Oven has given up the ghost and wondering if I could use an old chilly bin lined with pillows to cook a casserole? Would work the same surely?
daarhn,
Mar 31, 9:18pm
Haha April fools
malcovy,
Apr 1, 3:55am
I had forgotten about hay box cooking and your method should work. I googled and it seems so, thanks for the reminder.
karlymouse,
Apr 1, 6:09am
Ha. read about this years ago. dutch people used it in the war I think. not sure what they cooked, possibly tulip bulbs as not meat around then.
summersunnz,
Apr 1, 9:12am
malcovy - +1
lythande1,
Apr 1, 1:20pm
A hay box, straw box, fireless cooker, insulation cooker, wonder oven or retained-heat cooker is a cooker that utilizes the heat of the food being cooked to complete the cooking process.
cookiebarrel,
Apr 2, 2:13am
Actually one of two great articles I have on 'haybox' cooking, uses a chilly bin and newspaper as the insulation. Gives times and everything. Got to remember what ever you are going to put in the 'haybox' to cook, has to be brought up to a certain heat before you place it in to cook. Strangely it doesn't cook if you put it in cold, kind of like not turning on the slow cooker when you use it I guess :-)
jan2242,
Apr 2, 5:04pm
Many thanks for the answers. I never thought of newspaper but that would be good. Will be trying it this week. If anything, it will save on power which is always a good thing.
whitehead.,
Apr 3, 4:11am
bring to the boil the heat has to go right through the meat and any veg you have in your pot . you need about 2 inches of scrunched up paper in your box all the way around cover with all your spair blankets .we used to do this to cook barly for our horses but i have done stews as well and a large ham once a year . ham comes out great and stays on the bone
whitehead.,
Apr 3, 4:13am
ham you bring to the boil and cook for about 30 minutes you have to get the heat right through the meat . then cover well and leave over night . its cooked in the morning
poppysinger2,
Apr 4, 12:11am
I used this method after the Chch Eqs in 2011 when we had no power for 6 weeks . It worked really well for thing like lentils and stews , rice pudding etc , I would bring the item to the boil on the gas camping stove and place it in the chilly bin , make a nest of newspapers scrunched up all around the pot . Put the chilly bin lid on and leave all day . Way better than when I tried to cook a casserole IN the wood burner ! I ruined that casserole dish for ever sadly .
punkinthefirst,
Apr 4, 4:40am
Hay, packed tightly, is a great insulation, so any good insulation should work. My mother used a haybox often, to cook food for harvesters and other large groups of people, and also to keep food hot or cold to transport to the paddock to feed them. Don't knock the old methods, #2. You DO have to partially cook the food before it goes into the haybox, though - between 1/2 and 1/5 of the usual cooking time. It's a great way to cook casseroles and stews, and saves a lot of money if cooking bulk food.
malcovy,
Apr 4, 12:57pm
I dont think poster 2 was knocking it, I think they have never heard of this method and it was on april fools day :-)
uli,
Apr 4, 3:42pm
I saw them sold at the fieldays as a NEW thing, just "invented". I had to laugh! They work best for things like rice etc., not so good for meat.
The simplest way to cook rice is to cook it for a few minutes then put the whole pot into your bed and cover tightly with your duvet. By the time the stirfy is done the rice has fluffed up AND you have a nice warm bed to crawl into once you had your dinner :)
jan2242,
Apr 4, 3:50pm
Uli, you crack me up LOL. I had visions of you tucked up in bed with the rice.
daarhn,
Apr 4, 6:36pm
spot on. I've read up on the method since and amazed. I love learning new cooking methods. After just reading about the zip line for 1 treehill. Silly me for thinking someone with a sense of humour in Recipes attempting to April Fools Day. opportunity missed. smirk
daarhn,
Apr 4, 6:39pm
Newspaper reminds me of insulating xmaz cake tin with brown paper and newspaper. I wonder if food in a smaller chilly bin inside a bigger chilly bin would be just as effective? I have chilly bins that fit in each other snugly.
jan2242,
Apr 4, 6:46pm
Works brilliantly. Friend gave me loads of shredded paper from her work. Might be just me but it seemed to taste nicer than from the oven LOL. Oven can wait to be fixed now. I love soups and casseroles in winter so will just use this way.
jan2242,
Apr 4, 7:27pm
Anyone want ice cream in a haybox? Found this recipe online. Ice Cream In A Hay Box
Ingredients:
1 can sweetened milk 2 tsp. vanilla 2 1/2 cups of whole milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup graham wafer crumbs (optional) . for other favours, add strawberries, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, etc AFTER the ice cream is frozen. Directions: Mix all ingredients in an empty coffee can with lid (you may need more than one can). Seal tightly. Find a bucket that is 4" deeper and 8" wider than your can and place the coffee can on 4" on ice and coarse salt in the bucket. Surround the sides with ice and salt. Place in the haybox. Takes 3 or more hour to freeze. Makes one quart. Don't try to double the recipe, use two hayboxes. Especially good on a hot summer day!
rebecca18,
Apr 4, 10:10pm
In the 1980s I was living without electricity and used to make yoghurt overnight by warming the milk to blood temperature, stirring in the starter, and placing the preserving jar with its lid inside a large plastic honey container lined with raw fleece, top, bottom and sides. In the morning it was perfectly made.
uli,
Apr 11, 4:16am
I am glad you cracked up because of me - however I usually get into bed AFTER dinner :)
lilyfield,
Apr 11, 8:35pm
i made my joghurt in bed on top of electric blanket because i had no other means of steady low heat. worked well. until the day I jumped on top of it
uli,
Oct 4, 8:07am
We are waiting since yesterday - WHAT happened when you jumped on top of the yoghurt?
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