We had no plans for today.  The sun was out and yesterday’s solar oven cornbread cooking  was so successful we decided to be a little more adventurous today and try dried beans.  You know, the kind you usually soak overnight and cook the next day.  These Anasazi Beans are supposed to be faster cooking and sweeter tasting, but I dunno…beans are beans aren’t they?

Anasazi Beans

I rinsed off one cup of the beans and put them in the pot with some onion, garlic, seasonings, three cups of water and then set up the solar oven like I did yesterday.

The Beginning

Solar Cooking

While that was cooking we hiked around the hills by us.  There was some nice views and we got our exercise for the day.  We are in this picture below, front and center, with our awning out.

Home Sweet Home

In the hills in Arizona, overlooking the mountains in California

The high temp today was 85F and we never saw a cloud.  The highest temperature I noted on the solar oven was just under 250F.  I put the oven out at 9 this morning and left it cook in the sun for nine hours.  They were perfect!  The beans were fully cooked and very soft.  Nine hours may have been longer than necessary, but I didn’t know.

Done!

Yummy!

• Gasoline Expense:  none
• Camping Expense:  none