Emergency Cooking Every year, nearly every person in the United States is affected in some way by a natural disaster. Every part of the U.S. is considered to be a flood zone, and disasters like winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes all cause colossal damage each year—and each year, many people have to learn to live without power because of them. Any of these emergencies, and a half-dozen others, could cause people to be without electricity, and therefore a way too cook their food, for a number of days, weeks, and in some cases, even months. If people don’t live in an area that’s prone to blackouts, they likely don’t think of the possibility that someday they may not just be able to pop a TV dinner in the microwave for three minutes and have dinner ready. Unfortunately, no part of the U.S. is invulnerable to power failures, and because of that, everyone should know about alternative methods of cooking. No one wants to think that maybe they will be the ones struggling to make meals each day, but shoving their heads into the sand does not mean that it will never happen. People must prepare now, or risk being caught off-guard and without options later. The first of these alternative cooking aspects people should look into is the type of food they are going to store. Coal-powered stoves aren’t going to do much good unless there is something to put on them. The basic staples that no one should be without, regardless of setting, are these four foods: wheat, instant milk, honey, and salt. This is a great starting point for those people who have not thought much about food storage before. It is not, however, all people will need to survive. While these ingredients may sound pretty complete, all one will really be able to make with them is honey-sweetened gruel. (Yum.) Instead of being stuck with these four bland foods and nothing else to do, consider stocking up on what experts call the “extended staples”: cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast and powdered eggs. People can’t cook even the most basic recipes without these items. While storing food with alternative cooking in mind, people should also think about a few substitutes to cooking; during a disaster, it is easy to become overwhelmed with stress, so it’s important to also have foods that require no preparation, like MREs, or freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. In the case of food that requires preparation, however, it is important to have all the foods stated above, plus anything else that the family considers a staple. Rice, for instance, may be much more important to some households than others. Finally, food storage doesn’t have to be completely dreary. Keep a stock of “psychological,” or stress-relieving foods. The science of comfort foods is very real, and having candies, tea, or carbohydrate-packed foods around will help everyone deal with the stress of no electricity, or whatever other disaster they are experiencing. After people have planned out and bought their food storage, they must then begin to consider how they’re going to cook it. The easiest way to do this is to have instant foods, but this is not always the healthiest or tastiest way to go about food storage. There are dozens of different ways to cook food without a microwave or stove, and people can use any combination of them. The most elementary of these options is, of course, over some sort of wood-powered fire. With this case, all people will need is cooking supplies like pots or pans or bowls, plus a large number of waterproof matches. This option is a great, natural way for people to feed themselves, especially when they are stuck outdoors for a long period of time. Wood fires, unfortunately, are not as practical indoors, especially not in the basement, which is where many families will likely take cover from a storm. They can be started and used in the fireplace, but they are still considered to be dangerous. Another option for alternative cooking is using alternative fuel sources like sterno or Coleman fuel. Sterno fuels are a jellied alcohol that is clean burning. Because of its solid state, slivers of sterno can be cut off from the rest of the can to light even damp tinder. Sterno is also incredibly light and easy to carry, not to mention that while it can be easily ignited by a match or a spark from flint, it is not volatile or explosive. Another benefit of
sterno fuel is that because it is so common, there are many different types of stoves and heaters that can use this fuel. The only downside to sterno fuel is that because it is a petroleum product, it evaporates very quickly, even in a sealed container. These containers must usually be replaced every few months, so if someone were to choose this as their main method of alternative cooking, they must make sure they check the fuel every few weeks so they are not caught unawares when it runs out. There is also the issue of price; because of its unique properties, sterno is the most expensive fuel. The second most expensive is Coleman, which is quite similar to sterno in its properties. The other type of fuel mentioned is the Coleman fuel, also known as white gas. This has many of the same benefits as the sterno fuel, as well as similar downsides. Coleman fuel is, however, more efficient because it burns hotter, but it is also a gas, so it evaporates quickly no matter what container it is placed in. The same rule about checking every few weeks also applies to this white gas product. Emergency preparedness stores like The Ready Store sell products that use Coleman fuel, among others. The major difference between sterno fuel and Coleman fuel is that Coleman fuel is highly volatile and explosive. Sterno can be safely stored in the home, emergency packs, or hiking packs, and people don’t have to worry about how hot it gets or if they’re jostling it or not. Coleman fuel, however, can and will explode under the right circumstances. It isn’t very safe to keep around the home, and serious injury has resulted from innocent mistakes with Coleman fuel. Another option for alternative cooking is charcoal. Charcoal has the longest life of any of the fuels discussed so far--although when it is in its original bag, it is susceptible to the damp and therefore only lasts a few months, if it is stored in an airtight metal or plastic container, it basically lasts forever. Charcoal is also the least expensive fuel families can store, but it should never be stored in the home. This is not because it is explosive, like Coleman fuel; charcoal actually produces large amounts of carbon monoxide, so it should be stored outdoors. However, charcoal has other benefits that may outweigh the negative possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning; for example, charcoal’s heat can easily be regulated. Each briquette produces about 40 degrees of heat, so if someone wanted to bake bread at 400 degrees, all they’d have to do would be light up 10 briquettes. This sort of precision cooking makes charcoal the choice of many people who are looking for ways to cook during an emergency. People can and do make homemade ovens in which to cook their foods, though it is easier and safer (though more expensive) to just buy a stove that is specifically designed to cook using one of these alternative fuels. There are a number of other ways to cook, including boiling the food (though that does run into the problem of first purifying the water before using it for cooking or drinking), using flameless heaters, or even using things like candle warmers. The point is that each person and their family must decide which of these alternative methods will work best for them--it doesn’t matter so much what they choose, just that they do pick something before disaster strikes.