation, sawdust was very effective but a safety hazard in the event of fire as it could smolder for days.

[@dudleydeplorable5307]

@@tonyneilson1652 In his youth, my grandfather worked delivering ice for family iceboxes.

[@kamalakrsna]

Keeping cool/cold in a sense Dehydrated food items is: "The Way". I really respect the Amish lifestyle

[@philippbock3399]

What an interesting video. I find it very fascinating that the Amish use the word "Ordnung" which is still used in "Modern Germany". There are many sayings in German when "Ordnung" is used: "Hausordnung" - if you life in an appartment building it tells you what is allowed and what you shouldn't do, for instance playing loud music in the evening or if you have to clean the stairways etc. "Sitzordnung" at school or the parliament "Bundestag" that rules the way how the members of Parliament (or pupils at school) are set on their places/seats etc. We also say "Das ist in Ordnung" - it means "It's OK" :-) Greetings from Germany, Philipp

[@Angel_HippieCityHealing]

My grandmother said her aunt used to have a box that was covered in burlap sacks and then they would keep a bucket that slowly dripped water over it and it would keep the food cool. So interesting

[@kidr363]

Hi Angel I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@rogerrabbit5014]

This is the same way our great grandparents did it, nothing new, but new to the youngsters.

[@morningwoodfarms713]

Amazing!😀 Great video!👏 Long ago, the town I live in harvested our lake ice for the train to take to distant suburbs and cities. It was the job to have in this town, back then. The operation is actually pretty cool!😁 Thanks for sharing! 💕

[@AmishAmerica]

Thanks! Sometimes I wish I had a time machine to just experience things like that. This is probably as close as it gets nowadays. Makes you appreciate the convenience we enjoy now though.

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

@@AmishAmerica Really? Seems most of them have fridges and freezer and mobil phone and electricity these days! the days of claim technology is satans work seems to have been forgotten by most of them!

[@lovegodlovefreedom2535]

Years ago, my Dad and brothers ran a sports fishing business in the wilderness and to have ice all summer, they built an icehouse made of logs…and got strips of moss that was growing in the area. When it was winter, they went to the fishing camp and cut big blocks of ice which they put in the ice house and layered it and covered it with the moss! The ice lasted all summer for various uses!!

[@janetbruce3545]

On my grandparents farm they had an ice house that was like a cellar with a roof. They cut ice in the creek and covered it with straw.

[@kidr363]

Hi Janet I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@AhJodie]

thank you. When I first bought my house, it was so drafty and I was so poor that we put milk and eggs by the window and they kept cool, ice cream we kept on the porch, all was good until around april, lol. refrozen ice cream is just not the same.

[@arjones0819]

I remember keeping a quart of milk in the window as a kid. Worked well.

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Unwashed eggs not from a store will keeps weeks on counter Culture ur milk and it’ll keep while it’s culturing on counter Once it’s done eat it n start more Meat u have salt or dry or can LOT of work but it’s gonna be mandatory soon

[@miriam8026]

I was surprised root cellar wasn't mentioned. They aren't common in Amish communities?

[@beachykeen2082]

My parents had a root cellar when I was a kid, and it was amazing. It held so much! I'm with you on that wondering if the Amish use them. I bet they do! It just makes sense to me. You comment is a great one!

[@bobbyorr3873]

@@beachykeen2082 YES.. AMISH DO USE ROOT-CELLERS..AND.. ICE-HOUSES ADE FROM FROZEN ICE FROM A POND ON THEIR PROPERTY.. THE ICE-HOUSE HAS AN INSULATED DOOR, AND IS BUILT INTO A LARGE MOUND OF EARTH.. INSIDE IS INSULATED WITH BALES OF STRAW TO KEEP THE ICE FROM MELTING.. IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE ON THE T.V. SHOW.."LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE".. WHERE LAURA INGALS WAS LOCKED IN, IN ONE EPISODE.. GOD BLESS.

