solar cooking

[Guest guest]

Hello to all of you:

I already knew, like everybody else, how sun heat was used to dry

food, but I was quite ignorant of the possibilities of cooking in the

sun, the so-called solar cooking.

I've found this site <<http://www.solarcooking.org>> by looking at

the profile of a member of this list. (Well, sometimes I do that, you

know, I run into people´s profiles, because first I'm incorrigibly

curious about people in general and then I'm in search of identities.

There's no predatory intention on my part, you know.)

I've found the idea of solar cooking very appealing, maybe because in

the first place I live in a sunny country. I think Deanna in

particular will like it, if she doesn't practise it already. Those

who think raw is best may also consider solar cooking as an

alternative. Well, I hope you'll all enjoy the site somehow.

And thanks to that member for making this info available to the

group.

José

[Guest guest]

José-,

>I've found the idea of solar cooking very appealing, maybe because in

>the first place I live in a sunny country. I think Deanna in

>particular will like it, if she doesn't practise it already. Those

>who think raw is best may also consider solar cooking as an

>alternative. Well, I hope you'll all enjoy the site somehow.

>

>And thanks to that member for making this info available to the

>group.

>

Isn't that a great site? Yes, I am keen on this sort of thing, though

we have drug our heels making one yet. It has year round possibilities

in my neck of the woods. We like the tracking one best.

Have you seen the flip side? The cooling applications. Long excerpt

follows between the lines.

------------------------------------

http://solarcooking.org/funnel.htm

How to Use the Solar Funnel as a Refrigerator/Cooler

A university student ( Winterton) and I were the first to

demonstrate that the BYU Solar Funnel Cooker can be used - at night - as

a refrigerator. Here is how this is done.

The Solar Funnel Cooker is set-up just as you would during sun-light

hours, with two exceptions:

1. The funnel is directed at the dark night sky. It should not " see " any

buildings or even trees. (The thermal radiation from walls, trees, or

even clouds will diminish the cooling effect.).

2. It helps to place 2 (two) bags around the jar instead of just one,

with air spaces between the bags and between the inner bag and the jar.

HDPE and ordinary polyethylene bags work well, since polyethylene is

nearly transparent to infrared radiation, allowing it to escape into the

" heat sink " of the dark sky.

During the day, the sun's rays are reflected onto the cooking vessel

which becomes hot quickly. At night, heat from the vessel is radiated

outward, towards empty space, which is very cold indeed (a " heat sink " ).

As a result, the cooking vessel now becomes a small refrigerator. We

routinely achieve cooling of about 20º F (10º C) below ambient air

temperature using this remarkably simple scheme.

In September 1999, we placed two funnels out in the evening, with

double-bagged jars inside. One jar was on a block of wood and the other

was suspended in the funnel using fishing line. The temperature that

evening (in Provo, Utah) was 78º F. Using a Radio Shack indoor/outdoor

thermometer, a BYU student (Colter son) measured the temperature

inside the funnel and outside in the open air. He found that the

temperature of the air inside the funnel dropped quickly by about 15

degrees, as its heat was radiated upwards in the clear sky. That night,

the minimum outdoor air temperature measured was 47.5 degrees - but the

water in both jars had ICE. I invite others to try this, and please let

me know if you get ice at 55 or even 60 degrees outside air temperature

(minimum at night). A black PVC container may work even better than a

black-painted jar, since PVC is a good infrared radiator - these matters

are still being studied.

I would like to see the " Funnel Refrigerator " tried in desert climates,

especially where freezing temperatures are rarely reached. It should be

possible in this way to cheaply make ice for Hutus in Rwanda and for

aborigines in Australia, without using any electricity or other modern

" tricks. " We are in effect bringing some of the cold of space to a

little corner on earth. Please let me know how this works for you.

-------------------------

I am also researching stirling engine applications for consumer use. I

presently do software and 8051 microcontroller design and am also very

interested in getting some reasonably priced designs for alternative

energies with peak world oil production knocking at our door. I realize

you do/did civil engineering, but surely you may remember the Carnot

cycle in physics? Check this out:

http://stirlingenergy.com/whatisastirlingengine.htm

" Today, Stirling engines are used in some very specialized applications,

like in submarines or auxiliary power generators, where quiet operation

is important. Stirling engines are unique heat engines because their

theoretical efficiency is nearly equal to their theoretical maximum

efficiency, known as the Carnot Cycle efficiency. Stirling engines are

powered by the expansion of a gas when heated, followed by the

compression of the gas when cooled. The Stirling engine contains a fixed

amount of gas which is transferred back and forth between a " cold " and

and a " hot " end. The " displacer piston " moves the gas between the two

ends and the " power piston " changes the internal volume as the gas

expands and contracts. "

Cheer to you, voyeur!

