Kitchen below Decks: The summer recipe

The most important thing about food planning is knowing the exact conditions on board – especially on charter trips. It’s essential to find out how much refrigerator capacity is available on board and adjust the amount of food to be cooled accordingly. Moritz Freudenthal recommends: “My advice is not to pack too much perishable food, but rather choose products that can withstand heat without refrigeration," "A cool, dark place below deck is suitable for storage." A general rule of thumb: The more ventilation and sunlight there is, the faster fresh food will spoil.

If you’re only going on a short trip or if you have fixed shopping options on land for longer trips, perishable vegetables are easy to plan for. Moritz's tip: "It's best to buy food that isn’t quite ripe, as the ripening process extends shelf life." There’s also a selection of vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and zucchinis, which should be stored outside the fridge in a dark place and therefore won’t take up any space in the crisper. However, they won’t keep too long at room temperature. Sweet potatoes make very suitable provisions because they tolerate more heat than regular potatoes and can be stored well in the pantry. "You can make hearty side dishes, for example with lentils and chickpeas, which are also easy to store," says expert chef Moritz.

When it comes to fresh fruit, the best choices are pineapples, mangos, papayas and pomegranates. These varieties are used to warm temperatures and will ripen particularly well. So they should never be stored in the refrigerator. Last but not least, melons are a popular food, especially in summer, and can be kept whole for a long time at room temperature. As soon as they are cut, however, they belong in the fridge – wrapped in cling film. "Melons are a culinary all-rounder in warm weather," says Moritz Freudenthal. "You can eat them not only for breakfast, but also as a snack between meals, and they’re delicious in salads or as a side dish with fresh fish.”