Pottery cooler
This double-pot cooler is made of a small pot inside a large pot. The space between the pots is filled with water. Use a large pot and lid that have not been glazed (coated with a hard, smooth, baked-on covering) so that the water will evaporate through the pot. The small pot should be glazed on the inside to make it easier to keep clean and to stop water from seeping into the stored foods.
Cupboard cooler
Put a wooden crate or box on its side, and then set it on bricks or stones to raise it off the floor. Put a container of water on top of the crate and drape sackcloth or other coarse cloth over the bowl and around the crate. Cover the entire crate. The cloth should not quite reach the floor. Dip the cloth in the water, so that the wetness spreads throughout the cloth. Place the food inside the crate. As the water in the cloth evaporates, it will cool the food. This method works best if you can keep the cloth wet all the time.