Solar Cooking

Cooking/Heat

Solar Cooking

 

Drawback: No way to regulate heat (time of day), can’t cook on cloudy days

Recipes: Pretty much anything you can cook in a crock pot or oven you can cook in a solar cooker.

Hint: Get the food on early and don’t worry about overcooking!

Use sunglasses to protect eyes!

Can be used to purify water (150º)                 Can be used to cool foods at night

All Solar Cooking works on the same 5 principles. Represented by C.A.R.E.S.

  • Collect the light: Use reflectors with an approximately 20” x 20” opening

Reflective surface materials include: aluminum, mylar, aluminum or chromium paint

  • Absorb the light: Paint the pot matte black or another dark color. Pots can be elevated by a wore base or posts, allowing the bottom of pots to collect sunlight
  • Retain the heat: Oven bags work best.
  • Ease and Efficiency: Funnel and box cookers easiest to use. Cook foods fairly fast.
  • Safety: Avoid highly focused light (parabolic) it can damage eyes and start fires. Sunglasses are useful. Cooking pots are hot and should be handled carefully.

 

Types of Solar Ovens-

Parabolic Cooker–  Highly focused light and high temperatures. Cooks nearly as fast as a conventional oven. Costly and complicated to make and use. Potentially hazardous.

Solar Funnel Cooker–  Cheap and easy. A funnel concentrates sunlight onto a dark pot in a plastic bag. Anyone can make one. $5

Box Cooker– Most popular to build and use. Lid of a box reflects light onto food under glass. It can cook and bake large quantities of food. Up to $300.

 

Guidelines for Solar Cooking

  • Most recipes take slightly less liquid when cooked in a solar oven
  • Cooking times depends on the temperature of the food when it is placed in oven as well as the brightness of the day. Best times when sun is most direct.
  • Allow plenty of time. Foods hold well in solar ovens without scorching or drying out.
  • Check food about every 60 minutes until you get the feel of it.
  • Most recipes calling for a higher temperature will do fine if you cook longer.
  • If wind, weight down box/bucket or bury in ground
  • For best results: Cook on cloudless days between 10am-2pm