Summer is here (at last) and so before you start wishing for the cold of winter to come back again, here are some tips and tricks to keep you and your picnic cool, calm and collected.
Here are five for you…
Put a bowl of iced water between you and your fan
This is an old and well-known trick but that’s because it works! Just make sure that the air from your fan blows over the icy water or it won’t cool you down. If you do this, you’ll start cooling down in no time.
Cold or frozen flannel around your neck
Place a wet flannel, tea towel or thin towel in the freezer and then when it’s chilled right down take it out and put it round your neck.
One for the brave
Take your shirt off and soak it in cold water, wring it out and put it back on – brrr!
Ice cream or frozen yoghurt hits the spot
Never make us think of summer more than an ice cream. However, if you don’t like any flavour or you just can’t eat it (lactose intolerant maybe) then frozen yoghurt is almost as good.
Stay hydrated and wear loose natural fabrics
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty as it means you’re already dehydrated, instead make sure you have a good slurp on a regular basis. If you don’t like drinking water then try ice pops or eat foods which have plenty of water in them eg. melons, cucumbers and celery.
There’s nothing worse than feeling hot and sticky, especially if you’re meeting people so make yourself more comfortable by wearing loose, cotton clothing.
And five for your picnic…
Freeze your water bottles the night before
Or even early in the morning if you’re going out in the afternoon, but don’t forget to leave some space at the top of the bottles for the ice to expand. Pop them in your cool bag/box and they’ll help keep your food and drink cool.
Put food out on flat ice blocks
Instead of just putting your bowls and dishes on a picnic rug or blanket, stand them on ice blocks on your blanket, it will help keep your food cool for ages although longer of course if kept in the shade. If you’ve got enough ice blocks then you could lay them on top of your containers too.
Don’t put hot food near your salads
It may sound obvious but when you’re busy packing a picnic for a number of people, it’s easy to forget yourself and put them side by side especially when that container of hot food fits perfectly in the space next to the cold chicken salad – no, no, nooo!
Use an insulated cool bag/box and insulated containers
Insulated cool bags and containers will keep your food cool and the heat out.
Keep your food in the fridge until the last minute
Pack up all the other essentials that you need for your picnic but leave your cold food in the fridge until the last minute. When you’re ready to unpack your picnic and you’ve got savoury nibbles to have before any fruit or desserts, then only get out what will be eaten first and leave the rest in the cool bag until needed with the lid closed. Open the lid as seldom as possible.
Enjoy the summer!