[@CJ-hz1uj]

May have been indirectly suggested by the third way mentioned.

[@kidr363]

Hi Miriam I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@MartinSage]

My grandfather told me they cut big blocks from the lake (he lived in upstate NY back east)and stored it in a big barn packed with sawdust. Lasted all summer.

[@tomrobards7753]

My dad said they did that when he was young but and he was an Amish they packed the ice and straw and it was still good up into the summer but my grandma had a real icebox the big chunk ice one at the top you kept your food in the bottom worked perfectly well

[@theheirofgrace8095]

Nice video. My family isn't Amish but, in Virginia mountains, had a small farm and the same cooling shed, well water up to the mid 80s...government said the underground well was contaminated to force them into city water. It is still the best tasting water that doesn't cause hair loss..

[@elizabethcote9070]

Did you ever have the water tested by an independent company?

[@RjGold5.12]

My grandparents used to keep their buttermilk and butter in the well bucket, down in the well.

[@kidr363]

Hi Ronnie I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@babycakes8434]

I grew up having a cold basement/room in the barn. We kept jars of preserved food there, vegetables and whatever food had to be kept cold, and it was standing there for years sometimes. We also had regular refrigetator at home.

[@ellen5603]

My husband's grandma has a cold pantry in her old farmhouse in Kentucky. It's open to the ground and the cold air rises from the ground and keeps the room cool. To work properly, such a room needs to be on the north side of the house and has to have a small window you can open for ventilation. The inside of the room has a thick layer of mortared stone for insulation, I think it's maybe 6-8 inches thick.

[@Larry]

Wasn't there some communities that built brick lined pits in the ground to keep food cool too? (I I say "pits" but some of them are huge cavernous places). I've also seen some build directly under lakes in the past too.

[@huguesdepayens807]

Hey

[@blackhand9581]

amazing how they can literally have fridge that lasts an entire year with nothing but big blocks of ice harvested from a lake.

[@Eternal_Hope_Q]

When we are bbqing outside in the hot summer we put a plastic crate in the brook and keep the drinks cool in the river. Sometimes when we've had a power cut we will keep our milk cold in the river also 👍🏻

[@vinlago]

Our refrigerator runs on propane. It's small but it works. On really hot days it struggles and sometimes the temp goes too high for safety so we use the freezer for things like chicken or at least watch the temp daily. I also stopped worrying about eggs being kept in refrigeration. Of course unwashed they keep longer and can be preserved for 18mos in lime (water glassing) but we don't have chickens so we buy eggs from a store which are washed. Still haven't had any go bad even after a week on the counter. When in doubt, place an egg in a cup of cool water. If it sinks it's good. If it floats or halfway floats in the middle of the cup, it should be composted. We also switched to making jerky. It keeps quite a long time without any refrigeration due to the salt and Prague powder (makes sodium nitrate.

[@BrianM-44041]

I grew up near middlefield, Geauga county Ohio, and some families that live near natural springs use springhouses to cool food and drink. Its like a little concrete or stone bunker with a stream running through it one end out of the limestone and the other back into the ground or a pipe, sometimes with a pump on it. Some even empty into a well. Spring water keeps things remarkably cool when kept underground out of the light. I will say however that the older amish in middlefield mainly use ice blocks, and i often see kids towing home blocks packed in straw or sawdust to refill the icebox. Some use gas fridges too, and a few secretly use modern refrigeration and freezers. The amish also have less need for refrigeration as they are masters of using canning, root cellars, drying and curing, smoking, salting, and other preservation techniques. When all else fails you can find them at middlefield Walmart. Lol

[@richardglady3009]

Thank you. In an archaeological field School, we used a propane fridge. My grandmother, had a cellar where she stored her home canned goods.

