# Times for Haybox/Wrap Cooking of Foods



## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Several sources I have listed cooking times for various foods using the wrap cooking or haybox technique. Here they are:

FOOD BOIL TIME WRAP TIME
Beef, cut in stew chunks 13 - 15 min 3 - 4 hours
Bread, steamed 30 min 3 hours
Chicken, cut in 8 pieces 6 to 8 min 2 - 3 hours
Lentils 10* - 30 min 3-4 hours
Millet 5 min 1 hour
Dried sweet corn, soaked 30 - 45 min 2 hours or til soft
Pasta 5 min 20 min
pinto beans, soaked 10 min 3 hours
peas, split, soaked 10 min 2 hours
polenta (corn mush) 1 min 1 hour
potatoes, cubed 5 min 1 hour
potatoes, halved or small whole 10 min 1 - 1 hours
quinoa 5 min 1 1/2 hours
red beans, soaked 30 min 1 1/2 - 2 hours
rice, brown 10-15 min 2 hours
rice, white 5 min 30 min
pot roast, browned in fat 20-30 min 3-5 hours
soup, clear type 10 min 2 hours
soup, cream-of type 2 min 1 hour
soup stock, to make 10 min 2-3 hours
squash, winter, chunks 5 min 1-2 hours
stew, raw veg with meat chunks 30 min 1 1/2 - 2 hours
(*soaked the night before)

You can test your wrap to see if it holds the heat well enough by bringing the cook pot half filled with water to a boil, then wrapping it immediately. 
After 4 hours, check the water temperature. If it is BELOW 140 degrees F, you need more insulation!

Some additional notes:

For tough meats, cover with liquid and boil 20-50 min according to size of pieces (to heat through thoroughly). Place in wrap and after 2-4 hours, remove and add any desired vegetables. Boil again, the re-wrap to cook vegetables.

For chicken & tender meats, you can put the meat in an oven-cooking bag, then immerse it in the water to boil. Seal it well or leave the open end (gathered with a twist tie) sticking out of the pot of water. Boil and wrap as usual. This gives you a meat cooked in its own juices, rather than boiled.

Root vegetables can be cooked in their skins - bring to a boil as usual then wrap for double the stove-top cook time. They may be left all day or night, and easily peeled after cooking.

For waterless cooking of vegetables, cut up and place in oven baking bags, and submerge the bag in the boil water with the end sticking out of the water (like for the chicken & tender meats). Boil then wrap according to time required for types of vegetables.

For oatmeal, stir 2 cups quick oats into 4 c fully-boiling water and salt to taste. Wrap immediately and leave 15 min or more depending on texture you like. For extra creamy, boil up the pot before bed, add a little extra water and leave in pot all night. Corn mush is made the same way, using 4 cups water per 1 cup cornmeal.

Boiled eggs: To boil one egg, pour boiling water over the egg to cover, and wrap 5 min for soft cooked- leave up to 20 min for hard cooked.
For 2 eggs, use twice as much water, for 3 eggs, use 3 times as much, and so forth. (The water volume is critical to have enough heat to cook the eggs well.)

PLAIN WHITE BREAD MADE IN THE WRAP COOKER
4 cups flour 1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon dry yeast 1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt
Mix yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water and set aside. Mix flour, remaining water and salt. Add yeast blend. Knead as desired or add another 1/4 cup water and beat well instead. When ready to bake, roll dough in dry flour, and place in oiled oven-baking bag. Let rise in the wrap before heating, to desired size. When teady to cook up, place bag in the pot of water, and bring to a boil. Boil 10 min, then wrap to finish up for 1 hour. You will get a soft-crusted bread because it was steamed rather than baked.

The above info comes from Compassion of South Africa who wrote up and printed patterns for the Wopnder Box, a quilted box sewn to use as a wrap-cooker. You can google "wonder box" or "compassion of south africa" for more info and the pattern for the box, if you find you enjoy this type of cooking.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

:thankyou: I will add this to my recipe binder!!!!


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