An innovative couple in northern China transformed a plastic barrel into a natural ice refrigerator.

The video was filmed in the city of Yichun in Heilongjiang Province on November 29.

The process, as ingenious as it is straightforward, begins with filling a large plastic water barrel with water. Atop this, a basin is placed, flanked by two corn cobs acting as makeshift handles. Overnight, as temperatures plummet, the water in the barrel freezes solid.

The following morning reveals the first step of their creation: the basin is removed, and the unfrozen water at the centre is scooped out. This leaves a hollow ice shell, resembling an "ice bucket" inside the plastic barrel.

The couple then carefully pours hot water around the exterior of the plastic barrel, which loosens it from the ice mould.

With their homemade ice bucket ready, they cap it with the original lid, now repurposed with corn cob handles.

According to Mrs Juanzi, the innovative creator, this natural refrigerator offers a significant advantage over simply leaving food outdoors. While exposure to the elements tends to desiccate food, storing it in their ice refrigerator ensures better preservation and protection from small animals.

The utility of this ice fridge is particularly relevant in northeast China, where winter stretches from November to April. Mrs Juanzi asserts that their creation remains effective for three to four months, providing a sustainable and ingenious solution to winter food storage in their region.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

近日，黑龙江伊春，夫妇俩利用塑料桶，“克隆复制”出天然大冰箱。他们先把一个塑料大水桶灌满水，然后在上面放一个盆，并用两个苞米当把手。第二天早上桶里的水已结冰，把盆先起开，然后把里面未结冰的水全部舀出来，再用开水把塑料桶的外围浇一遍，这样便可以在塑料桶里复制出来一个“冰桶”，盖上原先用苞米当把手的盖子，一个天然冰箱便大功告成。据当事人娟子女士介绍，直接把食品放在户外很容易风干，而放在这样做出来的冰箱会更加保鲜，也不会被其他小动物叼走。东北的冬天长，一般从11月份到来年4月份，这种冰箱用三四个月还是没问题的。