Thermos Cookin'

Let me tell you about an experiment that I did today. When I started there was no reason to think that it wouldn't work. So I am writing this up as it goes, with the final report unknown at this point.

I have a 1-quart, stainless steel wide mouth thermos. I'll try this for the cooker.

The recipe is for rice and beans.

• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup pinto beans
• 1/4 cup TVP (bacon bits)
• 2 tsp bouillion
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tbsp taco powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 2 cups boiling water

Pre-tempered thermos by pouring in boiling water and waiting 5 minutes, then dumped everything in the thermos. Closed up tight and waited for eight hours.

Results? Well that didn't work. Crunchy beans and rice.

Phase II

OK....what I am thinking is that the beans have to be soaked first. Then the mess has to be brought to a boil and dumped into the tempered thermos. I am thinking that just dumping the cold ingredients and hot water together into the thermos at the same time just used a great deal of the heat energy to bring the temp of the ingredients up and the overall heat energy of the system down.

So now I think that I oughta establish the thermal characteristics of the thermos itself.

a) Temper thermos with room temp water for five minutes, then dump in 4 cups of boiling water, measure temperature and wait 8 hours, measure temperature again.  Water temp at beginning 200.  Water Temp at end =142

b) Temper thermos with boiling water for five minutes, then dump in 4 cups of boiling water, measure temperature and wait 8 hours, measure temperature again.  Water Temp at beginning 205. Water Temp at end = 162