does anyone remember the haybox?

oldtractor

http://www.preparedhome.co.uk/articles/haybox.htm

interesting article. it gives ideas about how to make a haybox and how it works,cooking time lengths etc. apparently you can use a styrofoam box and shavings. it sounds like a great idea to me.

jackel

Thankyou for the link Oldtractor.Found it interesting and have made notes. Plan to have a dabble when I cook something suitable. Won't cost much will it ? ! thanks again.

Seakay

Perhaps that other old style trick of using flour and water paste (like pasty made without fat) to seal the lid could come in useful to stop steam escaping?
(Although I think that crumples foil works nearly as well I think that it might actually be more expensive now?)
I got some cheap hay from Home Bargains and am going to try to make a box with wood from a skip. The idea of making cushions stuffed with the hay rather than having it loose is an interesting one - I might do that for the lid but leave it loose in the box so that it is more easily adaped for different pans/casseroles.

Pink.

Hi oldtractor,

As your thread has dropped down the board I've added your thread to the main hay box thread to keep the discussion in one place.

Pink

[Deleted User]

I think with the likelihood of electricity prices soaring through the roof this winter quite a few of us will be returning to 'hayboxes' to save on fuel costs.I use my SC overnight almost daily during the winter so I am going to be using something similar this winter I have an old wooden toybox that rarely is used anymore in the alcove in my sitting room I think I shall see if I can dig out some pillows from the linen cupboard as insulation.Apart from saving on my fuel bill its pretty 'green' to use the existing heat to cook a casserole with I think. Even if its only maybe a rice pudding done in the sc cooker to boiling point then put to finish off in the 'cooking box'
My friend June,whom I used to 'borrow' her gas cooker off to heat things up on back in the 1970s is coming to lunch today so I will have a chat and see what she thinks of it.Its given me some inspiration to experiment with the old toy box.Its only sitting there virtually empty now as the children are past the age of small toys to keep them amused.I will have a sort out this morning I think and see if I can adapt it