The Role of Air Conditioning in the Modern Kitchen
AC in AD. Most everyone I know in 2020 has AC (AKA Air Conditioning) we do not. Let me be clear: We have AC compressors, but we do not have; Copper in them, a functioning furnace from the 20th Century, or funds to rectify this any time soon. We do not complain. We KNOW it's all 1860 up in here. The two places where this is a real issue is:
- The kitchen
- The cellar
Everyone I know who is even remotely interested in homesteading does NOT understand why it is so difficult for us to preserve food at Mezzacello. I have access to digital sensors but not whole house AC. I know that our kitchen gets as hot as 33.3C (92F) on really hot days, but there are NO windows large enough in this house to place a window-mounted AC unit. When we bought the house in 2014 the downstairs unit had been plundered for copper by thieves. The upstairs unit was plundered two years later.We know the house needs a serious electrical upgrade. But the fact of the matter is that our electrical system CAN NOT handle that. Our 1989 100Watt box just does not have enough power to handle that kind of AC load. So while you might have a fine kitchen with a 28C degree threshold -- we do not. Neither did our ancestors. Fruits or vegetables left o the counter have a two day threshold. We must adapt. But until then, we will be creative. We will continue to lose squash and tomatoes that we don't get to canning or freezing immediately with our busy 21st Century jobs. We will continue to live in two rooms during the heat of summer, and in the dead of winter. Mezzacello is NOT a modern house; She is a homestead. We make do and we do amazing things with what we have. There is no time in my life where I consider how much better it must be to live in a modern house with zero access to land or character.The only time we do is when we are amongst 150+ year old houses up on Kelleys Island or way out in the country where we KNOW exactly what those families when through to make life happen when the house was built, but someone with resources retrofitted them. It's nice to think of the modern folk living in those houses with all of the amenities. We'll get there. But first we need to clearly define what "THERE" is and earn the right to own it. Meanwhile, live your life to the fullest, count your blessings and take absolutely nothing for granted. Life is a love song of success, failure, and hope. Bring a guitar and sing along with us.