Arlene Wright-Correll

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How to cook with Solar Energy© 

By Arlene Correll

The extent of my solar cooking has always been sun tea.  However, upon being asked what I knew about solar cooking, I discovered the answer was nothing!  Here are the results of my research.

The results prove to me, and only for me that solar cooking is not my thing.  I can cook a lot faster. However, if I am ever lost in the desert or woods or out of necessity find I have the food, equipment and sun, but no gas or electric stove, I will not have to eat raw food.

Yet, for the more adventurous or hardy chefs or for those who live in countries with out electricity, etc, then this may be the way to go.

We live in a rapidly changing world. Technology has an ever-increasing influence on our everyday lives.  Life has become very “iffy” since 911 and who knows when some fanatic will drive us back to the dark ages. Hence any information is good to have on hand. Just remember it must be in your head or written down since you will not be able to pull it up on your computer if the lights go out!

The golden rule of solar cooking is: GET THE FOOD ON EARLY, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT OVERCOOKING.

One has to have certain types of days to do solar cooking.

GOOD:  Clear and sunny.  Oven will preheat to 275° - 300°F (130° - 145° Celsius.)

FAIR:  Hazy or partly cloudy.  Oven will preheat to 200° - 225°F (95° - 105° Celsius.)

• Expect oven temperature will drop when food is put in.  This is okay.  It means the heat is going into the cook pot.

BAD:  On a completely cloudy day one cannot cook with the sun.  If the clouds move in and completely block the sun while cooking, simply finish the cooking in a non-solar way.

If food partially cooks and then rests in incubation temperatures, pathogens may grow in 2 or 3 hours. Partially cooked food should be removed from the cooker as soon as feasible.

Cook all your food in black containers or pots.  Many spaghetti sauces come packed in 26 oz. canning jars. If you've converted one of these 'free' jars into a cooking jar (by painting it black) this will give you a good cooking jar.

Some foods are easy to cook some are harder.

Easy to Cook: (If started early, will be done on a fair day.)  Rice, whole grains, rolled grain flakes, cereals, most egg dishes, chops, ribs, fish and most poultry, puddings, crackers, cookies, brownies, fruits, green vegetables, shredded vegetables.

Medium to Cook:  (If started early, ready by noon on a good day or by evening on a fair day.)  Cornbread, gingerbread, medium-sized roasts, quick breads, yeast rolls and buns, soufflés, root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips, some beans such as lentils, black-eyed peas, black beans.

Difficult to Cook:  (If started early, ready for late lunch or dinner on a good day.)  Whole turkey, large roasts, stews and soup and bean pots (unless brought to a boil before placing in solar oven), most yeast breads and cakes, pre-soaked pinto beans, field peas, garbanzo beans, small navy beans, soybeans, kidney beans, red beans, yellow peas, dried peas, split green or brown peas.

You do not need to stir food while cooking. However, it’s OK to check the food if you quickly replace the lid.

Place the hard-to-cook or larger quantity items in the back of the cooker where they will receive more direct sun. When using several pots, place the easy-to-cook food in the front of the cooker.

The solar oven will be hot!  Use potholders when removing lids or pots.

To keep the food hot after the sun goes down, add several bricks or heavy stones when you begin cooking. To maximize heat retention, lower the reflective lid onto the glass, and cover the cooker with a blanket.

Leftovers are easily reheated in the solar cooker.

