One of the fundamental needs of survivors after disasters is food and water. During outreach and education events, I take a “go kit” with me that contains examples of canned foods and the appropriate amount of water one would need to survive after a severe storm.
As people peruse the items in this kit, I am struck by the number of people who tell me stories about their own experience with disasters and how they just open the canned foods and eat the contents with a fork or spoon.
“There is a better way!” I tell them. Thus, the Disaster Meal Preparation Workshop was born out of a need to teach the basics of making meals for you and your family immediately after a disaster when the power is out. Although many YouTube videos exist of people purchasing canned items at a dollar store, few real recipes exist that help you navigate the actual preparation of meals using these items.
Last week in the new workshop, we covered how to prepare three meals using non-perishable items plus a few items you already have in your refrigerator that should be used in the first four hours after you lose power. During our first class, we prepared grilled pizza sandwiches, chicken pot pie and orzo pasta salad with black beans and corn. Participants learned how to make the most of canned items and “spice these up” by adding garlic salt and fresh bell pepper.
We started workshop by learning the differences between butane and propane and how these cook your food differently on a camp stove. Each person had the chance to light a butane and propane single-burner stove and cook one of the recipes to get a feel for how quickly the foods would cook under certain conditions. We discussed camp stove safety, and once all meals were cooked, we shared in taste testing all of the offerings.
We also talked about substitutions for fresh ingredients that may not be available immediately after a storm. In addition to cooking, we went over questions that many people have after a storm such as:
- How long do you need to boil water to make it safe for drinking?
- How long will my food stay cold in the refrigerator and freezer after a power outage?
- If I want to use a camp stove, how do I turn it on safely and where do I store the fuel?
With hurricane season in full swing, this class reminded all of us about being prepared and that includes being able to plan and prepare meals for several days when there is no electricity.
Although many people may utilize grills, these can be expensive and require large amounts of propane. Small camp stoves can get the job done at a fraction of the price. After all the learning and eating, participants were left with the recipes and instructions for three meals, resource sheets on how to boil and sterilize water, and fact sheets on safe temperatures to keep your food when the power goes out.
A few hours during the week preparing will equate to a much happier and satisfied family during a long power outage after a coastal storm. If you are interested in hosting this workshop in your community, please reach out to me at [email protected] or 228-818-8829. Let’s cook up something delicious together!
Meet the author
Tracie Sempier, Ph.D.
Resilience Engagement Lead
Tracie Sempier serves as the resilience engagement lead at Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. She engages with communities to help them become more resilient and works to decrease negative impacts of... Read more
Phone: 228-818-8829
Email: [email protected]