Deanna

[Guest guest]

> -----Original Message-----

> From:

> [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

> - s Barbosa

>

> Those who think raw is best may also consider solar

> cooking as an alternative.

I wouldn't recommend it. Food heated to high temperatures is cooked, and

whether the heat comes from reflected sunlight, from burning gas, or from

electricity run through resistors is of little importance, nutritionally

speaking.

[Guest guest]

Good morning:

Oh, at first I was a little disappointed to read this [´s

post]. It felt like cold water being poured on. Not that it was his

intention. But then I woke up. In fact, it makes no sense to promote

even solar cooking among rawfoodists. Even if it offers a lot of well-

known advantages and benefits, it simply boils down to cooking, and

usually in the mind of a rawfoodist cooking a food equals damaging a

food. So, I should have known better than having suggested it in the

first place.

I don't know if himself is a rawfoodist. It seems he could be

one, though maybe he is simply expressing his impartial opinion.

But yes, I guess that for the folks on the other end, solar cooking

could be a healthier option. I'm not saying this from my own

experience with solar cooking (which is null for the time being), but

from a few miscellaneous impressions and received information, such

as:

1. cooking with firewood, as they still do in some parts of the

country, makes for a tastier food. Therefore, the medium matters, at

least in terms of taste.

2. microwaving cooking is practical, but probably hazardous to

one's health. This has been advertised to death.

3. slow cooking (and solar cooking is slow) preserves the

qualities of the food being cooked better than quicker methods.

Moreover, it seems that in solar cooking, the very high temperature

is not attained.

Well, let's hear what the knowledgeable have to say. In any case, I

apologize to the rawfoodists for my blunder.

José

[JC]

> > Those who think raw is best may also consider solar

> > cooking as an alternative.

--- In , " Berg " <bberg@c...>

wrote:

> I wouldn't recommend it. Food heated to high temperatures is

cooked, and

> whether the heat comes from reflected sunlight, from burning gas,

or from

> electricity run through resistors is of little importance,

nutritionally

> speaking.

>

>

[Guest guest]

> Good morning:

> 1. cooking with firewood, as they still do in some parts of the

> country, makes for a tastier food. Therefore, the medium matters, at

> least in terms of taste.

> 2. microwaving cooking is practical, but probably hazardous to

> one's health. This has been advertised to death.

> 3. slow cooking (and solar cooking is slow) preserves the

> qualities of the food being cooked better than quicker methods.

> Moreover, it seems that in solar cooking, the very high temperature

> is not attained.

Thx -. I had to laff a bit when I saw the post because of

just that - I thot most folks in these here parts were mostly raw-

foodies.

1. The thing about firewood, in some parts of the world, is that it is

so scarce. African women are known to hike 25 miles a day to get it.

Solar ovens were a huge benefit to these women and their families.

Solar ovens can be used to pateurise water in areas where the water is

dirty. The large commercial Village Oven is used in some communities

as a source of income in a bakery format. One Villager Oven can bake

40 loaves of bread at once, in under an hour. Thissmall business is

critical to the survival of the people.

Of course, it is a whole other argument as to whether or not the wheat

is any good for them - it is what they have now and people are

starving.

2. Some say that microwaves destroy the DNA more thoroughly than any

other form of cooking. Cooking destroys the DNA too, but not in an

instant and not as thoroughly. Mcrowaves leak. I used to have a good

one, and yet it still interfered with my satellite TV reception.

3. Solar ovens come to temperature all at once - in that the FOOD

comes to temp all at once. There are not " hot spots " and food will

never burn, creating carcinogens. Food will dry out, but rarely burn.

SOME types of ovens can actually fry food so I guess never isn't the

right word, but you get my drift.

If I bake a cake or a bread (I know I know...) it will rise higher and

fluffier because of the even heating effect. Solar cooking isn't

necessarily " slower " because a 350 degree F oven is still 350 degress,

but the way food is heated seems to improve nutritional recovery and

certainly, flavor.

Also, you don't have to build an oven, you can buy a really nice one

from the good folks at SUN OVEN (not connected in any way). They cost

around $250 and can be used to carry cold foods as well as cook that

food, while camping. The commercial ovens are very stable and reach as

well as maintain even temps. I use mine around 350 degrees F most of

the time. My oven can get up to about 425 but I have no need for that

temp. I am also lazy and don't want to shift the oven a few degrees

every half hour or so to maintain those temps.