The Essenes, an early sect of Jews, gently heated wafers of ground sprouted grains on rocks heated by the desert sun. This was not cooking in the contemporary sense. The goal was not to overheat the wafers, but to heat them only to the point which did not kill the living enzymes in the grains. This created a food source that is extremely healthy for the human body.

parabolic or box model (SBC) or whether it's shaped as an oval or rectangle. These fundamental principles are directing the greatest possible amount of the sun's light rays to the food by means of reflection, converting these light waves to heat energy and effectively retaining this heat energy by insulating the cooker.

http://solarcooking.org/spasteur.htm

http://solarcooking.org/easylid.htm

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/radabaugh30.html

http://www.solarnow.org/pizzabx.htm  (This one shows you how to recycle your old pizza box into a solar oven!

http://www.sungravity.com/sunpan_overview.html

http://solarcooking.org/tire_eng.htm  (This one recycles old inner tubes into solar cookers)

http://solarcooking.org/Cookerbo.pdf  (requires Adobe Reader to obtain plans)

http://solarcooking.org/cookit.htm

http://solarcooking.org/spc.htm

http://solarcooking.org/newpanel.htm

http://solarcooking.org/funnel.htm

http://solarcooking.org/DSPC-Cooker.htm

http://solarcooking.org/nelpa.htm

http://solarcooking.org/windshield-cooker.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/80s/shobhapardeshi/ParvatiCooker.html

Parabolic Cookers                            

http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~hvirtane/clay.html

http://www.sunspot.org.uk/Prototypes.htm

http://www.sunspot.org.uk/ed/

http://solarcooking.org/DATS.htm

Other types of cookers

http://www.littlecolorado.org/solar.htm

http://members.efn.org/~apro/AT/atrocketpage.html

http://solarcooking.org/soda-bottle-pasteurizer.htm

The first known person to build a box to solar cook food was Horase de Saussure, a Swiss naturalist. He cooked fruits in a primitive solar box cooker that reached temperatures of 190°F. He was the grandfather of solar cooking.

nature of the previous war showed, in some ways for the first time, that we are a world community facing global problems that affect us all. 

The UN then sponsored studies and programs to introduce these cookers into cultures where the need was most apparent. These efforts proved mostly unsuccessful. In one study, 500 wooden solar cookers were given to a refugee camp. Three months later they had been chopped

The UN did note one success. In a northern Mexican community lacking fuel wood, they found that the cookers were still in use five years later. This showed that it was possible to get cookers out to people in need. 

The UN, in spite of this one success, concluded that solar cookers were not a viable option and typical of all bureaucratic agencies, all funding for solar cookers stopped.

Here are some guidelines for cooking a full meal is a main course (meat, fish, or poultry) plus rice, steamed vegetable or other side dish. We will assume that an average cooking time of two hours for the oven and one hour for the range is necessary to cook a full meal.

A main dish (meat, fish, or poultry) would thus be a partial meal and require only two hours cooking time for the oven.

A side dish

(something cooked on the range) would equal one hour cooking time. Cookies or a snack would require half-an-hour of oven time.

Most food, with the exception of cookies and open-faced cheese sandwiches, are cooked in containers with the lids on. The dark, porcelain-coated round and oval roasters are the best for most of the cooking and baking in the solar cooker. (The 9-inch round roaster makes a beautiful round loaf of bread). Be sure to use hot pads when removing the pots from the oven; the food will be hot!

We suggest your first attempt at solar cooking, should start with something easy such as chicken, hamburgers, rice, baked potatoes, zucchini, or a gingerbread mix.

Food such as roasts, stews, casseroles, poultry, potatoes, carrots, pot roasts and rice are almost impossible to overcook; therefore, the timing on the food is not critical.

Chicken will still be juicy and will fall off the bone when solar cooked four hours instead of the needed two hours. The major advantage of solar cooking is the flexibility in cooking times. You can remove the food any time after it is done.

In cooking fresh fish, you can judge when the fish is cooked thoroughly when juice begins to drop. If you cook fish on a rack, it is easy to see this change. Then check to see that the fish is cooked to the bone in the thickest part.

For best results, do not overcook the following food: green vegetables, cookies, cakes, and bread.

Recipes unearthed from my research or all the recipes I found “under the sun”  Please note I have tried none of these recipes in the solar cooking fashion. However, many of them sound really good and could be adaptable to modern day, conventional cooking methods.

Beverages

This is how I make our solar tea.

