Solar box cookers are the be-all and end-all when it comes to
harnessing the sun to cook food. They run solely on the sun's rays which
makes them the ideal cooking solution for many areas where electricity
and fuel aren't options. They're also wonderful for outdoor cooking
because they pose little risk of forest fire and are much lighter than
hauling fuel around in your backpack.
How Solar Cookers Work
There
are actually more than fifty different variations on the solar cooker
theme. However, they typically fall into three basic designs or design
principles. These include:
* Concentrating sunlight. In this type
of device the sunlight is concentrated or focused by some type of
reflective metal or a mirror. The heat and energy from the sun then
becomes concentrated and much more intense.
* Converting light to
heat. In this type of design the solar cooker makes use of
heat-absorbing elements, like the color black, to amplify the cooking
process. One example would be to coat the inside of the cooker with
black paint or to use a black material to collect the sunlight and
convert it into heat. If you've ever worn a black shirt on a sunny day,
you know how effective this is.
* Finally, a third type of design
traps heat by using a clear device, like a lid, to keep the heat inside
and thus to use it to maximize cooking.
Of course, some designs
take advantage more than one of these solar cooking elements to really
maximize the sun's effects. A solar box cooker is one of the most basic
types of solar cookers and can be made at home with few resources or
technical skills.
Ingredients for a Solar Box Cooker
If you're going to make a solar box cooker at home (and why not!) then you'll need to collect a few things. They include:
*
Two cardboard boxes. One box should be larger than the other and
ideally the bigger the better because it's awfully difficult to make
much in a children's shoe box. There should also be about ½ inch of
space between the two boxes all the way around.
* One sheet of
cardboard for the lid. You'll want it to be several inches larger than
the top of your largest box. So for example if your box is 10X10 you'd
want your cardboard to be around 13x13.
* A roll of aluminum foil.
* Flat-black, non-toxic, spray paint or tempera paint.
* White glue, non-toxic.
*
A Reynolds oven cooking bag or a sheet of glass. The oven bags are
ideal because they're inexpensive, durable, and easy to find. They're
also designed to withstand 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
That's it;
that's your supply list. Solar box cooking can be a fun way for your
children to learn the amazing powers of the sun and to learn a bit about
solar energy. You can also take advantage of this wonderful device and
cook outdoors when the weather permits. You'll save energy and have fun
in the process.
From Solar Ovens to Solar Heated Water the options in today's
energy conscious world are enormous. Discover more about Solar Hot Water
Panels [http://www.squidoo.com/SolarHotWaterPanels]
I Just realized this morning, that it has been a while since I have shared a recipe. So here is a new one. Great for summer.
NEED:
Fold in the whipped topping.
Cover
unshelled seeds with salted water, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per two
quarts of water. Soak seeds in the salt solution overnight. Drain off
the water the next morning and pat the seeds dry to remove excess
moisture. (You can also roast the seeds unsalted, by simply skipping
the soaking process).
