Jump to main content

You Say Po-tay-to and I Say Po-tah-to, but No Matter What, There's Starch in Those Taters!

1
2
3
4
5
1,860 reviews

Summary

Areas of Science
Difficulty
 
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Minor injury possible. Be careful using a knife. Adult supervision is required when using a knife.
*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Abstract

French fries, hash browns, mashed potatoes with gravy, potato latkes, there are so many things to make with the humble potato. The potato is a tuber from the perennial plant Solanum Tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. There are actually about 5,000 varieties of potatoes, but most of them can be traced back to the original potato from southern Peru. This single ancestor originated more than 10,000 years ago. In addition to being high in vitamins and minerals, potatoes have a varying amount of starch. Starch is the source of stored energy that a plant uses to feed itself. In this cooking and food science fair project, investigate the starch content of different varieties of potatoes. An easy way to determine the starch amount in a potato is to cut the potato into two pieces, rub them together, pull them apart, and then put the two pieces back together again. Is there a difference in how the different potatoes stick together? Do you notice foam, and if so, do different varieties make different foam? Is there a difference in the stickiness of the foam? Once you have determined starch content, look into how starch content affects boiling the potatoes. Are all of the potatoes fluffy after boiling, or are they waxy? What is the texture of the different potatoes after boiling?

Six raw potatoes

Figure 1. Potatoes are a humble, but tasty, vegetable.

Bibliography

icon scientific method

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Careers

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Career Profile
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,… Read more
Career Profile
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. Read more
Career Profile
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… Read more

News Feed on This Topic

 
, ,

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "You Say Po-tay-to and I Say Po-tah-to, but No Matter What, There's Starch in Those Taters!" Science Buddies, 28 Jan. 2022, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/FoodSci_p032/cooking-food-science/starch-in-potatoes. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2022, January 28). You Say Po-tay-to and I Say Po-tah-to, but No Matter What, There's Starch in Those Taters! Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/FoodSci_p032/cooking-food-science/starch-in-potatoes


Last edit date: 2022-01-28
Top
We use cookies and those of third party providers to deliver the best possible web experience and to compile statistics.
By continuing and using the site, including the landing page, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
OK, got it
Free science fair projects.