We left the house early to attend a training class at the Arizona Humane Society. We spent the morning learning how to take dogs out of their kennels, and how to assist people interested in adopting a pet. The sun spent the morning hiding behind the clouds.
After the class we went to Tour de Coops, a self guided tour of the valley's urban chicken coops. It was a lot of fun. We even met some other solar cooks. The sun, however, never showed its face. When we got home the potatoes were as raw as ever. I hope they enjoyed hanging out in the backyard.
My wife got me a Solar Oven (same type you use) for Christmas. Since I have yet to open it and use it (it is for Christmas, after all!), I have been looking on the Internet for recipies and ideas. I'm so excited about your blog. It will save me the expense, time, and frustration of recipes that don't work. And guess what? I'm here in Phoenix too (in the 85032 area code, NE Phx). When we break it out, I will come back and share my experiences with you. I'm so excited. But I do have a question too. We are a family of six - should we get a second solar oven? Thanks, DAvid ( HonakerDavid@hotmail.com ) Also, how cloudy (okay, two questions) is TOO cloudy to cook in a solar oven. Today, Sunday (the 6th of Dec) is very overcast and cold. Thanks again, DAvid
ReplyDeleteWelcome to solar cooking! I think one oven is fine. There are only two of us but most times we get multiple meals out of the main courses I cook. To accommodate larger pots you can remove the leveling tray and place a trivet on the bottom of the oven chamber to allow for air flow. And, while I use my Sun Oven every sunny day; I don't cook everything we eat in it. Most times the main course is solar cooked and everything else is not.
ReplyDeleteYou'll soon find out that Phoenix is the ideal place for solar cooking. As long as there is enough sun to cast a shadow you can use your Sun Oven. That's almost every day. If there is intermittent sun the cooking times will be longer, but you can still solar cook. During the winter months the window for cooking is shorter - between 10 a.m and 3 p.m. - but in summer you can cook almost all day.
Please come back to my blog when you start using your Sun Oven. I'd be happy to answer any questions that may come up.