The constraints of the kitchen on board
Cooking on board a ship is quite an art. Food supplies are limited by space and storage conditions. In addition, the state of the sea and the crew play an important role in the elaboration of the menus and their realization.
Foods to preserve
Whether you are sailing for a week or a month, good provisioning requires food that can be kept for a long time, you never know what might happen! Ideally, they have a good weight-to-size ratio and are easy to store. However, avoid containers that are too fragile and pay attention to the waste generated by the packaging: garbage cans take up space!
A variety of foods
What could be sadder than eating the same thing every day! For the morale of the crew and to face all situations, the key word is to embark on varied and versatile reserves.
The supplies must allow you to prepare snacks, aperitifs, a meal in a rough sea or a dinner at anchor.
Foods to cook
It must be said, on a boat, time is sometimes long. Meals represent conviviality, comfort and a much appreciated activity. A good part of the supplies is therefore devoted to processable food, to be cooked alone or with others. This tip often helps to lower the bill!
Easy to prepare foods
Some situations at sea do not lend themselves to small dishes! When the boat is constantly moving, when fatigue sets in and the crew weakens, it is necessary to have reserves ready to eat or that require very little effort to prepare.
The main food families on board
How do you reconcile all these criteria? You can make lists by category by selecting products that keep well.
First of all, a background of processable staple foods milk, eggs, flour, sugar that will make cakes, pies, pancakes and bread. Powdered milk and condensed milk will last a long time for a minimal amount of space. Eggs will easily last a month out of the fridge if you take care to turn them every 3 days.
Then, some easy-to-cook foods pasta, rice, semolina, quinoa, coral lentils, bulgur, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, Chinese noodles, packet soups, potatoes, onions, etc.
Then, some convenience food canned fruits, vegetables and legumes, vacuum-packed beets, sardines in oil, tuna, pâtés, white and red cabbage, fresh fruits (apples and citrus fruits), dried fruits (apricots, dates, prunes, figs), oilseeds (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.), sausages, olives, compotes.
To complete, some seasonings and cooking aids sauces, broths, spices, coconut milk, chorizo, chocolate, vanilla, yeast, mustard, syrup, oils, vinegar, etc.
If you have a fridge on board, you can add some fresh products, especially meat and dairy products. And you can also fish to add fresh fish to your menu!
Sample menus for all navigations
With all this, you can prepare snacks, with a handful of almonds, dried fruit, a chocolate bar, a soup packet or a packet of Chinese noodles for example.
For appetizers, mix a beet with a can of chickpeas for a colorful spread, or take out the olives, peanuts and sausage.
For a meal while sailing, pasta with pesto will require little effort. When the sea is very rough, semolina saves a lot of meals with a box of vegetables to heat.
At anchor, a salted tuna and olive cake, a chocolate or apple cake, or an onion pie will delight the crew.
Don't forget to bring hygiene and household products that are good for the planet: soap and dishwashing liquid in particular.
