How Does Solar Cooking Work?Solar cooking is done by means of the suns UV rays. A solar cooker lets the UV light rays in and 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. It is not the sun’s heat that cooks the food, nor is it the outside ambient temperature, though this can somewhat affect the rate or time required to cook, but rather it is the suns rays that are converted to heat energy that cook the food; and this heat energy is then retained by the pot and the food by the means of a covering or lid. This occurs in much the same way that a greenhouse retains heat or a car with its windows rolled up. An effective solar cooker will use the energy of the sun to heat a cooking vessel and efficiently retain the energy (heat) for maximum cooking effectiveness.
Solar Cooker Videos ...For maximum efficiency it is necessary to "track" the sun, or in other words adjust your solar cooker so that it is directly towards the sun in order to be able to better concentrate and absorb the suns rays. This does not mean that you must continually stand beside the solar cooker the whole cooking period.But it can mean adjusting the angle and direction every so often or every set period, such as every one to two hours. The more direct that the sun's rays are towards the food and cooking pot the greater the energy (heat) capacity will be from the sun's converted rays. Ideal cooking results when using a solar oven occur when the sun is bright and uninhibited or unimpeded by clouds, shadows etc. Cooking can be accomplished as well on days when the clouds are high and thin, but it may slow things down a bit, and one would be wise to start a little earlier than usual. Long, slow moderate solar cooking, such as with stew, chili, veggies etc. will do fine under less than bright skies if you allow more time. Baking on the other hand will take longer and the temperatures will not be as optimum as could be, thus resulting in mixed outcomes with your baked goods. tips and ideas on how to get the most out of your solar cooker
An SOS Sport Solar Oven with Reflector Panels
Return back to home page
|
