Use sunlight to heat a tasty treat with solar oven

Tag : Core Box

When you are preparing food, "You want to make sure you wash yourhands, that's No. 1. " "No. 2, make sure your food reaches 165 F; you will need athermometer to do that. If [liquid] is boiling, too, that will killeverything."
Mr. Pan also says if you are not going to serve the food withinfour hours of cooking, make sure to refrigerate food at 40 F orcooler.
Paige Phelps
BUILD A SOLAR OVEN
The sun is the source of most energy on Earth, including energyfrom wind and waves. Unlike the Earth, the sun is not a solid– instead, it is a huge ball of gas, composed mainly ofhydrogen. Every second, tons of hydrogen in the sun's core areconverted through nuclear fusion into helium. As the hydrogennuclei fuse to form helium molecules, huge amounts of energy arereleased. You can use this energy to heat a tasty treat with thissimple solar oven.
MATERIALS:
•Cardboard pizza box (the kind delivered pizza comes in)
•Box knife or scissors
•Aluminum foil
•Plastic wrap
•Black construction paper
•Stick or dowel
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Use a box knife or sharp scissors to cut a flap in the lid ofthe pizza box. Cut along three sides, leaving about an inch between the sides ofthe flap and the edges of the lid. Fold this flap so that it standsup when the box lid is closed. Cover the inner side of the flapwith aluminum foil so that the rays from the sun will be reflected.
2. Use clear plastic wrap to create an airtight window that allowssunlight to enter the box. Do this by opening the box and taping a double layer of plasticwrap over the opening you made when you cut the flap in the lid.Leave about an inch of plastic overlap around the sides and tapeeach side down securely.
3. Line the bottom of the box with aluminum foil, to reflect heat, and then cover the foil with black construction paper. (Blackabsorbs heat.)
4. Now your oven is ready to try out. Take it outside to a sunny spot and adjust the flap until the mostsunlight possible is reflected off the aluminum foil and onto theplastic-covered window. Use a stick or a dowel to prop the flap atthe right angle.
5. Your solar oven will reach about 200 F on a sunny day and will take longer to heat things than a conventional oven. Trymelting mozzarella cheese over toast with basil and tomatoes,warming leftovers for lunch, or experimenting with other foods.
SOURCE: Home Science Tools