7 Tips for Solar Cooking

7 Tips for Solar Cooking

Cooking with the sun inside of a tube?

That's right! With years of solar cooking under our belts, we've picked up some best practices that will make your solar cooking adventures even more enjoyable and delicious:

 

With the right equipment, solar cooking is fast, easy, safe, requires no fuel, and can cook any recipe that requires a conventional stove or oven. Read below to find tips on how to get the most out of solar cooking.

Shop GoSun's Solar Cookers ➞ First, a bit about which technology we recommend.

Cooking with the sun inside of a tube?

That's right! With years of solar cooking under our belts, GoSun has picked up some best practices that will make your solar cooking adventures even more enjoyable and delicious:

 

1. Go on an Adventure While Cooking  
Solar Cooker GoSun Sport Snowboarding

 

2. Set A Timer

Treat the stove like an oven. Perhaps the most common mistake made by new GoSun users is underestimating how quickly food can cook on a sunny day. To prevent petrifying your potatoes, set a timer or just ask Siri to remind you. 

GoSun Stop Watch 

 

3. Line the Tray for Easy Cleanup

Tray liners are a great way of limiting mess and quickly transitioning from one dish to the next. There are a few techniques you can use depending on your culinary preferences. 

 

  • Parchment Paper:  Just fold the paper ends, like a canoe, and place into the tray. 4 in x 20in (10cm x 51cm) strips work perfectly. Make sure to leave ears on both ends to grab for easy extraction.
  • Silicone Mini Trays:  This recent discovery from the GoSun Community Kitchen not only saves cleanup but leaves your food looking picturesque afterward! (See above for an example.) Grab yourself a set here.

  

4. Use The My Radar App to Track Cloud Cover 

Solar cooking doesn't have to be a guessing game. When conditions are unsure, we use the MyRadar app, a production of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). MyRadar Solar Cooking App
To check approaching cloud cover, just turn on the "Clouds" layer and turn it to full opacity in the App's settings. Easy, free and ultra-effective!
Download it here: iTunes / Android
 
5. Pre-Prep in a Bag for Easy Cooking On The Go
GoSun Sport Solar Cooking Bag
Keep the mess at home and maximize your food's flavor by combining all your ingredients beforehand. This works best for dishes that cook evenly. To balance out the cooking time, cut the longer cooking ingredients into smaller pieces.     

 

6. Vent Moisture to Cook Crispy Dishes

Looking to get a good crust on your baguette? Here's the secret: once the bread has fully risen, open the tray and let out the moisture for a few seconds. Then continue cooking with the tray cracked open for another 5 minutes or until crunchy. 

GoSun Grill Solar Oven Bread

The same technique can be used for meat with the GoSun Grill's drip tray, to get a more crispy texture on those chicken wings. This will lead to the right consistency for any of your solar cooking dishes.

 

7. Get Inspiration From the GoSun Recipe Blog and Community Kitchen Facebook Page

It's fun to experiment, but even Picasso needed some inspiration! Visit the GoSun Recipe Blog to explore our latest creations, such as our Solaricious Salmon Bake in a Butter Rub or our healthy and hearty Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf.

Solar Cooking with the GoSun Sport

Have questions or ideas about solar cooking? Jump onto the 3,500 member strong GoSun Community Kitchen Facebook Page and join the discussion! 

 

This blog post is part of our larger informational resource on cooking with the sun. For a comprehensive blog post on this topic, please click here: The Ultimate Solar Cooker Guide: How to Prepare Food With the Sun.

 
GoSun Sport- Easy, Delicious, Fuel-Free