Solar Cooking

[Pops]

Yesterday I started working on a solar cooker for my boat. I figure this will be a necessity for low cost cruising. I am taking an old power tool case and mounting my solar cooker in it. The case will give the cooker some rigidity and make it easier to fasten to the boat (bungees through the handles). It will also be easier to store as everything will fold into the case. Yesterday I made chicken with brown rice and veggies. It took a little over four hours on a sunny NC day. I should have taken a picture of the finished product but it smelled so good and I was really hungry, so it disappeared fast.

 

[Tim R.]

Mmmm, Ryobi chicken!

I would use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temp gets to at least 165°F which is the safe minimum temp for cooking chicken. Just because it is cooked does not mean you have killed all the nasties that could make you very ill. Check the USDA website for other meats.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I never thought that propane was expensive for what you get out of it. I use my stove and oven and I still have propane left in the tank after doing some two week cruises.

 

[Pops]

Tim, good eye on the brand of case. As a former pro cook, food temp and safety is always practiced (many of my friends will not cook around me because of my nagging). You make a most excellent point. Keeping food safety in mind is always important, but especially so when on a boat. Refrigeration is not always the best (after extensive research I have found that warm beer will not kill you), we are using stoves that, in some cases, provide fewer btu's than what we're used to at home, and dish washing is a pain (and not always done properly). Cruising isn't fun if you're sick.

 

[Pops]

"I never thought that propane was expensive for what you get out of it. I use my stove and oven and I still have propane left in the tank after doing some two week cruises"
BO I am trying to reduce all costs in cruising. I may shortly be out of work and am looking at cruising as a way to avoid becoming employed again. My alcohol stove may be very inexpensive to operate, but if I don't have to buy cooking alcohol, I can maybe buy some drinking alcohol (only danger is personality flare-up).

 

[Bad Obsession]

The one thing that I have a hard time grasping is why would you do this? Refrigeration is not always best but I keep ice in the icebox and it isn't that expensive. When it is hot outside I usually cook dinner on the grill to avoid having heat in the cabin or I will use the pressure cooker to cook things faster with less heat.

The thing is that you are cruising and cruising should be fun. If you are going to drink warm beer and cook things with a solar cooker why not just get a small open boat and sleep under a boom tent.

I am not blasting you at all and I hope that this doesn't sound rude, but I am really not understanding why you would go to the trouble of this. My thoughts is that cruising should be a fun adventure and cold beer, good friends, and nice meals are part of it.

 

[BrianW]

The Prankster IS having fun.... both off his boat and on board. He is enjoying the satisfaction of being self sufficient. I've often picked up a copy of the magazine, "Mother Earth News" and read about some gadget someone made to help them reduce their ecological "footprint" and thought to myself, "that's a LOT of trouble, why bother"? I later came to realize it's because they WANT to and they ENJOY it. That's good enough for me.

I'm certainly not blasting BO and others who question "why bother", I'm just explaining my road to understanding that different folks derive enjoyment from things that others may not completely understand. I have a power boat friend go sailing with me a while back. After a wonderful half-day sailing and being on the water, my power boater friend exclaimed, "that was a lot of work for covering only 10 miles". I simply shook my head and smiled. BrianW

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Unusual cooking methods

I've never tried this, but I've heard of RVers who put a pot roast complete with the veggies in one of the "oven bags" then wrap it in several layers of heavy duty foil and strap it to the engine block. After driving all day, dinner is ready when they park for the night.

Might be worth trying on a trawler cruising all day, but prob'ly wouldn't work too well on a sailboat unless you had to motor continuously for at least 6-8 hours.

 

[Pops]

BO, if I can cut many costs to nothing, it will mean extending my cruising kitty. Extending my kitty means more time to enjoy cruising, maybe indefinitely. I don't need to sleep under a boom tent as my boat has several very comfortable berths (H27). Solar cooking is fun and easy to do. It is not a hardship, you should give it a try. I have produced many fine meals enjoyed with good friends on the hard. The blending of flavors is great and people are fascinated by the process. I'm shooting for no or low cost, not low pleasure.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Oh....sorry. Just saw your second post. We were posting at the same time.

