Experience the Benefits of Solar Cooking

Ever thought about solar cooking? You can actually cook your food just with the light and heat of the sun. No fire or stove is required. It does take some time, but if you plan in advance, solar cooking can be a lot of fun. It's particularly good on camping trips when you don't want to deal with a fire. People have made solar cookers out of materials as simple as a cardboard box and aluminum foil, or created complicated permanent cookers. Solar cooking has even been done in the snow!

Unlike most solar technology, which collects power in photovoltaic cells, then transfers it to batteries, solar cooking is a passive application of the sun's power. This means that heat and light are trapped by the design of the cooker itself, instead of being used to provide electrical power for another device. Passive solar design is used in a lot of other applications too, such as providing comfortable home environments and keeping pools warm.

If you've ever spent much time in an enclosed car waiting for someone, you'll know that heat from the sun can build up fast. Solar cookers are designed to take advantage of this tendency. At their simplest, they're just an enclosed dark box with reflective surfaces inside. These boxes heat up, and whatever is inside them is cooked. You can cook anything from vegetables to bread in a solar cooker that's been properly designed. All you need is exposure to sunlight.

It's also possible to purchase commercial devices for solar cooking. In these cases, you don't have to do any building – the solar cooker comes premade. These cookers are designed to be well insulated, difficult to tip, and sturdy. Some are even designed to be used in two different positions to allow cooking in both winter and summer. So, whenever you'd like to use the power of the sun to cook, you can.

Solar cooking is being used in developing countries where fuel is scarce. It allows people to eat a delicious meal without having to worry about fuel for a fire or electrical appliances. Solar ovens can also help with food storage, since they provide temperatures ideal for canning acidic foods. If you're going to use solar cookers for this kind of storage, be sure to look up the canning times for what you're preserving, and monitor the temperature in your solar cooker.

If clouds and wind appear while you're using solar cooking, the meal isn't lost. If the oven has already heated up, the heat will stay inside. Just throw a blanket over the cooker to help it retain heat until the sun comes back out. It might take a little longer for food the be ready, but you'll still get to enjoy great solar cooking.