SOS To The Culinary Rescue

Great news, Dear Readers! On Friday I FINALLY received my solar cooker. I ordered it at the end of April. There has been lots of demand for this item lately and it has taken until now to get it.

I have been wanting a solar cooker for years. However, I could never convince my husband that they actually worked and that the meals they produced were edible and safe to eat. Of course, as a Frugal my first inclination was to build one myself (or have my husband do it). This never happened, however.

I wore him down finally, Folks. After much gentle persuasion (nagging) I finally convinced my husband that solar cookers really work. Think slow cooker.

I ordered the SOS Sport from the Solar Oven Society. I looked at other options, but after much thought I finally decided on this model. Here’s why: for $173.00 (price has since increased to $191.00, shipping included) I received everything I need to get started right away. The kit includes a roomy solar cooker, thermometer, 2 cooking pots, water pasteurizer indicator, reflector, cookbook, and instruction manual. I couldn’t find another option that included all this for the price.

I also liked the fact that every purchase made here in the States helps fund the Solar Oven Society’s charitable endeavors in underdeveloped nations. SOS provides a way to make cooking a lot easier in countries where people (women) have to spend a lot of their lives looking for scarce wood to put meals on the table for their families. Each of these cookers is made from 68 recycled 2-liter soda bottles. Cool.

Solar cookers are great for people like me who really aren’t that crazy about cooking. It’s a lot of fun to make a meal in a solar cooker. I actually look forward to it.

Of course, it’s early days yet. So far this is what I have cooked - corn bread, shortcake, a chocolate cake from a box mix (oh my gosh, this was good! See the picture.), chicken, frozen veggies, and sweet potato “french fries”. Everything has come out great, except for the sweet potato fries. These came out very soggy, and could only be salvaged with a session in the regular oven. I was expecting this, however, so I wasn’t too surprised. So now I know that the solar cooker is best for foods you wouldn’t normally expect to come out of your regular oven in a “crispy” state (like fish sticks, french fries, and “fried” chicken). Tomorrow I’m going to try my world-famous meat loaf. I can hardly wait.

There are lots of solar cooker-specific recipes on the web, plus the included cookbook gets you started. But I can see that it won’t be too difficult to adapt my favorites to this new style of cooking.

If you would like to try this but don’t want to shell out $191.00, here are instructions for a very easy to make solar cooker. The required materials are pretty simple, too. What I especially like about this one is that the lid is made from a plastic turkey-roaster bag (I know I have one or two of those floating around from Thanksgivings past) rather than glass. The glass lid was always the biggest impediment (for me) to making my own. I don’t happen to have any old windows sitting around, plus I was always worried I would somehow have a bad accident with the glass.

I have seen pretty elaborate homemade versions made from plywood, metal, and glass, but this version features cardboard boxes, which are cheap. I don’t know how sturdy this is but as long as it doesn’t get wet it would probably last a good long time.

The solar cooker is the perfect size for cooking for two. If you have a big family, and/or like to make big meals, you would probably need more than one to meet your needs. So being able to make them yourself with inexpensive, readily available materials is a distinct advantage.

If I really get going with solar cooking, I someday aspire to this version. The Tulsi-Hybrid Solar Oven has an electric backup for unexpected cloudy days. It’s expensive, however, but it does come with all the accessories. In the meantime, my husband has been very impressed by how well the solar cooker works. He now says he would consider making one for me that will accommodate a roaster pan big enough to cook a turkey. I think I’ll challenge myself to cook this year’s entire Thanksgiving Dinner in my solar cookers (if I have two or more by that time). Of course, the day must be sunny. Cold weather is ok, but the sun has to be shining!

Though the particular model I chose is expensive, the more I use it the less expensive it will get. There are “panel” type solar cookers commercially available that are much less expensive. I thought the more expensive box solar cooker would be more practical for my needs. Also, making your own from materials you have on hand is extremely cost effective for such a useful appliance. My kitchen oven happens to be electric, so every time I use my solar version, that saves a bit. And believe me folks, all those little bits do add up. A solar cooker is a great idea for frugal living.

So stay tuned, Dear Readers. I’ll be keeping you up-to-date with my solar cooking adventures as I expand my horizons beyond Sun Tea.