[Rosesandtea]

I'm attempting to cook in a non-hay hay box. I've got stew meat and potatoes in a commercial sauce, which I boiled, in an insulated cool box. I have fleece blankets and towels acting as further insulation. I put it in around 1:30 this afternoon, and am going to check it around 5:30 I think.

I have a pot with a handle, which makes the pot go into the corner, which I don't like, but I need to use what I have so I'm giving it a go.

Has anyone else tried this?

 

[oldandcrotchety]

I don't even know what a hay box is.

 

[Rosesandtea]

O&C, they were used a lot in WW2 over here.
Here's one page on them:
http://www.instructables.com/id/hay-box-cooker/

but there are many more if you google "hay box"

hth

 

[oldandcrotchety]

And now I know. Thanks.

 

[name-old]

where does the heat come from?

 

[Ramona M. Faunce]

I have never used a hay box, but I have used an Aladen Thermous. I boiled chicken broth, with diced vegiesfor a few minutes and poured it into a wide mouth Aladen Thermous. Cosed it up and let it sit for 5 hours. It was hot and done when I opened it up for dinner.

Let us know how the hay box worked. I have one I made back when Y2K was taking place, but never had to use it.

 

[Wolfgang]

where does the heat come from?

You put the pot on the stove, let it boil up and then put the pot it in the hay box. The insulation keeps it warm and it will "slowboil" by itself.

Simple and energy efficient:thumb:

 

[Rosesandtea]

Results

That's right, Wolfgang. You bring the food to the boil first.

My results? I put it in around 1:30, after bringing it to boil. I think I boiled it initially a little too much which may have toughened the meat.

I opened it around 7:00, and it was still steaming. I brought it to the boil again for safety's sake.

The potatoes were not done, and the meat may have benefitted from longer cooking (as well as less boiling at the first) - not because it wasn't cooked but because it was still rather though, so generally I think I should have let the whole things stay in the box at least a couple of hours more. And in fact when I read about hay box cooking in WW2 they were started in the morning before the wife went to work, and the food was ready at home time.

Of course, different meat (or smaller chunks) and smaller cubes of potatoes would mean the shorter time would have been OK.

Anyway, not bad for a first try, and I didn't need to construct anything, I just used the things I had.

Ramona, I like the Thermos idea too.

 

[Halkon]

rolling boil

similar to Saxon's thermos cookery, be careful over there he's unda serve valence.

You can pour boiling water into a steel lined thermos (small mouth one is better), with your fixins (preps), and lett it sit for three hours, or carry it on exfil

It has to be a rolling boil

Bubba says (WWBD?)
It's like a deerstand crockpot

 

[Ramona M. Faunce]

I'll keep watching this thread for mor hay box ideas.