[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
SOL Cooker 3 of 3
-
Subject: SOL Cooker 3 of 3
-
From: sparks@helix.eskimo.com (Scott Parks)
-
Date: 13 May 94 22:06:56 -0800
-
Article: 21574 of sci.energy
-
Newsgroups: sci.energy
-
Organization: Helix: FidoNet<>Internet - Seattle (206)783-6368
-=> Note:
Forwarded (from: homepowr) by Scott Parks using timEd.
Originally from Don Kulha (1:125/7.0) to All.
Original dated: May 05 '94, 10:08
Oven Workshops
We had class three hours every afternoon. Although the women
were busy attending to the great amount of daily work, they
usually managed to spare three hours. They felt solar cooking
was important to learn. Since the majority of the women knew
nothing about carpentry, we started with the basics. We went
over all of the tools that we were going to use, and explained
some carpentry fundamentals.
Then we started building. First we divided into groups, and
built three ovens. When those ovens were done we built three
more. These went much faster than the first three. The
greatest pleasure came in building the last two ovens. Each
woman in the workshop had built two ovens already, and were
practically experts in the solar oven field. The three of us
hardly lifted a finger, and before we knew it the last two
ovens were built.
Then came the fun part. We asked each woman what colors they
preferred, and we showed up the next week with six gallons of
paint. We had a big painting party. Each participant painted her
own oven, and brought it home to finally use.
Solar Oven Success
We left Nueva Esperanza excited that the workshops went so
well, but slightly apprehensive, wondering if the ovens would
really get used. Using solar ovens does require a slight change
of customary cooking habits. We had heard horror stories of
ovens being used to store clothes and as tables. We also
encountered many skeptical internationalists who told us the
ovens would never replace people's normal cooking traditions.
We were ecstatic to prove them wrong!
A week later we showed up at Nueva Esperanza to do a follow
up check on the ovens. The visit was definitely encouraging and
inspiring. Not only were the women using their ovens every
day, but the ovens cooked with great success, reaching
temperatures of 300o F.
Solar Cooked Iguana?
We first visited Conchita, who had just taken perfectly cooked
rice out of her oven. She told us how she cooked beans,
potatoes and plantains, and was using her oven every day. Next
we visited Maria Juana, who had also just taken her rice out of
the oven, after only one hour of cooking. She gave us some
solar cooked bread she had made the day before. We visited
each woman, and heard stories of how they cooked beans,
bread, tea, chicken, pig and even iguana in their solar ovens.
Morena, who was cooking beans as we talked with her, said
that she now had much more time. She could put beans in the
oven in the morning and leave. When she came back at the end
of the day, they were cooked. She could go to school, and do
things which she never had time for before. The solar ovens
were a success.
Article Courtesy of and Copyright by Home Power Magazine
PO Box 520, Ashland OR 97520, Pub 6x/yr, $15 US, $20 Int.
Editorial 916.475.3179, Subs & Back Issues 916.475.0830
Note: This article is from an early issue; things change.
Online Archives: SOL-BBS 707.545.0746 & HP-BBS 707.822.8640
___ Squish v1.01
- Origin: Sonoma Online, HOMEPOWR Echo (707)545-0746-HST\V32b (1:125/7)