Tapping the Sun for Cooking Fun

(Photograph by peter)
In the Kitchen

August 25, 2020

Amy Grisak

If you think there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to preparing family meals outdoors, it may be time to try solar cooking.

Harnessing the sun can take camp cooking to a new level.

The most important ingredient, of course, is the sun.

Solar cooking is not new. Pioneering meteorologist Horace Benedict de Saussure built the first successful solar oven in 1767.

Today, tapping the sun’s rays attracts people drawn to a simple way of cooking that requires no fossil fuels. There are no flames, meaning it is safe for youngsters, with no risk of burning down the forest.

Cooking options for harnessing with the sun come in four forms:

  • Panel cookers are simple three-sided boxes surrounded by reflective panels. The sunshine is focused on the cook pan.
  • Solar ovens are a fully enclosed black box with a lid and reflective panels. These ovens retain the heat better than the open panel cooker model, making it easier to maintain even cooking temperatures.
  • Parabolic cookers look like space-age satellite dishes. They cook hot and fast.

The newest option—evacuated glass tube cookers—are super-efficient and functional under somewhat cloudy skies.

Ready to Give it a Try?

The sun is often most ready to work for you between 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. You will want two to four hours of sunny skies. A few passing clouds are fine, but you don’t want the temperature inside the oven to drop below 155 F.

Preparing the oven can be as easy as clipping on the reflective panels, positioning it to face the sun, then waiting for it to reach 180 F, the minimum temperature at which most foods will cook effectively.

Anyone comfortable with slow cookers can step into solar oven cooking. It is as easy as putting your meats and vegetables together in a dark, metal pot—graniteware works great—and placing it in the solar oven.

Solar cooking has the advantage of not burning anything, even if you forget. As with using a slow cooker, food comes out tender and the flavors meld together.

Whether chicken, ribs, stews, chilis or lasagna, meals will come out delicious without too much effort from the chef.

One surprising aspect of solar ovens is how well they bake. Cookies can turn out a little crispy if you don’t pay attention, but cakes, fruit crumbles and bread bake well. When baking, the key is to preheat the oven a little hotter than the recipe calls for.

Some oven types cook faster than others. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendation on cooking times.

How Solar Cooking Works

Solar cooking is done by means of the sun’s UV rays. A solar cooker lets the UV light rays in, then converts them to longer infrared light rays that cannot escape. Infrared radiation has the right energy to make the water, fat and protein molecules in food vibrate vigorously and heat up.

For more information, go to science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/solar-cooking1.htm.

Fall-Off-the-Bone Camp Ribs

  • 2 slabs of baby back ribs (roughly 6 pounds), cut into 3- to 5-rib sections
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Dry rub
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix the dry rub ingredients and place in a sealed bag with the ribs. Keep cold until you are ready to cook.
Set up the solar oven in an open area and heat to at least 180 F. Place the ribs in two black enamel pots or a similar covered container. You can use a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan covered in foil. Once the solar oven has reached temperature, place the covered ribs inside. Keep an eye on the temperature to ensure it remains at 180 F or higher.
Allow the ribs to cook for an hour and a half to 2 hours. Open the solar cooker and take off the lids. Drain excess liquid before adding the barbecue sauce. Replace the lid and cook for another 1½ to 2 hours.
Serves 4

Hawaiian Chicken With Rice

  • 1½ to 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 cups sweet peppers,
  • finely chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion,
  • finely chopped
  • 1 can pineapple chunks, drained
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 cups water
  • Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
Heat the solar oven to at least 180 F. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey and ginger. Place the chicken, vegetables and pineapple in a second medium-sized, covered pan. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Stir thoroughly. Bake for an hour.
Add the rice and water to a medium-sized covered pan. Place in the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, until all water is absorbed. The chicken should be ready when the rice is done.
Serves 4 to 6

Camping Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • Frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
At home, mix all dry ingredients and seal them in a gallon-sized plastic bag. In a separate bag, mix the eggs, vanilla, applesauce and vegetable oil. Make sure this bag is sealed well so you don’t have a mess in your cooler. Place the grated carrots in a third bag and keep it in the cooler next to the wet ingredients. Make sure both the egg/vanilla/applesauce/oil mixture and the carrots remain chilled until you are ready to use them.
Prepare the frosting at home. Cream together the butter and cream cheese, then gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip well. Spoon this into a large plastic bag and keep
it in the cooler.
To bake, set the solar oven in an open, unobstructed area where the sun will reach it for hours. Once it reaches 200 F, you are ready to bake. Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan. A disposable aluminum pan will work.
In a medium-sized bowl, dump in the dry ingredients, add the wet ones and mix well. Add the carrots and stir. Pour the mix into the pan and set it inside the solar oven. Clip on the lid and attach the reflectors.
Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven. Once cooled, frost the cake by cutting off a bottom corner of the frosting bag and squeeze it over the top of the cake.
Serves 12

Amy Grisak