Using seawater for cooking offshore

Conachair

Conachair

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I tried pasta in pure seawater once, horrible! But so save lots of trial and error, what works using seawater for cooking? I use it for rinsing rice and all dishwashing, maybe a rinse in fresh afterwards. Does half and half work for rice? Or pasta? What about soaking chickpeas? Or any other thoughts?
Ta
 
We dont cook anything in just seawater as you have found, way to salty, but you can dilute to taste.
If you rinse food in sea water it becomes to salty. again dilute to taste.

The fresh water savings are minimal in cooking but huge in these other examples.

You can do the washing up in sea water then rinse with fresh.

The same with the laundry if done by hand and not a machine (the salt in the water quickly eats any metal parts, like the drum and pumps) wash in sea water then do the final rinse in fresh.

Mark
 
half and half works for bread and maybe 20% for pasta but nothing for rice. Pulses need freshwater. Any salt makes them tough.
 
Sea water is around 3.5% salt. So 100 ml contains 3.5g salt. That is about 3/4 of a teaspoon. So for cooking with sea water, use it to achieve the salt additions you want.

It turns out not to be much and hardly worth bothering with for cooking.
 
Conachair said:
I tried pasta in pure seawater once, horrible! But so save lots of trial and error, what works using seawater for cooking? I use it for rinsing rice and all dishwashing, maybe a rinse in fresh afterwards. Does half and half work for rice? Or pasta? What about soaking chickpeas? Or any other thoughts?
Ta
Click to expand...

No idea because we don't cook with salt except on pork but if i was you i would buy one of these,see how it works then build your own big one-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001W03N...ode=asn&creative=7974&creativeASIN=B001W03NW4

Edit....infact i'm going to buy one and then make a big version plumbed into the yacht.
 
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I have tried a few times to dilute sea water when cooking but have given up, nothing tastes quite right.

Washing up in salt water and rinsing in fresh is not the best for your health if no hot water or detergent is used.

However, anything from the sea like prawns, shellfish, crabs etc are great in sea water. Try adding a little sugar and a dash of vinegar to sea water when cooking the above.

.
 
oldsaltoz said:
Washing up in salt water and rinsing in fresh is not the best for your health if no hot water or detergent is used.
Click to expand...

Now that I´m not convinced about, I always use seawater to wash dishes (and me!) offshore and sometimes in the less busy anchorages. Cold (well, luke warm) water and maybe a drop of detergent if it needs it. Never had a problem, most cruisers i know without watermakers do the same without problems. If anything I´m more wary of the fresh water in the tank.

If it´s bacteria then hands and dishtowels have millions of them growing away happily. I think most bacteria die in less than 10% water so dry dishes should get rid of them whatever the source. (am i right here?)
Anyway, it works for me and massively reduces fresh water usage.
 
Yup, always have washed dishes in seawater, bit of fairy liquid, no probs.

We have often decanted 5 litre fresh into smaller bottles and refilled the 5's with tap water. Stood in the sun all day, one will rinse off bodies after a salt water wash. A gentleman will always offer to hold the bottle for a lady!

Having seen the inside of a number of fresh water tanks, we only drink bottled unless using via kettle.

Havagood sail to Azores, I did it June before last, mich nicer than May, not a TRS in sight!
 
So too late to flog you my leewards charts ?

If you hit Horta, & of course go for a beer at Peter's, don't ask if they have WiFi.

One of our guys did, the waiter wandered off, inspected all the optics & bottles, came back & announced they didn't keep it. cue fits of laughter.

When I was there, finding internet that actually worked was a pain, best place was the hotel by the marina, walk in as though you own the place, sit down at the PC off the bar & do your thing.


Fair winds
 
what about storing fruit and veg? I usually just wash in seawater, let them dry in the cockpit and try to store where they don´t get knocked about too much. There´s a big pile on a bunk right now looking for a home..
Then check every day or so and use what looks like it needs to be used. Started sprouting beans recently, nice to have something so obviously fresh. Tried yogurt once with powdered milk without much success, must try again maybe with stronger milk.
Any other tips? I´ll have plenty of time to try them out...

Ta
 
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