Petty Vents II

[msmofet]

When I was a kid, all fridges (electric) with or without freezers were called iceboxes by older people. It was uncommon to hear “refrigerator”.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Before we had a freestanding home freezer we rented a drawer/locker in a local freezer plant.

 

[pepperhead212]

That was a 12 cu ft, upright freezer, I got at a yardsale, in '75, and was probably the only student that I knew that had a freezer. And this was before the days when everyone had microwave ovens, to thaw and re-heat all those frozen leftovers! Had to plan in advance a little more back then. It was still a great thing to have, and something I've never been without.

The place I've seen that term "icebox" used a lot is in the many cookbooks of Maida Heatter, where she had many recipes for Icebox Cookies - another thing I use the freezer for, during the holidays.

 

[caseydog]

You're right, @medtran49! That was something else I learned early on, and, though I was never much on drinking beer, they had frequently keg parties on campus, and I would drain the foam out of the empty kegs, and let it settle, and take it back to the apartment, and freeze it (I got a freezer even then - something my family always had, to stock up on things!). Next party, I'd even have more left (I didn't bake that much bread!), and take a bunch back, and use some for cooking seafood in (my school was down at the shore, so that was cheap then) - that's when I got that 32 qt stockpot, I eventually gave to Mom's church kitchen.

All I can say is that your college experience was way different than mine.

CD

 

[caseydog]

This makes it sound like freezers weren't much of a thing back, say (I don't know how old you are so I'm gonna assume) 20 or 30 years ago. I thought electric freezers came about in the 70s? I know 50s and 60s shows had ice boxes but I'm not sure how long electric freezers have been invented.

I was around in the 60s, and we had electric freezers. Light bulbs, television sets and horseless carriages, too.

Microwave ovens came about in the 70s.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Not all homes had separate free standing freezers during the 50's. They started being common during the 60's and students in college certainly didn't. LOL, you were very privileged to have one at school, pepper.

My parents had a stand alone freezer before I was born (1961). It had to be defrosted on a regular basis, but we had one. It was in what we called the "utility room," along with the washer and dryer, furnace and water heater.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I believe we had one 55/56, in Mahtomedi, Minn. but not sure. When we came back from Europe we did for sure.

 

[pictonguy]

We had a chest freezer in the 50's, my parents at the time bought a half cow and that's where it found a home along with some veg. One of my earliest memories, I think I was 5 at the time. My parents always had a freezer. We also had a cold cellar full of stuff.

 

[caseydog]

When I was a kid, all fridges (electric) with or without freezers were called iceboxes by older people. It was uncommon to hear “refrigerator”.

It is a common thing in rural Texas to call a fridge an icebox.

CD

 

[taxlady]

Does anyone remember what those tiny freezer sections in old fridges were called?

 

[dragnlaw]

Freezers???

 

[taxlady]

Freezers???

Maybe freezer compartments, but not just plain "freezers".

 

[caseydog]

Maybe freezer compartments, but not just plain "freezers".

We had a fridge like that in the kitchen, but that compartment was just for making ice in those cheap plastic ice trays. The freezer in the utility room was what we called the freezer. I don't recall whether we had a name for the small compartment in the fridge.

CD

 

[taxlady]

We had a fridge like that in the kitchen, but that compartment was just for making ice in those cheap plastic ice trays. The freezer in the utility room was what we called the freezer. I don't recall whether we had a name for the small compartment in the fridge.

CD

You could fit one of those small cardboard boxes of frozen veggies in there, but if you wanted any ice cubes, probably not more than one. If I recall correctly,there were also small cardboard ice cream containers that were made to fit in there.