Cooking The Environmentally Friendly Way: A Guide To Alternative Energies
Summer is here, and you’re probably considering making the most of it by having a few guests around for food and drinks in your garden. The go-to means of cooking in this situation is the traditional BBQ. But how about impressing your guests with something a little different? Why not try providing them with a more environmentally friendly meal. It’s entirely feasible to prepare and cook your food with alternative energy sources. Not only will the food taste great, but you can rest content in the knowledge that you’ve made a meal with zero emissions. Here’s how.
Generate your own power
It’s possible to fuel your entire house with solar energy. From lighting to electricity and heat. Solar power can take care of it all. If you decide to use solar power to fund your fuel consumption, solar companies will take care of most of the work. From consultations to taking measurements, fitting and installation and any necessary maintenance. If solar energy can run an entire house, then one meal is definitely feasible. The power gathered can be used to heat water or power your oven.
Solar ovens
Solar ovens are particularly effective on the hottest days in summer. Cooking food with solar power is becoming increasingly popular in hot countries around the world, so why not give it a try. A solar cooker will work by using the sun’s radiation to heat up solid food or boil liquids. Food will cook evenly and thoroughly, without sticking or losing any of its original moisture. This is good for garden parties, BBQs or general novelty use. However it is also a great investment for emergencies. If there’s a power cut and you have mouths to feed, the solar oven can always be wheeled out to keep tummies full and smiles on faces.
Biomass Stoves
Biomass tends to be wood based, but it can include any fuel that was once living matter or a living organism. Widely used biomass tends to come in the form of wood chippings or wood pellets. The stove cooks food through the combustion of biomass. Food is cooked thoroughly, and no harmful pollutants such as gas are required.
Recycle your used cooking oil
You might wonder what anyone could possibly want with used cooking oil, but it can actually be used as fuel. This may be more apt knowledge for companies using vats of oil a day, but if everyone were to recycle their used oils, there would be a lot more energy to go around. It is possible to burn used oil as a waste product. This will produce heat which can be transferred back to your kitchen to heat water for your dishwasher and other kitchen utilities.
Now that food is organised, you can incorporate alternative energy into your night in various other ways. Consider solar-powered garden lighting if your guests are going to be staying until late. Prevent guests from retreating indoors to charge their phones and other electronic devices. Offer them a portable, solar powered charger instead. The environmentally friendly possibilities really are endless.