Week 17 - Box Oven, Purchase Canned Vegetables

Week 17 - March 24
Create an oven from a cardboard box. A box that is 12” wide 15” long and 10” deep is a good size.  It should easily hold a 9” X 11” pan.   Tape the flaps on the top of the box closed.  Now cut the top of the box you just taped closed along the outside edges of the two short sides and one long side of the flaps, so they now open as one piece.  The uncut long edge will be the flap on top used to open and close the oven door.  Line the entire inside of the box with one to two layers of aluminum foil.  Two is better for cold weather use.  If using glue to hold the foil in place allow 3 to 4 days for the glue to dry.  Do not use tape.  It will melt.  Roll the foil to the outside of the lid when covering it.  Straighten 3 or 4 wire hangers or other long sturdy wire and punch 3 or 4 holes on each side of the box oven halfway up and evenly spaced across the sides.  Insert the wires through the box and secure the ends as desired to hold them in place.  Twisting the ends together works well.  This will be the rack to cook on.

To use the oven:  Place an empty foil pie pan in the bottom center of the box oven.  In another area outside of the box oven heat one briquette for every 45 degrees of temperature needed.  For 450 degrees use 10 briquettes.   Kingsford works best.  If using a cheaper brand you will need to use 3 or 4 more briquettes.  When the briquettes are completely white use tongs and place them in the pie pan in the bottom of the oven.  Place your lightweight baking dish full of food on the rack.  Close the door and bake as you would indoors.
NOTE: Cheaper briquettes may be used, but I have read that you should plan for one briquette for every 40 degrees.  If the temperature is below 40 degrees when cooking you should add 2 or 3 more briquettes.  You can also create a see through window in you oven if desired, by cutting a hole in the oven door and using a single layer of a transparent baking bag taped on the outside of door.  Make sure you roll the foil through the hole and completely cover the edges of the window.

Home Food Storage: Purchase canned vegetables.


Box Oven Directions

A corrugated cardboard box that will easily hold a 9" x 11" pan is needed.  My box is 20" x 16" and is 12" deep.

Tape the bottom of the box closed so that there are no gaps.

Tape down the flaps in the bottom of the box on the inside.

 

Now tape the top flaps closed so that there are no gaps.  Turn the box so that the top is now the front. Cut along the bottom edge and the two side edges of the box top to create the door that will be connected at the top edge only.

The short box flaps will fall off and need to be taped back into place.

Line the entire box with 1 or 2 layers of aluminum foil.  Make sure the foil is pushed tightly against the edge where the flap (oven door) is connected to the box so that it will open and close easily. I used 2 layers of heavy duty foil, because I had it on hand and it is wider than the regular foil.  Two layers is better for cold weather cooking.

Here is the foil wrapped around the outside of the lid.

After everything was lined I used white glue and glued down all the loose edges.  Allow 3 to 4 days drying time.

Use 3 or 4 wire hangers for the rack inside the oven.  Keep the wire closer to the center of the box.  Mine are 2" apart.  You want good support for a 9" by 11" pan.

The first and fourth wires are 3" from the outside edges.  The wire hangers I had were old and very heavy duty.  It was hard to bend them down.  Be careful not to tear the box when bending the wires.  Lightweight wire can be twisted together to hold in place.

Here is the inside of the completed oven.

I spent $4.00 at the Dollar Store and got two 9" x 11" pans, two 8" square cake pans, and three 9" round pans with foil lids, and two 9"x 11" cooling racks.  One round pan will be for the briquettes.  The cooling racks are for the grill from last weeks #10 can project.