Fireless Cooker
This is a technique that I learned about at a training in Kenya, but it isn't something new. I've also heard of haybox cookers and this is pretty much the same idea, but not using hay. Or a box. Anyway, it isn't technically "fireless" because you have to cook the food for a short time before putting it into the fireless cooker, but it does greatly reduce cooking time and therefore saves on fuel.
I tried it out with chickpeas because although it sounds amazing, I didn't want to advertise it to other people without trying it out myself first. So, here is how it works. Take a big basket/box/container and fill it with a thick layer of insulation (mine was about 5 inches thick). I used crumpled up paper that I pressed into the basket very firmly. Then I added some towels and sheets. You could use old clothes, cushions, hay, etc. I left an opening just the size of the pot I was going to cook with. Like so:
I soaked the chickpeas in water overnight and then in the morning brought them to a boil and cooked them for 10 minutes. Then, I covered the pot and put it into the basket.
I covered it with more blankets and left it for four hours.
When I opened it up, the chickpeas were fully cooked! And still quite hot.
So then I tried out rice. With the rice, I brought it to a boil, let it simmer for 5 minutes, then put it in the fireless cooker for 2 hours. It should be able to cook in 1-1.5 hours, but supper was 2 hours from when I put it in, so I just left it to keep it hot.
It was pretty amazing!
I tried it out with chickpeas because although it sounds amazing, I didn't want to advertise it to other people without trying it out myself first. So, here is how it works. Take a big basket/box/container and fill it with a thick layer of insulation (mine was about 5 inches thick). I used crumpled up paper that I pressed into the basket very firmly. Then I added some towels and sheets. You could use old clothes, cushions, hay, etc. I left an opening just the size of the pot I was going to cook with. Like so:
I soaked the chickpeas in water overnight and then in the morning brought them to a boil and cooked them for 10 minutes. Then, I covered the pot and put it into the basket.
I covered it with more blankets and left it for four hours.
When I opened it up, the chickpeas were fully cooked! And still quite hot.
So then I tried out rice. With the rice, I brought it to a boil, let it simmer for 5 minutes, then put it in the fireless cooker for 2 hours. It should be able to cook in 1-1.5 hours, but supper was 2 hours from when I put it in, so I just left it to keep it hot.
It was pretty amazing!
Comments
Post a Comment