We seem to be taking more road trips to Amish butchers in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana and bring back steaks, ground meats, pork, sausages and other pershible meat and cheese products. We also drive to Lousiana twice a year over 4 days and stock up on gumbos, smoked meats etc. We have a few small/medium sized playmate coolers and pack them with ice-reloading ice every 12 hours. The already frozen meats stay frozen (or soften slightly) but there is plenty of ice and water which makes the process more cumbersome-(I use Ziplock bags to prevent leakage into the meats). Is dry ice better? Will it burn holes through these plastic coolers? Is it better to get the cheapo styrofoam coolers? Is there a brand or type of cooler that you all use when you go on shopping trips? is multiple smaller coolers better than one big cooler in terms of keping things cooler for longer periods? If dry ice is the way to go-is it hard to find if not sold on site and any adverse effects such as freezer burn? Any recs would be most appreciated.
What disease did cured ham actually have?