I understand what you are saying there because I am in the same boat...job hunting. Right now I am cussing this weather because I could be out sailing around if it was warmer. I actually figured it out and it is cheaper for me to stay on my boat then to be on land. I eat less, drink more water, and find things are just simpler.

 

[Ross]

Marinades help with food preservation but it does change the flavor and texture of the food. This chart indicates the energy available in sunlight per day per square meter. At 35 N. in January it looks like about 400 watts per square meter per hour average for the day and of course higher at mid day. capturing it and using it is a challange but slow cookers run on less.
http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/solar-insolation-levels/

 

[Pops]

I haven't seen that chart before Ross. Makes a lot of sense though, I have cooked chicken in 2 hours in the summer. What kind of temperatures are required for canning?

 

[Ross]

I haven't seen that chart before Ross. Makes a lot of sense though, I have cooked chicken in 2 hours in the summer. What kind of temperatures are required for canning?

Canning take a lot of heat to maintain 10 psi in the cooker for more than an hour. (240 degrees F.) Check this link for a good idea.
http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WKL&Product_Code=DHL2000

 

[Ross]

In you solar set up moist heat cooking will probably work best. That's what it looked like you had. A covered, black, cooking pot in a big plastic bag?
Canning would make sense in the the meat would be percooked and the rest of the meal will cook rather quickly. I find the turkey cans better than chicken because chickens are so tender to start with that an hour in a pressure cooker leaves them vunerable to too much stirring. I always drain the canned meat and cook with the stock and add the meat last. Potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and cabbage keep well on the boat. The first three at room temp and the green stuff in the ice box. (it is cooler in there even without ice)

Are you living single or do you need to consider food for two everyday?

 

[Pops]

Ross I think I need to start canning. I have the pressure cooker and it would be a great way to take meat, veggies, fruit, and other perishables on the boat without refrigeration. Friday is payday and I'll go buy some jars. It is just me, so I'll start with pints.

 

[Ross]

Ross I think I need to start canning. I have the pressure cooker and it would be a great way to take meat, veggies, fruit, and other perishables on the boat without refrigeration. Friday is payday and I'll go buy some jars. It is just me, so I'll start with pints.

Before you rush out to buy jars put in a request at "Freecycle". You have to join but it is free and you can probably get all you need free. Just have to buy the one time use lids. You only need a dozen of the bands.
I use a lot of half pints and quarter pints. Most fruits are canned in a boiling water bath rather than a pressure cooker all has to do the the acid levels. Stock(broth) is one of the essentials in my pantry.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

go to this site for details on the whole process. I mill ham and turkey (cooked) and put it up in 4 ounce jars to make cracker spreads. Just fix a deviled ham and pack it in the jars and process it as you would as a pint of meat. If you like chopped liver that also works well. With St. Patricks's day coming, corned beef will be in the stores and often times they over buy and then sell it cheap after March 17th.

 

[Pops]

Ross, thanks for the web site. I've got it bookmarked, I can't wait to start.

 

[Bad Obsession]

It would be cool to sail to a marina and find some odds and ends type of work and hang out there for a while and then move on to the next spot. Would be interesting to try in warmer weather. Come on Spring!!

 

[Ross]

It would be cool to sail to a marina and find some odds and ends type of work and hang out there for a while and then move on to the next spot. Would be interesting to try in warmer weather. Come on Spring!!

Bad O , I worked for a man who told me that when he was 13 years old he went to a local sawmill and told the owner that he needed do do some work. The man asked what he could do. And Sam said," I can do what I am told." He said the Man told him that is a good start and asked him to start the next day.

Anytime you need a little work all you need to do is ask almost anybody can find something for you at minimum wage. When we are living on our boats 40-50 dollars per day is significant. 50-75 dollars will buy all of the food I need for 2 weeks.

 

[Pops]

That is one of my ideas to keep my cruising kitty as long as possible. That and finishing the great American novel, I'm on page two lol. A friend of mind cruised the Bahamas every year doing fiberglass work. Unfortunately I have no special boating skills.