[@cassandralibertywest4310]

I like many things about the Amish, but their adherence to 'old ways' while using 'new ways' is hypocritical and ridiculous. If they have to wear old style clothing- why not go clear back to the cave days? None of their 'fashion' restrictions' or the need to rent cars rather than own them make any sense. It is just a puritanical way to keep people under control and control is always fear based. They are wonderful about helping each other raise barns and the like, but not allowing little girls to have faces on their dolls, wearing ugly clothes and using horses and buggies, ,yet being able to ride in 'other' people's cars, or using telephones as long as they are in out buildings rather than the home... is like trying to justify everything as long as it makes someone suffer by the inconvenience. You can live a moral life and have standards and even keep within a group without making people suffer.

[@ljb9001]

Control maybe/is their aim, but when the SHTF, they are (far) ahead of the game. Observe the ants!

[@cassandralibertywest4310]

@@ljb9001 That's an indisputable fact. Survivalists study them for that reason.

[@kimlittlejohn2195]

When shtf scenario. All people will go to Amish country. They will be over ran. Hungry people turn into animals. Yes, I find there way of life a bunch of bullshit. They rent cars, eat in restaurants, go to grocery stores etc. But their kids dolls have no faces which is weird. Clothing is... Mennonites are even more ...women dress is...but men drive cars, have cell phones and wear Levi's.... And the shunning pure mental abuse to force you to comply. It's all about control and brain washing in my opinion. Tourists flock to Amish country..what a joke.

[@reginafetty6374]

@@kimlittlejohn2195 how is it much different than society as a whole. Sure they wear certain clothes, so do police, nurses, etc. Only renting a car, you do know many people don't drive cars or own them and ride busses, trains, users, taxi's etc. Why waste money on a car, with insurance, taxes, upkeep, to only use it occasionally. They dirty the environment, cause a lot of trash and make people lazy. The ones not agreeing with their ways and leave get shunned. Doesn't many families in society do that with politics or their choice of partners. They wear particular clothes, that you don't like. Don't many people wear clothes others don't like because they are too provocative or so tight you are afraid they are going to burst and you might get hurt from it. Clothes are to cover and protect the body, who cares whether someone likes your clothes or not? Their clothes are sturdy and do their job, unlike the crap you find in stores. Atleast if we lose the power grid or food in stores are not replenished they will know how to make clothes and raise their own food and preserve it and live off the land, unlike spoiled people who thinks things that won't run then, and looks are so important.

[@sandys.1891]

Crystal Cold of Arcola IL is centered around both Amish and Mennonite communities. Makes sense that someone found a way to make their lives a little easier.

[@lusnorthernhome3410]

Our Amish have propane powered refrigerator. Ours are bought at Lehmans Hardware in Kidron Ohio. And most have propane freezers, dryers and stoves. That is unless the are old order, then they have to use what there district’s use. One thing that’s become popular is battery operated fans, and solar lights.

[@richardcrouse5559]

The coleman lamps without the shades. I collect them and lanterns. Parts are getting harder to find. Nothing better than a quick lite.

[@tiportangeles2696]

Thumbs up! Always interesting! Thank you!

[@FeldwebelWolfenstool]

1:24 I remember a dugout with a simple roof in the side of a sandy hill near our summer dacha in Ontario that was filled with sawdust deep down in which was stored chunks of ice that all the cottagers bought for a nickel to stick in our ice-boxes...

[@Vlabar]

I live near Shipshawana and I can attest to the accuracy of this videos

[@SkywatcherSandra]

Very interesting and enjoyable video. HUGS and GOD bless us everyone

[@kidr363]

Hi Skywatcher I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@jendonofrio7451]

Wow! Just amazing! It’s alot of work to harvest ice. My father told me when he was young living in Baltimore city… The iceman would come to the house to deliver a block of ice for the refrigerator. 😅

[@TsquareTalk]

Great video I just subscribed. Also I hit the like and the Bell so hopefully I'll see more videos from you I'd love the Amish lifestyle. Someday I'm hoping to buy a nice big farm and try to utilize some of the Amish ways along with some of the regular everyday lifestyle ways. It would be awesome to find an Amish area to go and talk with them and see how they live.

