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Project Summary
| Difficulty | 4 |
| Time required | Short (several days) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Material Availability | Specialty items: Mortar and pestle to grind peanuts. The mortar should be at least 5 inches in diameter. Raw peanuts can be purchased in some grocery stores or can be ordered online. |
| Cost | Low ($20 - $50) |
| Safety | Adult supervision is required to roast the peanuts. Students who have peanut allergies, or who live with others who have such allergies, should avoid this project. |
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| * Note: This is an abbreviated project idea, without notes to start your background research or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated project ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a project idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk. |
Abstract
Peanut butter is a popular ingredient in sandwiches, cookies, and many other common foods. In this cooking and food science fair project, you will roast peanuts in the oven at 350 degrees for 20, 30, and 40 minutes to produce variable levels of color and flavor. Roasting not only adds complex flavors to the peanuts, but it also destroys enzymes that produce off-flavors.Each lot of roasted peanuts will be used to make a batch of peanut butter. You will evaluate each batch of peanut butter for flavor, texture, and color. You can also compare your homemade peanut butter with commercially produced peanut butters.
The experimental procedure for this project was developed and field-tested by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). A detailed Student Activity Sheet describing the experimental procedure is available on the IFT website. See the bibliography for the link to the IFT.
Bibliography
- Institute of Food Technologists. (2008). Effect of Roasting on Color, Flavor, and Texture of Peanut Butter. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/BF6C46A5-400B-4D7C-B2F8-43445143552A/0/xfs4std.pdf
- Institute of Food Technologists. (2008). Teacher Activity Guide for Effect of Roasting on Color, Flavor, and Texture of Peanut Butter. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/571D05F9-C978-47B2-802D-B81A1B0DF2F9/0/xfs4tch.pdf
Variations
- For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Cooking & Food Science Project Ideas.
Last edit date: 2008-10-14 23:00:00
Career Focus
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring careers in Cooking & Food Science.
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Food Science Technician Good taste, texture, quality, and safety are all very important in the food industry. Food science technicians test and catalog the physical and chemical properties of food to help ensure these aspects. |
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Food Scientist or Technologist There is a fraction of the world's population that doesn't have enough to eat or doesn't have access to food that is nutritionally rich. Food scientists or technologists work to find new sources of food that have the right nutrition levels and that are safe for human consumption. In fact, our nation's food supply depends on food scientists and technologists that test and develop foods that meet and exceed government food safety standards. If you are interested in combining biology, chemistry, and the knowledge that you are helping people, then a career as a food scientist or technologist could be a great choice for you! | |
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