Cooking in an Emergency

This newsletter was put together by Michelle Dorrough of the River Heights Ward.

Alternative Cooking Methods to Use During a Power Outage

Because we are never sure how long a power outage may last and when it will occur, it is important to plan how you will store and cook your food if the power goes out.  Most of us are resourceful enough to think of some plausible way to warm our food in an emergency, but we are less likely to have the proper fuel and equipment to do it. 

Here are some recommendations on what things we need to be sure to obtain in order to be able to properly cook your food in the case of an emergency.

PICK YOUR METHOD(S) OF CHOICE:

1.    Outdoor fire pit (outdoor)

2.    Outdoor BBQ (outdoor)

3.    Solar oven (outdoor)*

4.    Fireplace (indoor)

5.    Generator (to power indoor cooking apparatus – indoor or outdoor)

6.    Camp Stove (outdoor)

7.    Gas Stove

8.    Candles / Fondue Pots

9.    Sterno Stove

10.  Indoor butane stove

11.  Electric hot plate plugged into a generator

* For instructions on making a solar oven, search online. There are multiple sites that share simple instructions.

OBTAIN YOUR SUPPLIES (Depends on your cooking method):

Fuel

1.    Firewood

2.    Charcoal (for outdoor use only)

3.    Propane (for use with a propane stove - outdoor use only)

4.    Gasoline (for a generator)

5.    Sterno (for sterno stove)

6.    Other fuel for other cooking methods

Ignition

1.    Matches (kept in a safe water-proof place)

2.    Lighter fluid

3.    Kindling such as a pile of twigs, newspaper, etc.

Other Cooking Apparatus

1.    Foil to wrap food in for tinfoil dinner over a fire

2.    BBQ skewers (commercial, hangers, twigs) for cooking over a fire

3.    Pots or pans compatible with your chosen cooking method

4.    Dutch oven for cooking over a fire

5.    Portable camping grill for cooking over a fire

6.    Hot Pads to remove food from heat source

7.    Tongs to remove the food from heat source

ASSESS YOUR PLAN:

1.    How will weather and seasons (winter, rain, cloudiness) affect my emergency cooking plan?

2.    Can I cook the food we normally have available with my chosen cooking plan?

3.    What is my back-up method if my preferred method of cooking is unavailable for some reason?

4.    What foods do I have that do not need to be cooked in case I cannot use my chosen method(s) for some reason?

Please note that you should NEVER use charcoal or propane burners inside, not even in the fireplace, as the fumes are toxic.  If you plan to use a generator, make sure you test it out to make sure it generates enough power to operate your cooking appliances as well as refrigerators, etc. and calculate how long it will be available.

REMEMBER TO INCLUDE NON-PERISHABLES IN YOUR FOOD STORAGE IN CASE OF A LONGER-TERM EMERGENCY

These suggestions will be most useful in the event of a longer term emergency, as you would probably be better off eating non-perishable snacks or going out to eat if the power outage is not wide spread and lasts only a few hours.  Even in the case of a longer term emergency it is really good to include ready to eat foods in your food storage as part of your emergency cooking plan when the power is out for an extended period of time.  Some examples could include:

Granola Bars, Dry Cereal, Chips, Dried Fruit, Beef Jerky, Fruit Snacks, peanut butter, and most commercially or properly home canned foods*.

(*Discard canned food that looks spoiled, foams or that has an off-odor during heating.)

A simple online search  for "alternative cooking methods" will give you some additional ideas as you put your plan together.