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Project Summary
| Difficulty | 7 |
| Time required | Long (a couple of weeks) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Material Availability | Readily available |
| Cost | Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety | Adult supervision is recommended when using the stove. |
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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
Who doesn't love soaking up the last bit of gravy on Thanksgiving? Or dipping a crusty cube of bread into a cheese fondue? Or scooping up the thick juices from a fruit pie? Sauces make eating a joy! They provide concentrated flavor in a thickened liquid form, with a pleasing texture and consistency that carries or compliments the flavor of the rest of the food. No matter if they're salty, spicy, savory, or sweet, sauces make foods richer and more special.There are many ways to thicken sauces, but one of the most common ways is to use starches. Cooks have two choices in deciding how to thicken sauces with starches: they can use the starches from grains, or the starches from tubers and roots. Starch is the complex carbohydrate part of a seed or tuber. It contains two kinds of molecules: amylose and amylopectin. The starch in grains like wheat, corn, and rice is different from the starch in roots and tubers like potatoes, tapioca, and arrowroot. To do this science fair project, you will need to read about the differences, and then select at least three plants to test, and a liquid to test them in, such as, broth, water, fruit juice, or milk. In setting up your experiment, you should use the same amount of test starch for each trial; for example, 1 tablespoon of starch, and the same amount of test liquid for each trial, such as, 1 cup of broth. You will also need to warm and whisk them gradually in the same way, and in the same size saucepan.
To test your three starches, you will need to get the starch into the test liquid. It sounds like a simple task. You just put it in, right? Actually, it can be a tricky process! There are several methods to incorporate the two together, including mixing the starch first with a small amount of cold water, mixing the starch first with a bit or fat, or making a roux. However you decide to get your starch into the test liquid, you will need to use the same method each time you do a trial.
Finally, you will need some way to measure the thickening power of your starches and compare one sauce to another. One way is described in the Science Buddies project, Egg Substitutes. Once you have your measurements, think about whether your results make sense. Do you expect a starch from a tuber or root to have more thickening power than a starch from a grain? If so, what starch molecule is responsible for this increased thickening power?
So put some starchy plants to the test and see which one has the supreme thickening power!
Bibliography
This source give an overview of thickeners:
- Phillips, S. (2008). The Pantry: Thickeners. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://www.baking911.com/pantry/thickeners.htm
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004. pp. 610-620.
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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Dietitian or Nutritionist Ever wondered who plans the school lunch, food for patients at a hospital, or the meals for athletes at the Olympics? The answer is dietitians and nutritionists! A dietitian or nutritionist's job is to supervise the planning and preparation of meals to ensure that people—like students, patients, and athletes—are getting the right foods to make them as healthy and as strong as possible. Some dietitians and nutritionists also work to educate people about good food choices so they can cook and eat their own healthy meals. | |||
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