One adjusts the temp in a solar oven by unfocusing the refelectors or

skewing away from the direct line of sunlight or by maintaining a

clear direct focus of sunlight onto the reflectors.

For me, my solar ovens are a life saver. I live in a tiny cement box

in the desert and it is VERY DIFFICULT for my house to stay cool. It

is always 81+ degrees inside and in the summer, to cook inside is

suicide. I can cook outside, for free and it tastes great. Admittedly

I am not cooking so much anymore tho <G>

Cheers,

*S*

[Guest guest]

,

>

>I wouldn't recommend it. Food heated to high temperatures is cooked, and

>whether the heat comes from reflected sunlight, from burning gas, or from

>electricity run through resistors is of little importance, nutritionally

>speaking.

>

But what about sun dried meat and fruits? That's a method that's worked

forever. UV rays do kill off a lot of stuff. But then, when I was

eating a high raw vegan diet, I would get food poisoning every so

often. Some things are better cooked, and we have been cooking for a

long long time. Right now I could put food out on the patio (covered on

two sides by brick house) and it would cook to high temperatures with

the sun in no time flat.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue:

Thanks for the considerations on solar cooking. You know, at the risk

of incurring a little digression, I'd like to ask you to focus on

this, I mean, on the destruction of the DNA by cooking. How serious

is that? How to minimize the evil? Can't the benefits of *wise*

cooking outweigh the DNA destruction?

In your opinion, can the human being re-adapt to an all-raw food diet

permanently and not miss the stimuli of cooking and not feel alien to

his cultural entourage, so to say?

To what extent has cooking given man the face he shows or the cortex

he uses?

I'm not expecting an easy answer.

> 2. Some say that microwaves destroy the DNA more thoroughly than

any

> other form of cooking. Cooking destroys the DNA too, but not in an

> instant and not as thoroughly....

> *S*

[Guest guest]

> >

>But what about sun dried meat and fruits? That's a method that's worked

>forever. UV rays do kill off a lot of stuff. But then, when I was

>eating a high raw vegan diet, I would get food poisoning every so

>often.

Deanna:

I would dearly love to have a solar food dryer! There was

one for sale on the net for making biltong. It rains a lot

here, and the flies get all over what you are drying anyway,

so a box, open to UV but not to flies or rain, makes a lot of

sense!

Also I love low heat cooking, but it takes a lot of fuel (electric

or propane, either one). Cooking with the sun just makes sense.

I'm not sure it would work here for much of the year, but in the

summer our car gets hot enough I'd guess it would cook ...

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

>Also I love low heat cooking, but it takes a lot of fuel (electric

>or propane, either one). Cooking with the sun just makes sense.

>I'm not sure it would work here for much of the year, but in the

>summer our car gets hot enough I'd guess it would cook ...

>

Yeah, the great north wet. But you might try that ... Yes, I can see

it now!

Heidi's Car Cooker

- It costs too much to drive, so hang some meat, roll up the windows,

and listen to some Elvis

ROFL! I can't wait until you produce the pdf with photos of *that*

operation.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Deanna:

>Heidi's Car Cooker

>- It costs too much to drive, so hang some meat, roll up the windows,

>and listen to some Elvis

Great use for all those gas guzzlers when

the gas gets too pricy!

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

> Heidi's Car Cooker

What?! You've never seen Manifold Destiny??

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/manifolddestiny

Lynn S.

------

Lynn Siprelle * web developer, writer, mama, fiber junky

http://www.siprelle.com * http://www.thenewhomemaker.com

http://www.deanspeaksforme.com * http://www.knitting911.net

[Guest guest]

Lynn,

>>Heidi's Car Cooker

>>

>>

>

>What?! You've never seen Manifold Destiny??

>

Nope. But my we are ripe for some of that! Hee hee.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

> -----Original Message-----

> From:

> [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Deanna Wagner

>

> ,

> >I wouldn't recommend it. Food heated to high temperatures is cooked,

> >and whether the heat comes from reflected sunlight, from

> burning gas,

> >or from electricity run through resistors is of little importance,

> >nutritionally speaking.

> >

> But what about sun dried meat and fruits? That's a method

> that's worked forever. UV rays do kill off a lot of stuff.