Solar Mint Tea                      

1 gallon water

several sprigs of freshly picked and washed mint

Crush the mint slightly before adding it to the water.  Leave in sun

Here is how they make solar tea in Tibet.

Solar Tea                   

1 gallon water

2 to 3 teaspoons loose tea or tea bags

Pour water into gallon jar.  Add tea into a tea ball and drop into a gallon jar. Place a lid onto the jar loosely (to allow more expansion while the jar heats) and place the jar on the cardboard sun reflector facing the sun.  Set tea

in sun all day and then cool it overnight outdoors (this keeps the tea from becoming bitter).Tip - using the black painted jar and sun reflector increases the amount of heat generated in the jar and prevents photochemical reactions from giving the tea an off flavor - which occurs when sunlight shines directly on the tea.

Casseroles                                                     

Easy Casserole

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of Bisquick

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 2 eggs

• 1 cups small curd cottage cheese

• 2 fresh tomatoes, sliced

• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Mix 1 1/2 cups Bisquick with water until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes.  Gently smooth dough into ball on floured cloth-covered board.  Knead 5 times, roll dough to fit bottom of 9-inch dark roaster pan.  Ease into pan.  Bake covered 1 hour, then add other ingredients.

Bake ground beef and onions, salt, pepper for one hour in dark round roaster; drain grease. Add 2 tablespoons Bisquick and Worcestershire sauce to the meat. Blend thoroughly, and then add the mixture to top of baked bottom crust.  Mix eggs with small curd cottage cheese, pour over beef mixture.  Arrange slices of tomatoes on top, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.  Cover and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Chili Pie                                                   

• 2 cans of chili

• 1 small can sliced olives

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 3/4 cup Bisquick

• 1 1/4 cup milk

• 3 eggs (beaten)

Broccoli Casserole                            

• 3 eggs

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 8 oz. cottage cheese

• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 packages chopped broccoli

In a dark round roaster, mix together eggs, cottage cheese, grated cheese, flour and slat.  Thaw broccoli, drain and mix into egg mixture.  Cover and bake 1 hour.  (may use 1 large or 2 small heads of fresh broccoli).

Fish Fillet Casserole                         

• Fish fillets

• Wheat germ

• Salt and pepper

• Lemon pepper

• Celery salt

• Green onions, chopped

• Butter

• Lemon juice

Zucchini Casserole                                                    

• 1 and 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 teaspoon garlic or seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
• (1) 10 1/2-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup instant rice
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Broccoli, cut in pieces
• Bread crumbs
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

Fried Eggs                 

Add some oil to a pan or saucepan, but not too much.  Carefully place the egg & season with salt. Place the pan or saucepan (without lead) on the solar cooker. Cover the pan with a plastic bag, in such a way that the egg can be seen (it is possible to cook 2 eggs at a time). Leave it under the sun until the white of the egg becomes really white. (If left longer the yoke will harden).  Cooking time: 30 minutes.

Of course we have all heard that old chestnut, “it was hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk.”

Spanish omelet                                  

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 can 8-oz. tomato sauce
• Spanish seasonings
• 5 eggs

Roast Turkey with Stuffing                          

• 1 turkey, 8 to 10 pounds

• 14 cups bread cubes

• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

• 1/4 cup minced parsley

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine

• 1 cup slivered almonds (optional)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauté onions and celery in butter.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Stuff turkey and place in black roasting pan;  cover.  Bake in solar oven for 6 to 8 hours (on a clear, sunny day).  Bird is done when interior temperature reaches 180°F on meat thermometer.

