No refrigeration...your advice?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Mahana

The last time I saw a saline bottle in OR I was on the receiving end and it looked more like a bag- or maybe that was the food poisoning...

The stuff for your IV is in a bag.
The stuff on the surgical field is delivered from a bottle to a basin by a nurse.

[Tahiti Rover]

Ahoy fellow steel boat owner!

I live aboard a steel Tahiti Ketch. Fourth steel boat I've owned and would not have any other material. What's your design and who's the designer?

As to your question about life aboard without refrigeration:

(1) you can extend the life of ice aboard by using two smaller cooler rather than one large one. Saves opening the cooler so many times and losing the cold each time. Plan you meals and open the cooler only once a day. Finally, wrap yhour coolers in those emergency aluminum "space blankets", then wrap with a large beach towel. This will give you 8-12 days of ice even in the tropics.

(2) When buying food in native markets, before bringing aboard and stowing, immerse each piece of fruit and veggie in a bucket of water and bleach (Clorox, for instance). This will kill surface bacteria that is the primary cause of rot from bruising and surface cuts. Take a 5 gallon bucket, fill half way and put two capfuls of bleach in it. Dry fruit in the sun before storing. DO NOT mix fruit and veggies together in the same container. This is the primary cause of rotting. Store food in well-ventilated containers, or netting, and keep out of direct sunlight.

(3) Buy an 8-quart stainless steel pressure cooker and read this book: Complete Book of Home Preserving (ISBN: 0-7788-0139-X. It is published by the Ball Company, the manufacturer of the jars used in preserving. It has everything you need to know about preserving fruit, veggies and even meat, and some absolutely fabulous recipes. You will bless the day!

(4) Fresh cheese, fresh eggs and fresh veggies can be had at sea for up to 30 days with no refrigeration. Check out the new cookbook, Gourmet Underway - A Sailor's Cookbook. Look at the book's Website: www.gourmetunderway.com. The book explains in great detail all sorts of galley strategies for extending the life of foods at sea.

Fair winds to you,

Robbie

[Dave the Canuck]

Originally Posted by BC Mike

Freeze your beer on land and use it as blocks of ice. Drink when thawed.
Michael

Have you no shame...

[bfharris]

I'm amazed that this thread is still active after 2.5 years!

[Angelepenney@gm]

We dont have any refridgeration on board, so all butter is stored in the bilge, we take dried peas, beans, Eggs are stored in the bilge with vasoline on them, milk is dried,or UHT, so is the cream, and sometimes we use almond butter as it lasts longer, take cabbage as it lasts longer, lemon juice from the supermarket, tinned soup with meat in them and the most precious item a small pressure cooker. Most other things are bought when we arrive anywhere, usually vegs.

[GordMay]

Previously Frozen Beer isn't so bad, when stumbled upon occasionally, snuck back into the fridge from the freezer by the offending party, who is never to be identified.
It's flat beer.
It’s better than no beer; especially if you feed it to that friend that never buys, when he stops by to borrow something.

[Tahiti Rover]

Hello, Angie:

You might want to check some of the posts I have made recently regarding galley management.

Refrigeration is not a necessity, of course, merely a convenience. No voyage is so long that a crew cannot be happy without ice cubes for a few days.

To recapitulate somewhat, gourmet meals may be enjoyed for weeks at sea without refrigeration if the skipper takes advantage of some well-known galley strategies: the life of perishable veggies can be greatly extended if they are first plunged into a mixture of water and bleach (Clorox) for a few minutes to kill off any surface bacteria; never mix fruit and vegetables in the same containers or storage nets where they may touch each other; examine perishable EVERY DAY for bruises, soft spots and decay; sterilize bottles (screw-on tops) and fill with your favorite veggies (Sweet Bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) then cover with a mixture of water and white distilled vinegar; they will keep for months that way.

For cheese, sterilize bottles and stuff with chunks of cheese and cover with extra virgin olive oil and screw on lids tightly; cheese will last for months. Store eggs in plastic camper-style containers and turn every day without fail; they'll keep for at least 3-4 weeks. Butter and margarine can be stored in sterilized bottles and will last for months, but it's best to use very small jars so that the wastage will be limited once the seal is broken.

For meats, without question, learn how to use a pressure cooker and process your own; chemical-free, cheaper than canned meats and spiced to your own taste; beef, dark and white meat chicken, pork and lamb. You can even put up mahi mahi, swordfish and other great-eating fish if you've caught more than you can eat at the moment.

Round out your stores with rice, pasta, dried beans, flour, and a selection of spices and herbs, and you will eat well at sea. There are many more tips/techniques and great recipes in the cookbook, "Gourmet Underway - A Sailor's Cookbook." See the website, at www.gourmetunderway.com.

Fair winds to you,

Robbie