Well...that's drying, not cooking. The food is heated enough to speed up

evaporation, but (presumably) not enough to cause the protein denaturation

that characterizes cooking. I'm not sure what you mean about UV rays killing

a lot of stuff. You mean nutrients, or pathogens? Actually, even if I did

know what you meant, I don't know enough to make an informed comment on

either topic.

[Guest guest]

:

May I ask you: are you a rawfoodist? Or at least a raw foods

enthusiast?

If you've been following an all-raw diet for some time, can you tell

what improvements you have noticed in your health since then? And

what main difficulties have you experienced?

Can you elaborate on the protein denaturation so many rawfoodists are

talking about?

Thanks.

JC

> > -----Original Message-----

> > From:

> > [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Deanna

Wagner

> >

> > ,

> > >I wouldn't recommend it. Food heated to high temperatures is

cooked,

> > >and whether the heat comes from reflected sunlight, from

> > burning gas,

> > >or from electricity run through resistors is of little

importance,

> > >nutritionally speaking.

> > >

> > But what about sun dried meat and fruits? That's a method

> > that's worked forever. UV rays do kill off a lot of stuff.

>

> Well...that's drying, not cooking. The food is heated enough to

speed up

> evaporation, but (presumably) not enough to cause the protein

denaturation

> that characterizes cooking. I'm not sure what you mean about UV

rays killing

> a lot of stuff. You mean nutrients, or pathogens? Actually, even if

I did

> know what you meant, I don't know enough to make an informed

comment on

> either topic.

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

>Well...that's drying, not cooking. The food is heated enough to speed up

>evaporation, but (presumably) not enough to cause the protein denaturation

>that characterizes cooking. I'm not sure what you mean about UV rays killing

>a lot of stuff. You mean nutrients, or pathogens? Actually, even if I did

>know what you meant, I don't know enough to make an informed comment on

>either topic.

>

Yes, I guess it is more of a natural dehydration process. The good news

is the nutrients are probably better preserved, especially protein as

you say. UV radiation destroys/inhibits microbial growth, which in the

case of hanging out meat would probably be nasty critters. You could

find reference to it on the web if you wanted more information.

I have been wanting to make some beef or turkey jerky in the sun, but

the hassle of making a fly-proof covering has always turned me off to

it. And I have cringed at the thought of doing it in batches in my

little Excalibur dehydrator. Heidi's car idea is actually pretty

ideal. I have a Park Avenue and an old Subaru wagon. When I try it

this weekend, it will be in the latter and I'll make sure I take

pictures of the whole affair. Why not? All I have to do is point the

back window towards the sun and rig some sort of hanging mechanism for

the meat. I'll partition the wagon off from the seats with a sunshade.

I won't seal it up or anything, as I will want venting. The windows

I'll leave cracked or fully opened with a screen partition for pest

control. Maybe I'll run a small fan from the cigarette lighter or

something. I'll make sure the car is good and clean first.

Today we'll put the temperature sensor in and see what we get under

various conditions. It should be 100 outside for the next several

days. Maybe I'll even jack it up in the rear some for a better angle to

the sun. What fun!

Please send in comments and suggestions y'all Since I have never made

jerky yet, I don't know the lowdown.

Some questions.

1. I have frozen pastured, organic beef in various cuts. I have big

roasts and round steaks that are all pounded and thinly sliced (Swiss

steaks?). Does it matter which cut I use in terms of possible

pathogens? Is having it frozen for several weeks and marinating it in

lf liquid or wine of some sort for a day or two enough basically?

2. My Excalibur says 145 degrees F for jerky. Heidi's Jerky file says

110 and then lower. What temperature should I go with in the sun? I

can always adjust it down by ventilation.

Thanks for any advice. I assume all risk, just like I do everyday in my

kitchen. :-D

Deanna

[Guest guest]

1. I have frozen pastured, organic beef in various cuts. I have big

>roasts and round steaks that are all pounded and thinly sliced (Swiss

>steaks?). Does it matter which cut I use in terms of possible

>pathogens? Is having it frozen for several weeks and marinating it in

>lf liquid or wine of some sort for a day or two enough basically?

I handle the pathogen issue by marinating it in kefir or kimchi juice

(see the writup under " Jerky " in the files section). Both kefir and kimchi

are highly anti-bad-bacteria and I think kefir was used experimentally

on beef carcasses to kill e-coli. They also tenderize the meat nicely!

