One slightly unexpected and interesting domain being offered this summer at Beam Camp is “Solar Cooking.” It was held first domain period on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during Week One. Solar Cooking includes instruction on how to put together a solar cooker, and each pair of campers were able to cook several delectable meals at the end of the session.

But first, domain leader, Christi, gave an introduction. The Solar Cooker consists of a large funnel-shaped piece of cardboard, covered with aluminum foil. The funnel is placed in a milk crate and a glass jar—spray-painted black—is placed at the bottom of the funnel on a small piece of cardboard inside a plastic bag. Almost anything can be cooked, as long as it fits inside the jar.

The way the Solar Cooker works is the foil gathers the rays of the sun in the wider part of the funnel and reflects and concentrates the heat towards the jar area. The food will cook surprisingly rapidly. The plastic bag is placed around the jar because hot air moves faster than cold air and can create somewhat of a breeze, causing the food to cook slower. The plastic bag insulates the jar. Christi explains that the solar cooker is very easy to make and has several benefits. One third of the people in the world don’t have access to clean water or cooking fuel. Most of them live near the equator, so there is plenty of sun. With the solar cooker being quite economical and easy to make, it’s a safer and cleaner way to cook. In addition, unlike fuel, sunlight is a renewable source of energy.

After a long process of putting the cooker together and preparing several dishes, the campers finally saw the outcome of their hard work by enjoying some delicious brownies, omelettes, vegetables, and apple crisp. Who knew science could be so tasty?

—Becca, 13, Quark