Things You'll Need:
- Coolers
- Ice
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Step 1
Acquire appropriate coolers. Make sure you have coolers that will hold ice and the amount of food and drinks you plan to take with you. While it's romantic and classy to take food in a picnic basket, it doesn't provide adequate protection for your perishable food.
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Step 2
Cool food ahead of time. If you have cooked meat to take on your picnic, make sure you have cooled it in the refrigerator before packing it in your cooler to ensure that it stays good on the way to the picnic.
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Step 3
Pack food into your cooler. Prepare a cooler for just food, if possible. Keep your beverages in a separate cooler. This will reduce the number of times the lid of your food cooler gets opened and reopened, thus keeping the food cooler at a more constant temperature. Be sure to use enough ice.
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Step 4
Eat within two hours. If your picnic includes take-out items, eat them within two hours of picking them up.
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Step 5
Keep your cooler cold. Don't put it in the car trunk or pickup bed, if possible. The air-conditioned part of your vehicle will keep your cooler colder longer. When at your picnic, keep your cooler in the shade.
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Step 6
Store leftovers. Leave prepared food out of coolers for no more than one hour. Store food in the cooler. Once back at home, if the cooler still has ice, the food should still be ok.
