Buy Block Ice?

     Many of us buy block ice on occasion, weather it be for a picnic, a trip or a backyard BBQ, especially during the summer time.  Last time I bought a block of ice it set me back $2.49 at a convenience store.  Not so convenience area.  If you are lucky you can utilize that now melted chuck of water to put out a camp fire or to water a dry plant.  No matter it's demise, it is thrown out in the end.

     Let me tell you what I do.  This tip is only useful if you have some extra freezer space.
 

     I purchase a gallon of water with a screw top.  This is going to cost you about 89 cents at most chain grocery stores like Walmart, Krogers and Frys.   I pour off about 1/4 of the water into a pitcher and safe for a bit later.  I then put the gallon jug in the freezer.  I have found that if you set it in at a slant, the freezing happens quicker and you also reduce the risk of splitting the container.  Allow the water to freeze and then remove from the freezer, add the water from the pitcher to about 3 inches from the top and replace in the freezer, flat this time.  Again, allow to freeze.

     What you now have is a chunk of ice about half the size of the block from the store.  If you have room for two, you now have an equal amount and have saved a few quarters.  Think this isn't worth it?  Think again.  What are you going to do with this water when it is melted?  You sure don't have to dump it in the parking lot or the road.  You can drink it.  No waste and you have now saved about $2.50 and shown your kids another way to conserve water. 

     And it doesn't stop there.   I have another use.

     I live in an area where we loose our power often during storms.  Especially the monsoon storms.  So with no electric and no cooling and no power to the freezers and refrigerators, I now have a nice chunk of ice in my freezer to keep things cold a little longer.  I do move the ice to the frig section if the power stays off for too long, and I have no leaking water all over the place, since it is in a jug.

     So that is my little tip on chunk ice.

     One more thing  - relating to ice.
I save plastic container that have a diameter that will fit in my water jug.  By filling these containers with drinking water and freezing them, then saving these chunks in a freezer ziploc bag (so they don't disappear from the defrost system) I have a large piece of ice that will last hours longer than the basic ice cubes in your thermos.