# How cold is too cold to store canned food?



## Andy Douglass (Jul 5, 2020)

We are moving north and downsizing to fit everything in our two trucks, truck camper, and enclosed trailer. We will be moving from Northern CA to far Northern ID, leaving at the end of December. We will be in transit for several days and I was wondering about the 40 or so jars of canned food (soup, rabbit, pickles, salmon, stock). It will likely be below freezing every evening during our transit and I am wondering if I should plan on moving the food indoors each night. It will be in our trailer surrounded by everything we own, so I am thinking that all the thermal mass won't allow the food to freeze to the point of cracking jars, but I am not sure. Does anyone have any experience with canned food in sub-freezing situations like this?


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

I wouldn't think it would be a problem. For one thing, the freezing point of water with anything in it is somewhat lower than plain water, so they're not going to freeze the moment they hit 32. But I doubt they'll get that cold. I'm in Idaho somewhere south of where you're going, and it looks like daytime temps should be around 32-ish during that period.

You could put a thermometer in the trailer, somewhere close to the canned food but easily accessible, so you can keep an eye on the temperature.

I'm reminded of a time my truck was parked inside an enclosed but poorly sealed, uninsulated, unheated shop. After a week in which the temperature didn't go above 25, I was surprised to find the canteen of water inside the truck completely unfrozen.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

If you have coolers, load them up with your warm items. Coolers not only keep things cold, they can keep things warm.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

The thermometer sounds like a good idea. I would still be prepared to haul them indoors. Better safe than sorry.

Similar to watching the dissolved oxygen in a fish pond I would check the temp of the jars and then check an hour or 2 later. Then you can make an educated guess at what the morning temp will be taking into account the projected morning air temp is expected.


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## SpentPenny (Jun 11, 2020)

Those goods ride in cold semis all over the country safely. No worries.


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