Modern weather forecasting makes it easy to plan your solar meals; even days in advance. However, it’s always good to have a plan B tucked away in the back of you mind. There will be times when the weather forecast is wrong, or it was never consulted, and you wake up to a cloudy sky that puts a damper on your solar cooking plans before you even get started. There will be other times when, either due to being overly optimistic or again a faulty weather forecast, the clouds roll in to spoil your party after you’ve put your dinner in the Global Sun Oven.
The first scenario is actually the easiest to remedy. If you were planning on baking and you don’t want to turn on the oven, postpone. Unless it’s an important occasion, that cake or the bread you were going to bake can wait. Same goes for braised meats or other foods that require long cooking times. If need be, freeze that cut of meat that is only suitable for braising. Take advantage of the cloudy day to enjoy some non solar cooked foods. Fire up the grill or do some frying. And there’s always my favorite backup plan – go out to eat.
If you’ve got food in the GSO when the clouds roll in, you have your kitchen for backup. For soups, stews, beans, etc. you can transfer everything to a slow cooker. If you’ve got baked goods going you’ll have to bite the bullet and turn on the oven. The only time all is lost is if you’re not home when the atmospheric conditions turn unfavorable. But experience will soon teach you to always check the forecast (and the sky) before leaving your Global Sun Oven unattended.