I mix them with garlic granules, salt, pepper, and marinate for a day or

a week until I get around to drying. (but you seem to have read the

writup so you know that already ... )

The spices used for, say, biltong, were part of what killed the

pathogens. I learned this from a person who grew up on biltong

in S. Africa, who is now a doctor. They rolled the meat in salt and

coriander, which is probably enough to kill the nasties, and hung

it in their garage (so, no sun!). They ignored the fact flies landed

on it. Some studies have been done on jerky though, and dipping it

in hot vinegar is enough to kill any surface nasties too. There is a

writup on this on the web somewhere.

I use the round roasts from our beef, because they are easy to slice

and don't have gristle. I don't mind gristle and fat, but they gross

out some in my " audience " . Also round roasts aren't very interesting

for anything else.

>2. My Excalibur says 145 degrees F for jerky. Heidi's Jerky file says

>110 and then lower. What temperature should I go with in the sun? I

>can always adjust it down by ventilation.

The temp matters mainly for *time* ... how long do you want to wait?

Ventilation is important too though. One problem with the car idea is

that if the moist air doesn't leave fast enough, it will just sit there in

moist air, which isn't good at all (it would probably mold eventually).

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I don't know.

For me, cooking is as much a hobby/fun thing to do as it is

something I do to survive.

I suspect people can get by just fine doing only raw, but what's the

fun in that?

Personally, I believe that the preparation and presentation of food

has as much to do with health as the food itself. It's an energy

thing, it is love.

Near the end of every month as I have less funds available to me, I

don't eat as well as I do in the beginning of the month, and I feel

worse for it. Interestingly, I eat more cold and raw at the end of

the month, probably less protein.

I just finished making my second batch of yogurt - what fun. Can't

wait for my kefir grains to finish re-hydrating. Maybe this weekend

I will have fresh kefir to try. I wouldn't have bothered, except for

this group and the price of organic yogurt. I was taking antibiotics

and needed to replenish the good bugs. It really worked.

Cheers,

*S*

> Hi Sue:

>

> Thanks for the considerations on solar cooking. You know, at the

risk

> of incurring a little digression, I'd like to ask you to focus on

> this, I mean, on the destruction of the DNA by cooking. How

serious

> is that? How to minimize the evil? Can't the benefits of *wise*

> cooking outweigh the DNA destruction?

>

> In your opinion, can the human being re-adapt to an all-raw food

diet

> permanently and not miss the stimuli of cooking and not feel alien

to

> his cultural entourage, so to say?

>

> To what extent has cooking given man the face he shows or the

cortex

> he uses?

>

> I'm not expecting an easy answer.

>

>

>

>

> > 2. Some say that microwaves destroy the DNA more thoroughly than

> any

> > other form of cooking. Cooking destroys the DNA too, but not in

an

> > instant and not as thoroughly....

> > *S*

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I have a solar dehydrator. It is 5 or 6 trays with a zippered

mesh " box " around it. Keeps bugs out great. Here in the desert tho,

things tend to cook no matter what.

And, BTW, you can use a solar oven anywhere anytime there is a few

hours of sunshine. I have photos of people cooking with them, while

the oven is perched in a snowbank. The temps stll get to over 250

degrees.

*S*

>

> > >

> >But what about sun dried meat and fruits? That's a method that's

worked

> >forever. UV rays do kill off a lot of stuff. But then, when I

was

> >eating a high raw vegan diet, I would get food poisoning every so

> >often.

>

> Deanna:

>

> I would dearly love to have a solar food dryer! There was

> one for sale on the net for making biltong. It rains a lot

> here, and the flies get all over what you are drying anyway,

> so a box, open to UV but not to flies or rain, makes a lot of

> sense!

>

> Also I love low heat cooking, but it takes a lot of fuel (electric

> or propane, either one). Cooking with the sun just makes sense.

> I'm not sure it would work here for much of the year, but in the

> summer our car gets hot enough I'd guess it would cook ...

>

> -- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Dear Sue,

Well, that was all very empathic to read. I agree with everything.

Thank you.

Now I would like to say something about eating all raw.

Actually, I would compare eating all raw to climbing the Everest.

Both are ultimate experiences. But what is left for you to do

afterwards? Nothing worth your while or effort, it seems. That's why

an all-raw diet can be counterproductive. It leaves you with no more

options. For someone who has climbed the Everest, all the other peaks

look like hills. He may well want to retire or even die, because life

won't offer him any more challenges, will it?

Besides, who can stay on that top all the time? Unless you're

prepared to endure the cold and the isolation, you'll have to come

down one day. So, maybe an all-raw diet is good for the short term,

but not for life.

