2022 Frugal Living Challenge

Primrose

ZsaZsa.    Like  JackieO says, I think this would work for a small lidded casserole. Many picnic cool bags have some kind of padded plastic or foil type liners.  . You would have to ensure any  padding like a thick towel or something didn,t allow your hot dish to come into contact with the container insulation liner and damage it but otherwise it think it would probably work ok 

As  it's a slow process it  might suit people who have to leave for work to set it going and let it do its  stuff during the day when you're out.   It,s not really casserole weather at the moment but when the weather cools I might try to persuade my OH to test his old Boy Scout skills using our foil lined insulated  picnic food carrier, , using an old bath towel.for insulation as it,s not a very big container..

Primrose

Tried to post on this but it got lost.   Yes I think a small casserole would work.  You'd have to ensure any insulated lining of a cool bag or box didn't  get damaged by the hot casserole dish and that any thick wraps or towels protected the container linings as well as the dish.
It's too hot for casseroles right now but when the weather cools we might try this out with the foil lined insulated picnic bag we have to see if it works. It would be a lot less cumbersome than some other alternatives.

ZsaZsa

London_1 said:

ZsaZsa, good point I don't know it possibly could work with a small casserole ,depending how big the cool box was and how tightly packed you managed to get maybe a couple of cusions or a throw in to completely seal the heat in

JackieO xx

I’ve got a couple of the large supermarket bags that you buy at the till for frozen goods. I was thinking if I wrapped in old blankets and squashed in that it could work, and easily put away again after. I have got a couple of the children’s old toy boxes but I use them already for storage so hoping to create something with minimal faff 🤣 (also a bit wary of wasting food if I get it wrong)

YoungBlueEyes

I’ve never tried a hay box before (only learnt about it from here actually!) so forgive my ignorance…

Once you’ve made the box, and you’ve got simmering stew in a pot that fits in the box, and it’s all padded round with towels/pillows etc, how do you stop your hot pot scorching the towels/pillows? Or do you not put the pot straight in? Maybe sit it on an upturned dinner plate or something?

I’m interested but my brain can’t work it out ha haa! 

Floss

For more info on hay boxes...
https://www.sf-innovations.co.uk/off-grid-living

Primrose

Floss said:

For more info on hay boxes...
https://www.sf-innovations.co.uk/off-grid-living

Alas bad technology day - came up with Page not found.

YoungBlueEyes

Same here - Error 404

Primrose

YoungBlueEyes said:

I’ve never tried a hay box before (only learnt about it from here actually!) so forgive my ignorance…

Once you’ve made the box, and you’ve got simmering stew in a pot that fits in the box, and it’s all padded round with towels/pillows etc, how do you stop your hot pot scorching the towels/pillows? Or do you not put the pot straight in? Maybe sit it on an upturned dinner plate or something?

I’m interested but my brain can’t work it out ha haa! 

I'm searching the deepest caverns of my memory as I last used this technique in the Government imposed 3 day day week of 1974 so many years ago !!  Perhaps JackieO can remember and clarify? 

We then used a wooden packing case with its own wooden lid which we no longer have.  I seem to recall lining the box and wrapping the casserole dish with really ancient  rough   blankets inherited from my grandmother and I don't recall seeing any scorching marks at the end of the process.

If you think about it, hot water bottles often have a fabric cover of some kind..  You fill them with almost boiling water which stays hot for hours but the covers never get scorched.

With the haybox, whatever insulation you use, you add a tight lid to it which I assume effectively cuts off the  oxygen supply, thus  preventing the material inside from setting itself alight and burning. 

newlywed

Mortgage free in three used to have a sewing pattern to sew your own thermal cooking bag…. Not sure the website is still active though. 

https://www.mortgagefreeinthree.com/its-done-your-thermal-cooking-bag-tutorial/

Van_Girl

I have a Wonderbag, it is quite wonderful. But not all that cheap. It's just a fancy haybox, really. I used to use it in my campervan, and my Mum has one for her boat. And you can heat your bed up with it while you're cooking your dinner