Simply Solar

Course Outline

(3 Hours)

I. Welcome

• Introductions

II. Course Objectives (By the end of the course participants will be able to:)

• Construct a simple solar oven
• Identify 3 resources for solar cooking
• Name  3 advantages and disadvantages of solar cooking
• Cook a simple solar dish

III. Introduction to Solar Cooking

• Advantages
  1. Energy free
  2. Sun's energy is safe, non-polluting and an abundant renewable source
  3. Keeps house cool during summer
  4. Nutritionally sound: Vitamins  and minerals retained in juices of meats and vegetables
  5. Cooking needs minimal monitoring
  6. Easy method of baking at camp

• Disadvantages
  1. Not a year-round proposition in many areas (mid-March to mid-October south of 40 degree parallel)
  2. Needs back up if weather does not cooperate
  3. Pasta tends to become soggy
  4. Crusts tend to be soggy
  5. Green vegetables tend to lose their color and quality

IV. Equipment Required

• Dark porcelain coated pans and small roasters are preferable
• Solar box oven OR Cardboard Box, heavy duty aluminum foil, duct tape, and oven roasting bags with ties

V. Recipes

• Prepare simple Quiche and place in cooker
• Cookbooks
  1. Solar Cooking Naturally by Virginia Heather Gurley, available from Sunlight Works, P.O. Box 3386, Sedona, AZ  86340
  2. Eleanor's Solar Cookbook by Eleanor Shimeall, available from Cemese Publishers, 7028 Leesburg Place, Stockton, CA  95207

VI. Cooking Tips

1. Use a cake rack under to pan to allow air to circulate and food to cook evenly
2. Bake bread and cakes mid-day (between 11:00am-3:00pm)
3. Preheat solar cooker before baking
4. Make sure you have emergency back-up cooking source
5. To maintain maximum heat in oven, re-position it every half hour
6. Make sure you use pot holders - oven cooks anywhere from 200-300 degrees depending on the intensity of the sun
7. Try your own recipes and cook twice as long as in conventional oven
8. Don't worry about overcooking - your food will not burn
9. Stirring is not necessary when cooking in the solar oven - removing the lid lets valuable heat escape
10. If you need to be gone during cooking time, position the oven to the estimated mid-point of its path during the time you will be gone

VII. Types of Solar Cookers

• Solar Box Oven
• Open Cardboard solar cooker (see instructions below)
• Pizza Box Solar Cooker
• Pringles can solar hot dog cooker
• Others

VIII. Construct Simple Cardboard Solar Cooker

1. Take square cardboard box, (approximately 18" square)
2. Cut in half on the diagonal
3. Tape box flaps (2, cut to fit) to diagonal cut using duct tape
4. Cover inside of box  and flap with heavy duty aluminum foil and secure with duct tape.
5. Cook in dark porcelain pot and place pot inside an oven roasting bag (turkey size).
6. Position cooker toward the sun and raise bottom flap to direct the most sun on the pot.

IX. Sample Solar Dish

X. Resources:

• Solar Cookers International  is a great resource for purchasing pots, cookbook, plans for solar cookers, and lots of other links on the subject
• Directions  for solar box oven construction are in the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, 1993, pg. 198 or Girl Scout Badges and Signs ,1990, pg.242

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