Some rawfoodists claim that cooking takes a lot of time. Indeed, it

does, but that's where your intelligence can play a role: there are

many ways of turning cooking into fun, aren't there? And I wonder

what rawfoodists do make of their increased amount of free time. Are

they able to use it in meditation, working out, growing food, reading

books, etc? If that's the case, then I'll take my hat off to them.

But I'm afraid it isn't always like that. I don't think they all know

what to do with their lengthy free time. Perhaps some of them will

just fold their arms and keep on watching other people ... cook – to

pass the time. On the other hand, some rawfoodists may go on

complaining they still don't have the time, all the time they need.

It would be better for the latter to stop eating altogether, don`t

you think so?

PS. It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway - Nothing of

what I wrote above aims at criticizing other people`s choices. It`s

just my partial and personal way of looking at radical rawfoodism.

> > Hi Sue:

> >

> > Thanks for the considerations on solar cooking. You know, at the

> risk

> > of incurring a little digression, I'd like to ask you to focus on

> > this, I mean, on the destruction of the DNA by cooking. How

> serious

> > is that? How to minimize the evil? Can't the benefits of *wise*

> > cooking outweigh the DNA destruction?

> >

> > In your opinion, can the human being re-adapt to an all-raw food

> diet

> > permanently and not miss the stimuli of cooking and not feel

alien

> to

> > his cultural entourage, so to say?

> >

> > To what extent has cooking given man the face he shows or the

> cortex

> > he uses?

> >

> > I'm not expecting an easy answer.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > > 2. Some say that microwaves destroy the DNA more thoroughly

than

> > any

> > > other form of cooking. Cooking destroys the DNA too, but not in

> an

> > > instant and not as thoroughly....

> > > *S*

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

>>2. My Excalibur says 145 degrees F for jerky. Heidi's Jerky file says

>>110 and then lower. What temperature should I go with in the sun? I

>>can always adjust it down by ventilation.

>>

>>

>The temp matters mainly for *time* ... how long do you want to wait?

>Ventilation is important too though. One problem with the car idea is

>that if the moist air doesn't leave fast enough, it will just sit there in

>moist air, which isn't good at all (it would probably mold eventually).

>

Thank you for your assistance. Well, I was planning to have screens up

on open windows and the open hatch for bug control, and run a fan

inside. That would have made it more of a traditional sun dried meat.

But alas, rain threatens, and if I don't take the meat out of the

probiotic marinade today, it will turn to mush. Excalibur to the

rescue! I am going to try the car cooker this autumn, because I will

have so much meat to contend with very soon and ds has his heart set on it.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Deanna Wagner wrote:

>

> Thank you for your assistance. Well, I was planning to have screens up

> on open windows and the open hatch for bug control, and run a fan

> inside. That would have made it more of a traditional sun dried meat.

> But alas, rain threatens, and if I don't take the meat out of the

> probiotic marinade today, it will turn to mush. Excalibur to the

> rescue! I am going to try the car cooker this autumn, because I will

> have so much meat to contend with very soon and ds has his heart set

> on it.

Do let me know how it comes out! Maybe we'll start a

new trend ...

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

>

> Do let me know how it comes out! Maybe we'll start a

>new trend ...

>

Your jerky technique rocks! I marinated the beef roast strips in kefir,

kimchi and pickle juice, lol. Can't have too much of a good thing. Oh,

and extra garlic slices, salt and pepper. I had to use the conventional

dehydrator this time, darn. It turned out fabulous, just like regular

beef jerky, only better. It is my latest adventure in NT land!

Now, as I said, I have mucho meat now, and my regular order is coming

mid September. You see, my egg guy sold me an older pastured lamb (64

lbs!) for a very reasonable price this weekend. It's very good and not

tough <whew>. So I will want to experiment some more with the jerky

using lamb (no problems there, correct?). I was thinking a teriyaki

version a la NT's salmon jerky would be nice. What do ya think? My

dehydrator manual talks about brine curing the meat. I remember that

changes the protein or something. Also, isn't a vinegar base just as

good for killing the unlikely pathogens that might be present. Forgive

the choppy ramblings here, but I will be needing to store some meat

besides my little freezer quite soon. I can't see that the jerky will

last long anyhow - it's a great hit with the whole clan!

For the sun drying method: I may rig up the drying set up in Tom Brown's

_Wilderness Survival Field Guide_ , only cover the whole thing with

netting of some sort. I'll have to looking into that.

Oh, dh says that Harbor Freight Tools sells deli meat slicers on

occasion. That's his favorite place to shop. :-)

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/common/start.do

Bon appetite!

Deanna