The news from cooking gas marketers is not palatable for Nigerian households who depend on them for cooking. BusinessDay’s investigations revealed that to fill a 12.7 kilogram gas cylinder one will have to part with N5, 500 as against N3,000 it was sometime in 2016.
According to a statement released recently by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), rising prices were caused by disruption in supply as vessels delays have continued since December 29, at the receiving facilities in Apapa. Unavailability of vessels to transport the products also created shortage in the market.
Whatever the case may be, as a consumer every price increase has direct correlation to your income. However, there are some alternatives you can explore like using electric burners; the only challenge will be an increase electricity charge. Natural gas, despite the increase in price, is almost always cheaper than electricity. Electricity stoves or burners on the other hand are far safer than gas which poses the risks of explosion and air pollution. In fact, it is reported that the fumes from gas are injurious to the health of certain species of birds – if you are the type that keep birds.
Solar oven are rare in this part of the world but they are becoming a convention in other parts because of their energy efficiency. Solar ovens are remarkably easy and gets very hot – 300-350oF. Foods cooked with a solar oven rarely get burned. You can put something in the oven and leave it for hours, it’s just fine.
If you love to bake, you can conserve your gas by using crockpot or a microwave oven for baking. These are some of the cheapest ways to bake your foods.
There are other innovative ways you can conserve your gas without compromising your cooking. One of the ways is to use metal or stainless steel pots or pans for cooking. This is because metals are good conductors of heat while your clay pot is not. Ceramic or glass pots and pans are also energy efficient. While using them and you notice that gas flame is licking a little on the side of the pot or pans that is a sign that it is too much and much of the heat is being wasted. In view of that, it is recommended that you use a pan that is wide enough to cover the flame.
Only light the stove when you have everything within your reach. This will require you plan ahead for the meal, bring all you will need together to avoid wastage to time and gas once you put on the flame. Avoid spilling of any cooking items on the stove particularly in the burner as this will block all the pores and the give a less uniform flame. Hence, clean it periodically to enhance efficiency.
Cover your food. An open pan allows the heat to escape more rapidly than a closed pan would. It will also ensure your food cook quickly.
Only use as much water as you need. Experts note that every extra droop of water in the pot will require more heat and increase cooking time. Avoid using gas to thaw frozen foods. Put them in water prior to soften prior to cooking.
If any member of the house will require hot water, you can boil it and put in a thermos flask instead of boiling water every time someone wants to use it.
Experiment with raw vegetables. For instance, vegetables such as carrots actually taste better and the nutrients are conserved when eaten raw.
When you are done with cooking ensure you turn it off completely by turning off the cylinder knob and the stove when the flame is exhausted.
