a month ago
- The authors conducted a solar cooking experiment using an evacuated tube cooker during summer 2023 in the Salish Sea, where temperatures ranged from 12-32°C, and also in 5°C conditions.
- They prioritized cooking foods with long cooking times (e.g., brown rice, beans, potatoes, seitan, cake, bread) but adapted meals based on weather: full sun for full meals, sun with overcast for quick-cooking items, and no cooking on rainy/heavily overcast days.
- Planning involved checking forecasts, pre-soaking beans or pre-mixing dough for next-day cooking, with optimal cooking times in morning or early afternoon to avoid sun angle issues near the horizon.
- The cooker was placed on the boat's bow for stability, though obstacles like land obstructions, wind causing alignment issues, calm days requiring frequent re-adjustment, and shadows from sails or mast posed challenges.