I’m going on a 7-day trip, so here’s my idea:
Would this slow defrost be safe, or could it actually make things worse for bacteria?
I’m asking because I unplugged an empty home freezer once before vacation, left it closed, and came back to find it moldy inside. So now I’m wondering if unplugging without opening is a bad idea for food, too.
This sounds a bit over the top. Take bread that doesn’t need refrigerating and pack ingredients in a cooler with ice packs. Cured meats and hard cheeses can handle limited refrigeration, and they make storing easier.
Or, try something other than sandwiches that doesn’t need the same storage fuss.
@Zain
I agree, this is kind of out there.
If you buy fresh bread right before you go, it’ll last almost two weeks on its own.
Also, if you’re going to have sandwiches every day, maybe add a few different foods. And use ice packs!
@Addison
Honestly, a week of sandwiches isn’t so weird for a low-effort trip. But if you’re going that route, why not just bring peanut butter and jelly? It’s simple and doesn’t need refrigeration. This seems like way more work than needed.
Opening it even once is going to speed up thawing a lot. Wouldn’t these also get pretty soggy?
Brett said:
Opening it even once is going to speed up thawing a lot. Wouldn’t these also get pretty soggy?
I get that, but I wasn’t aiming to keep them frozen the whole time—just delay the best-before date a bit.
Are you saying all sandwiches end up soggy after freezing? I should probably test one out first!
@Sam
Yeah, freezing usually leads to sogginess. Reheating can help, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t be doing that?
Maybe try a single sandwich as a test.
Brett said:
@Sam
Yeah, freezing usually leads to sogginess. Reheating can help, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t be doing that?
Maybe try a single sandwich as a test.
Good point. I wasn’t planning to reheat them, so it seems like they’d just become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Freezing sandwiches? Never heard of it—don’t they end up all soggy after thawing? I usually just bring sandwich ingredients in a cooler and make sure the bread doesn’t touch any melted ice. Works fine.
@Sky
Check out Uncrustables! They’ve become popular because they’re made to freeze without going soggy. They’re made to avoid wet ingredients soaking into the bread, so they stay nice.
@Sky
Yep, soggy and awful. I used to get frozen pre-made sandwiches as school lunches, and they were always disgusting. Sometimes they’d even have lettuce, which would go totally mushy. Just awful.
@Sky
Got it; I was only thinking about extending the shelf life, not realizing frozen sandwiches might just be a bad idea. Maybe I’ll switch to fridge mode and keep it to 3-4 days instead.
Sam said:
@Sky
Got it; I was only thinking about extending the shelf life, not realizing frozen sandwiches might just be a bad idea. Maybe I’ll switch to fridge mode and keep it to 3-4 days instead.
If you go with fridge mode, peanut butter & jelly, salami with cheese, or tuna are easy options that don’t need much refrigeration. Burritos (wrapped in parchment and foil) freeze better than bread-based sandwiches, but you’d want a way to reheat.
Speaking as someone who has a car freezer:
No, this won’t work. Portable fridges are not well-insulated, so they warm up fast once turned off. You’d get a few hours, not days, before food starts to spoil. It’s like putting frozen sandwiches into a cooler—how long would they last?
@Han
Thanks for the heads-up! I’d rather know now than find 30 moldy sandwiches in the middle of nowhere!
Sam said:
@Han
Thanks for the heads-up! I’d rather know now than find 30 moldy sandwiches in the middle of nowhere!
THIRTY sandwiches??
Sam said:
@Han
Thanks for the heads-up! I’d rather know now than find 30 moldy sandwiches in the middle of nowhere!
THIRTY sandwiches??
Well, two sandwiches per meal, three meals a day, for a week—comes out to 42.
@Sam
That’s a diet born out of desperation!
So this is a 12v fridge/freezer? Why not just set it to fridge temperature instead of unplugging? Freezers need a constant power source to stay cold—unplugging would mean rapid warming. It’s better suited as a fridge with ice packs for cold retention.
@Mackenzie
Yeah, it’s a 12v unit in my Tesla. I assumed it was just a cooler with added features, but maybe not as insulated. I figured freezing would extend freshness since a sandwich wouldn’t hold for a week in a regular fridge.