Cheddar Chicken                                          

• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 chicken breast halves, boned
• 1 to 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Parmesan cheese

Sweet and sour chicken                                            

1  15-oz. can sweet and sour sauce

1  8-oz. can pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained

1 chicken breast or 2 chicken legs

Pork Chops                                        

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 6 to 8 mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 4 pork chops

Swedish Meat balls                            

• 1 pound ham (ground)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh pork (ground)
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon flour

Pot Roast and vegetables                                         

2 to 3 pound chuck roast (1 1/2 to 2 inches thick)

3 to 4 carrots, cut in 3-inch lengths

3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch lengths

2 tablespoons water

1 package dry onion soup mix

Meat loaf                                                       

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 pound crackers, crumbled
• 1 package onion soup
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 slices of bacon (optional)

Solar Stew                                         

• 1 pound beef stew meat
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 6 to 8 ounces stewed tomatoes (or vegetable liquid or tomato juice)
• Seasoned flour
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 parsnip
• 1 green pepper
• fat for browning

30 second bean soup.

1 cup of mixed beans (7-bean, 10-bean etc. - frequently sold in bulk bins)

1 bouillon cube (chicken, beef, vegetable, etc.) or 1 teaspoon bouillon broth powder

The '30 seconds' refers to how long it takes to prepare this soup. If you are lazy you do not need to pre-soak the beans. Put beans and bouillon in 32 oz. black-painted mason jar. Fill jar with water to within 1 inch of neck line. Seal with black-painted ring and lid (oil the inside parts of the lid and ring first). Cooks in 2.5 to 8 hours depending on conditions, solar cooker type, etc.

60 second split pea and potato soup.

1 cup split peas (frequently sold in bulk bins)

1 bouillon cube (chicken, beef, vegetable, etc.) or 1 teaspoon bouillon broth powder

1/2 cup diced potato pieces

Put peas, potatoes, and bouillon in 32 oz. black-painted mason jar. Or, if using a 26 oz. jar, use only 3/4 cup of split peas.  Fill jar with water to within 1 inch of neck line. Seal with black-painted ring and lid (oil the inside parts of the lid and ring first). Cooks in 2.5 to 8 hours depending on conditions, solar cooker type, etc.

Roast Beef                                        

2 1/2 pounds top round roast

Garlic

1 can mushroom soup

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup celery, chopped

Pasta Dishes

Solar Oven Lasagna                         

1  32-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

1 pound ricotta cheese

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Parmesan cheese

8 oz. package of lasagna noodles

If ricotta cheese is unavailable, fat free cottage cheese can be substituted.

Zucchini                                 

Zucchini

Butter

Oregano

Garlic

Fresh corn with husks

1 tablespoon water

Mix Spring Vegetables

• 4 cups rye meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons molasses
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cracked wheat
• 1 tablespoon kelp powder
• 2 tablespoons oil

3 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 12-oz. can of beer, at room temperature

cheese slices

1 package yeast

2 cups water

4 1/2 cups white flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

• 3 bananas
• 4 apples
• Honey, to taste (or sugar)
• Lemon
• Water
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 whole cloves

1/4 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 stick pie crust mix

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2  1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup broken walnuts

Apples

Sugar, brown and white

Cinnamon

Do not peel apples.  Core.  Fill cavity with sugars.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Place in dark pan.  Cover and bake 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Pretzels                             

• 2 1/4 cups baking mix

• 2/3 cup milk

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 egg, beaten

• Salt

Roasted Nuts

Place nuts on a cookie sheet.  Bake uncovered.  Almonds need about an hour (they will scorch with longer cooking).  Peanuts can bake for 2 hours without scorching.

Granola                                              

• 6 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup almonds or walnuts (finely chopped or ground in blender)

• 2/3 cup honey

• 1 cup soy flour

• 1 cup powdered non-fat milk

• 1 cup wheat germ

• 1 cup salad oil

Who knows what the future will bring. Perhaps a major breakthrough will occur and easy and fast solar cooking will materialize.  Then we will look back on these primitive solar cooking equipment and laugh as we do when we see an old sci fi or Buck Rogers movie.  We compare those ideas to what we know that is done in outer space today.

 “Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… may your day be filled with….Peace, light and love, 

Arlene Correll    

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