It may seem silly, but there’s an art and a science involved in packing a cooler to keep it cold inside. To keep your food safe and your guests happy, here are some tailgating tricks and tips for the cooler: - Keep two (or even three) coolers: one for drinks and/or cooked food, and one for raw food.
- Only add pre-cooled items to the cooler; warm cans and bottles will increase the temperature inside the cooler and make it harder to keep everything cold.
- Pro Tip: Pre-freeze bottled water to help keep the cooler cold, and enjoy ice cold water when it thaws.
- For drinks, layer the bottom of the cooler with cans, then a layer of ice. Add more cans, bottles, or closed containers on top, always using ice to fill in gaps and spaces. The more full the cooler is, the colder it will stay.
- If you’re bringing any food in zip-top bags, place those on the very top layer in the cooler so the bags don’t burst.
- Pre-slice toppings and store in stackable tins with lids.
- Make sure any raw food is sealed in leak-proof, airtight containers.
These tips should help keep your food safe and your drinks cold…perfect conditions for a great tailgating party! |
