One of the most important things when sailing for a long time is certainly food. But how can we store our food in our sailing boat without a refrigerator? Well, let’s find out! In this article, I’m going to suggest some recipes that don’t need refrigeration. Maybe you think that it’s difficult to store and make meals on board. But I assure you that it’s not true! Many people cruise without refrigeration for weekend trips or for extended voyages. That being the case, there are also plenty of people who have cruised for years with nothing more than a cooler or an icebox.

Food Preservation Methods When Cruising

In general, you can easily preserve fruits and vegetables without refrigeration by three simple methods: storage, drying, and canning. Drying is an easy and quite old method of preserving products. With the drying method, you can prevent spoiling food because the food’s natural water is removed. Another method is the modern canning process. This is by far the most versatile of all food preservation methods. It is basically the destruction by heat of the micro-organisms that cause food to decay. Naturally, foods with different composition have to be processed in a different way, but the principle is still the same. Above all, canning preserves nutritional value.

Different Types of Food – Meat

Let’s now see some of the most common and necessary types of food and how you can preserve them on board. Firstly, if you’re not a vegetarian, how can you preserve meat? Well, the best option is to buy canned meat. I know what you think about canned meat, but if you cook your meals with care, then your dish won’t turn into a big blob. Remember to add the meat at the end of the cooking. Once you put the meat, try not to stir so much so as not to turn it into mush. This goes also for chicken, turkey, and beef. However, ham is the only meat that you need to break apart as you add it with other ingredients. All other types of meat should be handled very gently.

Eggs, Milk and Dairy Products

In general, eggs will stay good for up to a month. You just need to turn them over every couple of days to make sure that the inner membrane is moist. You can also do that if they were previously refrigerated. If you have a cooler or if you’re traveling in mild climates then butter and margarine can also be preserved. Also, consider olive oil which is a great dip and works well for cooking. As for milk, you can buy boxed milk that is sold in packages in most grocery stores. Another option is powdered milk. Cans of evaporated milk can substitute milk or cream and are also good for cooking. If you are a cheese-lover then keep in mind that many kinds of cheese, particularly the hard ones, will last a month or more without refrigeration. Remember to store them in a cool place, such as the bilge.

Vegetables and Fruits

There are lots of veggies that can be preserved without refrigeration. Some of them are onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and squash. As for the tomatoes, prefer to buy them when they’re ripe. If you want to have more variety, which is reasonable, you can buy canned vegetables that last for a long time. And what about fruits? Well, oranges and apples wrapped in aluminum foil will last weeks to months. Remember to carry a stock of dried fruits such as dates, apricots, raisins, banana chips. Even with refrigeration, it is hard for many fruits to be stored onboard for a long time, so try to use both canned and dried in order to add variety to the menu.

Delicious Sailboat Recipes With No Refrigeration

Breakfast Recipes:

• Boiled, fried, or scrambled eggs with pre-cooked bacon or with hard cheese (pecorino or Parmigiano) accompanied by crispbread.
• Oatmeal with toppings (nuts and dried fruit).
• Bagels or toasted bread with honey, peanut butter, or jam.

Lunch Recipes:

• Bean Soup or Lentil Soup: Easy to make and highly nutritious! You can accompany them with olive oils and/or some crackers or crispbread.
• Greek Salad or Couscous Salad. All ingredients can be stored without refrigeration except Feta cheese but you can replace it with hard cheese. The Greek Salad contains tomato, cucumber, green peppers, onions, olive oils, oregano, and Feta. Couscous is really easy to make too. You can add carrots, onions, garlic, pepper, beans, vinegar, and olive oil.
• Pasta with Shrimps or Pasta with Vegetables: The easiest recipe of all! You can also replace pasta with rice.
• Risotto with mushrooms and carrots: If you don’t have butter you can replace it with powdered milk, your risotto will be creamy even with this milk. Don’t forget to add garlic, onions, and thyme.
• Canned chicken or Pork accompanied by roasted veggies: Heat up the meat and roast the veggies in the oven or grill. Add some lemon or vinegar and oregano on top.

Dinner Recipes:

• Wraps and Sandwiches: a can of ham/chicken, tomato, a diced onion, some coleslaw, wrapped in tortillas. Tortillas are a good substitute for bread for sandwiches, as they don’t mold easily.
• Mixed rice with beans or lentils: Firstly, you chop some onion and garlic cloves. Then add the beans or lentils and stir them. Add half a cup of rice 3-4 minutes after the beans or lentils are sauteed. Boil them for 35 minutes and add some vinegar or lemon on top.
• Chili and Coleslaw with cornbread.
• Spaghetti with mushrooms, tomato sauce, garlic, and onions.
• Boiled vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchinis) with mustard and mayo topping.

>>Also Read: How To Cook On a Sailboat

Summary

Although it can be practical to have a refrigerator on board, it’s not totally essential. Don’t let the lack of refrigeration prevent you from cruising. Whether it is for a weekend or for an overseas voyage. Above all, try to plan and organize your provisions and meals beforehand. Like this, you can avoid eating prepared meals, that are not quite healthy. Although you can buy some freeze-dried meals and add boiling water, the truth is that they’re not too appetizing.

As mentioned above, there are plenty of better options that you can use to cook real food. In conclusion, even if you don’t have a refrigerator on your sailboat don’t get discouraged. The above-mentioned recipes as well as some snacks, cereals, and salads can totally fill your stomach in a healthy way. Remember that living and traveling on a sailboat is an awesome adventure, it just requires you to do some sacrifices. But in the end, you’ll be rewarded!

If you are cruising without a fridge or freezer for a long period without fresh food, you should try fishing. Trolling is a great way to catch large fish while sailing. Check our article on how to troll from a sailboat here.