How to cook with a plastic bag in an emergency?
No way! A plastic bag? for cooking??
I don’t want to use plastic bags for cooking…
Cooking with plastic bag sounds unhealthy.
In an emergency, we do whatever we need to do to survive. If we need to use our supplies in unusual ways, then that’s what we do. Believe it or not, you can cook with plastic bags (as we’ll see in this post), even in non-emergency situations. But you probably don’t want to cook with plastic bags, as part of your daily routine. I totally understand and me neither.
Just keep these techniques in mind, and when you need them, use them!!
Remember, plastic bags are not very durable
How many plastic bags will be available after a big disaster?
After a big fire, you might not be able to find plastic bags in good condition.
Plastic bags are not heavy. I recommend you you put one or more in your emergency bag and even in the bag you carry every day.
In Japan, there are very few public trash cans. Garbage cans can be hard to find. It’s not uncommon for Japanese people to carry around a plastic bag for trash, when they’re out and about. Then they throw away their mini-garbage bag when they get back home. If you are planning to visit to Japan, you should consider carrying a small plastic bag for convenience. (It’s better than putting garbage directly in your pockets!)
What are plastic bags used for ?
Carrying water / Water storage / Cold-weather gear / First aid / Sanitation / Cooking / Lantern / Rope / etc.
How can they help?
★ Apron
I use a 13 gallon trash bag to make an apron. Cut along the sides, cut two strips to make a belt, and finally cut a hole to poke your head through.
★ Making steamed rice
I used 180 ml of rice and 200 ml of water.
If you have a measuring cup, it’s easy to measure out the appropriate amount of water. But in an emergency, what if we don’t have a measuring cup? You’ll need to use your finger, or just eyeball it, to check your water level for steaming rice. The water level should be above the rice to about the depth of the first knuckle of your index finger.
Today, I’m using a Ziploc bag, but even if you use a different type of plastic bag, the measuring technique is the same. When you check the water level, make sure the bottom of the bag is flat and level.
I will explain in greater detail how to make steamed rice, in a future post!
You might have to use river water or sea water as your boiling water. Make sure the bag is completely sealed, and it’s better if the top of your bag does not touch the boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes. The plastic bag should not be completely submerged in the boiling water. Then after removing the bag from the boiling water, let it sit for 10 minutes.
The idea here is to use as little water as possible. This approach makes sense in situations where the boiling water needs to be reused multiple times.
★ Making pasta
When you boil pasta, you can add vegetables in the bag, too. Feel free to improvise.
After drain water, you can add some seasoning or pasta sauce if you have.
And you can eat pasta from plastic bag, so you don’t need to wash.
There are many different types of plastic bags. Some plastic bags are stronger than others. If I were you, I would not use a very thin plastic bag for cooking, as it might easily break. Some people say that polyethylene plastic bags are OK for cooking. I don’t want to get too complicated about it, so I just say trust your instincts. If it feels thin or weak, don’t use it.
There are heat-resistant plastic bags that you can get, but I don’t think they are necessary. I wouldn’t want to buy a special bag just for this one scenario, and I certainly wouldn’t want to cook with plastic bags under normal circumstances.
So, I don’t recommend heat-resistant plastic bags.
We can use plastic bags in many different ways in emergencies. It’s an important skill, the ability to find alternate uses for the tools we have at hand.
This skill will help you a lot!!
See you next time
Remember, “Protect your life by yourself” （自分の命は自分で守る). You need to survive first, and then you need your emergency supply. No matter how well you prepared your emergency supplies, if you die, then all of your preparations will have been for nothing. First and foremost, keep your health up all the time. Build your stamina so that if you need to, you can evacuate as quickly as possible. Stay healthy.