[@AmishAmerica]

Thanks! Glad you found it - I hope you enjoy the other vids, and have a chance to visit a community. I always recommend stopping by the businesses, they often have small stores or produce stands. Great way to have a conversation, not everyone is talkative, though some certainly are :)

[@cedarberryclanblackberryac6447]

I've seen old videos of ice harvesting and it is quite amazing to see!

[@mashumichelle]

I've lived without a fridge for over ten years. Evaporative cooling is useful, realizing that certain can be used within a certain time period without refrigeration is useful, very little use of or finding an alternative for those things that require refrigeration is useful...

[@AshGreen359]

With power outages looking this is useful info

[@paulbarclay8159]

My Amish neighbor I worked for had a special place in the basement where things set in very cold water I don't remember what kept it so cold other than the basement temp! Also when working we'd put gallon jugs of lemonade or Gatorade on a string put in in the creek streams and tie it to a branch or small tree!

[@jillhull7358]

VERYeducational and interesting and helpful THANKSf

[@Tony1771-yj8mc]

My dad talked about having to do maintenance on their kerosene refrigerator when he was growing up in the late 40s and early 50s. They got electricity in the late 50s.

[@LostCaper]

I lived off grid for 10 months in the remotes. We had a propane fridge. It didn't use much propane and worked perfectly. Now I live on a farm that my mother in law and wife. She told the story her family when she was growing up use to cut the ice of the harbour and haul it with ice thongs and a horse from the shore up to the house. They would build an ice house and cover it with sawdust. Would not melt until mid June. We are in east coast canada where tempitures can be -30 Celsius in winter and plus 30 Celsius is summer.

[@mpalmer7800]

This is a nice way to live .. all this technology just destroying the earth

[@MangeTak-t6n]

I learned something new each time then.

[@joeanderson9431]

The Amish I drove for used every method you've mentioned here depending on their personal situation and if they were out away from the community hub and needed to be more self reliant; in the house I grew up in we had a partial basement that my mom and grandmother kept canned goods and root crops such as potatoes carrots beets cabbage onions and such;and It had i believe was unique it had an ice box built right into the house between the house entry and the pantry the doors to get stuff out were in the pantry there was doors above and below for ice storage and a door in the entry and one on the outside of the house also for ice storage

[@eyesopenedify]

Wow! Those fancy shiny handles on those kitchen cabinets and drawers are definitely not the traditional Amish I remember as a child growing up in Pennsylvania .....This video brought back memories....Thanks for sharing.

[@kidr363]

Hi Eyesopendify I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@CJ-hz1uj]

One wonders if an electromagnetic pulse would affect propane tanks at all. Can the refrigerators be obtained with no electronic components that would be affected by such EMPs, at least so that the electronics are somehow shielded or protected, maybe by Faraday cages or something?

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Def effect fuel delivery Unless u can store thousands upon of gal of propane, ur not using fuel powered anything. The grid goes-it’s forever.

[@CJ-hz1uj]

@@YeshuaKingMessiah , maybe can use kerosene refrigerators if sufficient storage. Have 250 gallon propane tank, might last long enough. Winter is good time to store food. Have not had refrigerator for years, have other ways of storing and preserving, also garden is harvested directly when wanted, no need for refrigeration.

[@freakyflow]

Our house in Canada Being Metis We still hunt and fish And gather amazing wild plant food Morels Ramps etc So in the mid winter we unplug the freezers in the garage that has its own room for the 3 freezers And hanging rack All with insulation from the main garage A shed if you will with the one window open about a inch the meats stay frozen The secret to keeping them frozen in the warmer days And longer is whatever is not meat is ice....The less space/Air you have in the freezer the better When you have 500lbs of moose And 400lbs of Beef/pork/chicken/fish You need something to work year-round

[@destolfe]

Not related to ice or cooling, but I recently found out that some Amish areas don't use buttons! I have no idea what could replace buttons other than simply tying in some way.

