Melting cheese on a tortilla in a pizza box solar oven demonstrates how impactful simple science tools can be at home, even for cooking. Our experiment took 45 minutes to melt the cheese and soften the tortilla, reaching an internal temperature of 125° F. This highlights the power of harnessing solar energy with readily available materials.
Pre-cooked food, leftovers, or canned soup heat up much faster in a solar oven. Solid food placed in a glass dish and liquids in a heavy-duty plastic zip lock bag work best. Pre-heating the oven in direct sunlight for an hour also improves cooking times.
Consider these solar oven recipes: baked potatoes, rice with vegetables, chocolate fondue, s’mores, and roasted apples with cinnamon and sugar. Slow cooking is possible even on partly cloudy days with sufficient sunlight.
Here are tips for successful solar cooking:
- Stir and Rotate: Stir liquids (fondue, rice, soup) every 10 minutes. Rotate solid foods every 10-15 minutes for even cooking.
- Reposition for Sunlight: Ensure the oven consistently faces direct sunlight by repositioning it as needed. Regularly check its position.
- Maximize Reflection: Confirm the foil-covered flap reflects sunlight into the box through the plastic-covered window. This maximizes the oven’s efficiency.
Expanding on solar energy applications, explore building a solar purifier. This project provides hands-on experience with water purification using solar power.
For more engaging science projects utilizing solar and alternative energy, explore readily available kits that provide materials and instructions. These kits offer a convenient way to delve deeper into renewable energy concepts.
