This was far too long to put in the image description on my post on hay box cooking so I’ve put the transcript in a separate post here.
A cube sugar-box, or wooden box of that size and shape, makes this fireless cooker. It must have a lid that fits well over the top. Line the box with several layers of newspaper, or brown paper: every crack and crevice must be covered. If you can cover these with felt such as is used for lining carpets, so much the better. Line the lid in the same way. The lid can be fastened to the box with hinges, or simply placed on top each time, and kept in place with a weight. If you have hinges, you will need a hasp at the front, so that the lid can be fastened down.
Pack a layer of hay about five or six inches deep (never less than four) at the bottom of the box. Press this down as tightly as possible. Fill up box with hay more loosely packed, and in it make a rough nest for your casserole. Place the casserole in this hole and pack the hay tightly all round it, until you have a solid mass of hay reaching to the top of the casserole. Make a mattress of calico, and fill tightly with hay. This must be quite firm, and not less than four inches thick when pressed tightly. Bear in mind, also, that THERE MUST NEVER BE LESS THAN FOUR INCHES OF HAY BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE CASSEROLE AND THE BOX.
ON THIS TIGHT PACKING DEPENDS THE SUCCESS OF THE HAY-BOX
Warm your casserole to prevent its cracking, and fill it with boiling water, put in the haybox, close this tightly, and leave it overnight. This moulds the “nest” for the casserole.
If you want to use two casseroles in one box, you must make two mattresses, so that one casserole may be moved without disturbing the other. Choose casseroles without handles but with well-fitting lids.
Choose your casserole according to the quantity of stew, broth, porridge, and so on that you generally require, because the casserole should be as nearly full as possible. Do not put a small quantity of food in a large casserole. It will not keep hot nearly as long as if the casserole is full, and success depends on the retention of heat.
The hay-box is an ideal cooker for anything. requiring long and gentle cooking, such as soups, stews, milk puddings, rice, and so on. It will not bake or roast or fry.
The rules for using the hay-box are simple, but of the utmost importance. Remember:
1. That the liquid in the casserole must be actually boiling when the vessel is put in the hay-box, and that it must have been boiling with the lid on tightly for at least five minutes before the casserole is transferred.
2. Lift the casserole from fire to hay-box as quickly as possible, cover it, and fasten down the lid at once.
3. Trust the hay-box, and don’t keep looking to see how the cooking is getting on. But it you do look, you must bring the food to boiling point again over the fire and place it back in the box.
4. There is no danger of over-cooking; after five or six hours the food no longer cooks, but merely retains its heat, and this lessens very gradually. Porridge left in the hay-box over- night will be perfectly cooked in the morning, but may need a little heating.
5. If the food isn’t given the necessary cooking before being put into the box, no number of extra hours in the hay-box will make up for it.
TIMES TO ALLOW FOR COOKING.
The time necessary to cook different foods before and after putting into the hay-box is largely a matter of experiment, and is soon learned by experience. A general rule is to allow three times as long in the hay-box as you would allow over the fire or in the oven in the ordinary way.
Boiled joint of Beef or Mutton.–Allow one hour over fire, and four to five hours in hay-box.
Stews Twenty-five to thirty minutes on fire, Boiled joint of Beef or Mutton.–Allow one hour over fire, and four to five hours in hay-box. Stews Twenty-five to thirty minutes on fire,
Bacon (boiled). Forty-five minutes over fire, and three to four hours in hay-box.
Soft Vegetables (potatoes, young carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc).-Five minutes boiling over fire, one and a half hours in hay-box. When vegetables are old and tough, allow twenty minutes on fire and two to three hours in hay-box.
Lentil or Pea Soup.-Twenty to twenty-five minutes over fire, two hours in hay-box.
Stewed Fresh Fruit.-Five minutes over fire, and one to two hours in hay-box.
Stewed Dried Fruit-Five minutes over fire (after soaking overnight), and three to four hours in hay-box.
Porridge. Fifteen to twenty minutes over fire, and not less than four hours in hay-box. Can be left in box overnight.
Rice (boiled).-Five minutes over fire, and one hour in hay-box.
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