[@joeanderson9431]

They haven't used buttons for probably more than a century since they got released from the catholic concentration camps because the guards all had big buttons on their uniforms it's also why they don't wear mustaches because the guards also had mustaches and so they use hooks instead of buttons

[@destolfe]

If that was a stupid question, that’s all you had to say.

[@joeanderson9431]

RG Idk why sharing the reason why they don't use them makes you think I was implying it was a stupid question; I was just answering your question so you knew why

[@HISIAM888RUHIS888]

@@joeanderson9431 WOW!! Thank You Joe!.. I didn’t know that!! Learned from you today!!👍👍☺️🙏🙏

[@cutesybunny3360]

Yes, no buttons. They use straight pins!!!!

[@robertjanko6709]

In former times people often used to harvest the ice and put it in cellars between thick pieces of peat. Lasted also for the whole summer. Greets from germany

[@uzeela]

Hi Erik..I know in Eastern Europe they have deep earth cellars (really just earth not finished basements) next to the house... Its really cold down there..and they bury vegetables also... Do you think maybe the Amish might do this also?

[@rondias6625]

Alot of Amish here in western Pennsylvania have a "springhouse" usually built into a hillside or halfway underground made of stone or brick and the spring water flows out from the ground thru the spring house and there's gutters in the floor the water flows out that they put butter milk etc into and the ice cold water keeps parishables cold and there are " root cellars" similar to what you've described as well that they put apples potatoes carrots etc in and keep cold too

[@carlastripling8447]

@@rondias6625 I am 74, but I remember my Great Grandparents who lived in NE Pennsylvania had a well that Great Grandpa dug. The water from the well came from a stream that flowed underground, to the well and then into the smaller cellar that had no floor. Great Grandma keep butter and milk there in big crocks with lids that she would set right down in the flowing water. I thought it was the most amazing place. Except for the spiders I liked going down there. It was a great place to cool down on a hot summer day.

[@rondias6625]

@@carlastripling8447 that's an awesome experience and fond memories..and I agree with you on the spiders.. despite growing up and liveing on a small farm in the country I do not dig spiders either..lol

[@KarenYork-t2c]

When we moved to the farm when I was a girl we had to carry water from the spring house the first year and bathed in the creek (there was a tub but no running water). We did have electric but the family that moved out before we bought the place striped the house of some things (like the water pump) that dad had to replace. We also had an outhouse the whole time I lived at home. Even after having running water, the inside bathtub was never connected so we had to heat water on the stove and fill the tub for baths. I learned how to live with less those years and, while I don’t want to have to, I know how to live without modern conveniences. It seemed fun as a child, for awhile, but I don’t desire to live that way again now that I’m old, but I at least have some know how. Oh yes, our spring house and creek that ran through the front yard were how we kept things cold until we had electricity again and a refrigerator.

[@johnnychannel7824]

What is the difference between gas and electric power? They are considered modernized technology. If Amish churches allow their congregation use gas, what the reason to forbid congregation to use electricity?

[@oceanlover1663]

I will answer your question, electricity is from the grid and its consider "worldly" About gas, my grandmother had one and was hooked up gas. Now, yes, its a grid as well, but its "ok" It doesn't seem to make any sense but that's how they roll.

[@joeanderson9431]

Ocean lover it also depends on the bishop most Amish unlike your grandmother live in rural communities and the lp is in an on-site tank hence off-grid

[@AmishAmerica]

Traditionally the thinking is that being connected to public power invites any sort of appliance, including ones that Amish see as bringing unhelpful worldly influence into the home (eg television, internet). Using alternative and more restricted sources of power like batteries, solar power and some of these fossil fuel-based solutions limits what can be powered and you can have more control over the technology rather than vice versa. Still with technologies like the smartphone that barrier has been eroded in some communities, which is of concern to many Amish.

[@joeanderson9431]

Very true Eric the construction crew I drove used to give me a hard time because I didn't have a cell phone at that time; since getting into the work I do now cell phones have came into my life and now have an android so called smartphone that I'm using to receive your channel here on KZbin and respond to you in this thread

[@TheSilverlady1980]

I remember flour sacks of fruits and meats hung in the covered water hand pump well.

