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"Nothing will kill you if you boil it in water for 1 hour."

Actually.... that's not quite true. Lots of things produce toxins that aren't removed by boiling.... such as botulism. It grows when non acid things aren't canned properly, or when you put things like garlic in oil and don't refrigerate it.

That said, preserving is done a number of ways, not all of which are by refrigeration. Sugar, salt, acid and dehydration are also preservatives. That's why jams and pickles and beef jerky don't need to be in the fridge. They will keep.... but will eventually grow mold. Salt and drying are ways to preserve meat and fish. Eggs (once shelled) and dairy are prone to spoilage. Mayo in particular will hurt you, which is why things like potato salad get you in the summer.

The truth about refrigeration is that once the temp reaches 45, you have a 4 hour window before mold and bacteria begin growing.( It is cumulative, so boiling resets the clock.)Then they double every hour depending on the temp. At 45 it is slowly, and 125 much faster. The first hour of growth probably won't do much to you... but the 5th hour of warm potato salad will. Fruit pies are ok sitting out, cream pies are not. The reason the stew keeps ok is because it is sterilized by boiling and the lid is left on. I wouldn't trust it for long though.

Get the chest cooler. It will work better. Don't fool around with food poisoning. It isn't fun.

Grammy :" once the temp reaches 45, you have a 4 hour window before mold and bacteria begin growing.
( It is cumulative, so boiling resets the clock.) Then they double every hour depending on the temp. At 45 it is slowly, and 125 much faster.
The first hour of growth probably won't do much to you... but the 5th hour of warm potato salad will."

Grammy has it right about bacterial growth !
Why can you age meat without cooking , smoking , or salting ? Because it is in a controlled environment of heat, humidity, and specified length of time .

Lots of things produce toxins that aren't removed by boiling.... such as botulism. It grows when non acid things aren't canned properly, or when you put things like garlic in oil and don't refrigerate it.

Partly true. The botulism spore itself is not killed by boiling. But the toxin it produces does have a low boiling point, which means that if you boil the food long enough right before eating, it can be rendered safe.

The moment it cools down, though, the botulinum bacterium will get right back to making more toxin, so it's a temporary measure. And, really not recommended except in desperate circumstances.

In adults, the botulinum bacterium itself can't get a foothold, so it's just the toxin that needs dealt with. With infants, that's not the case. The bacterium can establish itself in their intestines and produce the toxin right there. Keep them safe!!!

That said, preserving is done a number of ways, not all of which are by refrigeration. Sugar, salt, acid and dehydration are also preservatives.

Pressure canning also works.

I've been pressure canning meat very successfully for some time now.

When I have a turkey, especially, when we're done with dinner, I clean off the meat, cook the carcass, and pressure can the broth with some meat for soup to be made at a later date.

I just grab a can off the shelf, add the fresh veggies and voila, a pot of fresh turkey soup, something you can't get in the stores.