How to eat if you have no power

[Crochetandcoke]

Hi, I wanted to start a thread for people who have no power temporarily or who don't have a fridge or freezer, or only have simple cooking facilities eg. Just a kettle, toaster and/or microwave. I thought this would help people who don't have money for the meter, or who are suffering from temporary brown or black outs, or just generally people who want to cut back on energy bills and consumption. Also might be some ideas for what to donate to a food bank. The obvious thing is bread and sandwich based things, which are ok in a temporary fix but not that healthy or satiating for more than a meal, day or two at a stretch, or due to a short ish power out. Thank you for any more healthful and creative contributions 😊

During winter I would have a box outside to keep some things in . Essentials, milk , butter . I'd get a camping stove good for pasta and sauces .

Anyone know what minimum temp for keeping food is?

Our fridge was up to 12 degrees when it was faulty, and no food went bad.

Our garage was 14 degrees at the time. Made me wonder that if things get really bad, putting food in the garage may be ok?

You mean maximum temperature.
It’s just that things go off faster if warm so I don’t think you can be categorical. Tricks like covering butter with a wet cloth or burying a tin of food in the garden do work, but obviously not as well as a fridge at 4 degrees. Some things like raw chicken aren’t worth the risk.

Cous cous just cover with boiling water no other cooking needed.

frozen mash is ok and microwaveable.

pasta - yes I know it takes a few minutes to boil but cook a big pan and then warm up (or eat cold) leftovers. Buy smaller size pasta (check pack for cooking times e.g. smaller macaroni takes less time). Apparently the water doesn’t have to be bubbling for the full cooking time, turn it off slightly early but leave lid on and pan on hob.
idea for hot topping - tuna and sweetcorn (tinned). Save a portion or two of the topping for the next day as cold pasta salad.

make soup - chop veg very small takes less cooking. Microwave smaller leftover portions.

Pitta bread is quite cheap. Can warm it briefly in toaster and if the rest of the meal is cold then at least that is warm. Put a bit of hummus or grated cheese in it. Similar with bagels - quick warm up in toaster, I find them filling. Either are good for packed lunch as a change from sandwiches. Peanut butter and banana is a good and substantial filling for bagels. And of course toast.

omelette or scrambled eggs are short cooking time. Or make a pot of boiled eggs. Eat some as soft boiled and leave the others to cook a bit longer.

tinned lentils and tinned beans are economical.

I find that if you have to have a cold meal for any reason, then if at all possible a hot pudding or hot drink cheers things up if you can manage it. For example cheap tin of rice pudding is 20-30p for 3-4 small portions. Hot squash as an alternative to caffeine drinks. In fact squash can be warmed for less time, just micro till drinking temperature, obviously this doesn’t work for tea or coffee.

What kind of beans only need to be soaked? And indeed what kind of rice?!

If push comes to shove & you need to keep milk fresh, an old camping trick is to fill a bucket with cold water, pop your milk into it, cover with a tea towel (make sure the edges of the tea towel are in the water so capillary action makes the whole towel wet) & place the bucket into the shade.

You may need to chase the shade around to make sure it never goes into full sun, and make sure you change the water every day.

It’ll last around 3 days (if you want to use the milk, just make sure the lid is on tightly before you put it back in the bucket).

I’ve also put cheese, ham etc. into the buckets, just make sure the packets are sealed or placed into a zip loc bag.

Another old camping trick is an inside version of a hay box. It can cut down the amount of fuel you use.

Make up your casserole/small beef joint/veggie curry & get it to a rolling boil. Then, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid & surround it with cushions, blankets, quilts - anything to insulate the pan to keep the heat in. Make sure you cover the top of the pan & underneath as well. In the old days, we’d use an old wooden tea chest filled with hay!

Do it before work, if it’s been heated to boiling point first & is well insulated you’ll come home to dinner.

You can buy insulated bag things that will do the same, but they can be a bit pricey. Lots of thick layers of anything you have can work just as well.

Here are aforementioned insulating bags www.wonderbagworld.com

You can make an omelette in a kettle which would be helpful if you have limited energy. I've not tried it, so can't vouch for how good it is.

recipe here

Wouldn't fancy my morning cuppa after that 🤣

Well you make it in a zip lock bag so I assume the kettle won't taste of egg. You could make the tea with the water the egg was cooked in. Maybe.

The reality is we may be having power outages this Winter, it's awful to consider.