[@ainamilena1074]

Besides the believe system, I think some of the ways they are living is actually really fascinating and I could even imagine living like that- a simpler life myself.

[@caveman1334]

My love to you ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Growing up in 60es in small country on the Balkan....remember all this....life changed for me but Im mot sure for better....🙏🙏🙏

[@lawdawg02actual]

I love Amish Christmas lights.

[@SaadonAksah]

Awesome! Im learning how to store food without the fridge!

[@JordiRFernandez]

Excellent video style, no filler or bloviation, just the information we came to see. Great work!

[@AmishAmerica]

Thanks Jordi, I'm glad you thought so.

[@nicky9589]

Well, as an Aussie,, that's very impressive. Excellent vid. Thumbs up. Cheers.✌💚👍🦘💯🌿

[@farnorthpicker56]

We can a lot of produce and meats. Get yourself an All American pressure canner, they will last a life time. Also get all the jars you may need and make sure to keep a good stock of rings and lids! Things in North America are not looking good.. be prepared to care for your family. We are surrounded by Mennonite folks here. Great people, but they depend on the hydro grid, whereas the Amish folks I knew aren’t on the grid and are pretty much totally self sufficient. Enjoyed this video and I’m checking out your channel. 😊👍

[@jeanholley5820]

Great video. So this got me wondering do Amish then use ice in their drinks or do they just drink things cooler from the refrigerator. Just wondering if they’re kind of like English people in England where ice is not very common in drinks.

[@almostheavenhomestead1680]

that's pretty much all over Europe.

[@donnalovintexas8760]

Funny i never thought about it but i do not use ice at home. Only at restaurants and drive thru where i always use straws. I got tired of ice sliding down the glass and hitting me haha.

[@muddogtracker7449]

@@almostheavenhomestead1680 If you want ice, you have to ask. Not something that they see as normal. My friends that come over from the UK, allways are a shocked by ice in their drinks, without asking. And drink sizes kinda freak them out at first also.

[@kidr363]

Hi Jean I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@luannprovencio4819]

@@kidr363 So funny you responded to four people using the same words and you're claiming to be Kid Rock🤦‍♀️

[@NewtonWashinton]

I like the ice house, get ice from the lake in the winter and it lasts all year.

[@bluyt4947]

In Johnstown Ny my Sister kept a freezer in her barn where she and her husband kept ice cream for the Amish . They could pick it up whenever they wanted ! Enos and Elizabeth lived right close by !

[@chrisfegan3475]

So....they still rely on modern methods

[@vickierinehart4434]

My father said when he was a little boy they would dig a hole feel it with straw put potatoes in there put straw on top of that and then put dirt over top of it when they wanted potatoes they would go out and dig through that and pull them out .

[@Natedoc808]

First type of refrigerator mentioned is called an “absorption” type fridge/freezer. Same type you find in RVs

[@Shannon_Vlogs]

I like that you really have a concise and clear way of explaining things. Thanks!

[@kidr363]

Hi Shannon I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….

[@ravenhummel8202]

The Amish in Wayne County, Indiana have ice houses and cut a lot last winter. The local Bishop makes all of the decisions regarding how modern their flock is, even down to the paint colors used in their homes. We could learn a lot from them.

[@badxradxandy]

The mental gymnastics they go through to not have to flip a switch or plug something in.

[@fritzeder1847]

In Europe we had up the 1960ies as I remember lots of ice - cellars filled with ice blocks from lakes and rivers

[@midnightchannel111]

Cisterns are another common thing that is unheard of now. Chicago suburbs built in the 19th century have homes that provide cool basement storage in hot months and underground cistenrs for water in hot, dry summer months, used to water.the vegetable and fruit gardens.everyone had. Outdoor hand pumps.pulled the water.up, and the cisterns were/ are * huge *.