How to Use a Solar Oven

With a few adjustments, you can use your own recipes to cook almost anything in a solar oven that you would in a conventional oven.

Things You'll Need

• Solar Oven
• Cast Iron Pots With Lid
• Oven Thermometers

Instructions

1. Place solar oven so reflector faces sun for maximum reflection.

2. Preheat oven for about 30 minutes. Use oven thermometer to check temperature.

3. Follow recipe as for conventional oven. You may need to adjust water amounts.

4. Place food into a dark, covered pot and place in oven.

5. Double conventional cook times. This, too, may need to be adjusted.

Tips & Warnings

• Cook vegetables and meat without added water for best results.

• Cook grains (oats, rice, wheat) about two hours with usual amount of water.

• Dried beans take three to five hours with usual amount of water.

• Baking in a solar oven is best done between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

• Roasting nuts and some cookies do not need to be covered.

• Avoid recipes such as pies with a bottom crust - they get soggy.

• Avoid opening solar oven too much to check food - this causes loss of heat.