Cooking & Food Science Science Projects (82 results)

Who doesn't love food? It's fun to make, it's fun to eat, it's fun to ...study? That's right! There is a lot of science that goes into the everyday foods that you love. Explore questions such as how baking ingredients work, how and why certain ingredients mix well together, and why people's tastes differ.

Make Popping Boba Balls Out of Your Drinks

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Forget drinking your juice. Instead, try snacking on it! Use the steps and recipes in this food science project to transform drinks into semi-solid balls that pop in your mouth. The technique is called spherification and it is part of a larger food science trend called molecular gastronomy— but we just call it yummy science! Read more

When Science is Sweet: Growing Rock Candy Crystals

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here is a riddle for you: what kind of rock grows? The answer is: rock candy! This delicious candy is actually crystallized sugar and you can "grow" it from a sugar-water solution. In this science fair project you'll learn how to grow your very own rock candy and determine if using seed crystals changes the growth rate of your sugar crystals. Read more

Chemistry of Ice-Cream Making: Lowering the Freezing Point of Water

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever made your own ice cream? If you have, you probably know that you need to get the ice cream mixture really cold to freeze it quickly. Ice cubes alone will not do the job, but if you add chemicals, such as salt or sugar, to the ice cubes that surround the ice cream container, the mixture gets cold enough to freeze. Why does that work? How does adding salt or sugar affect the freezing point of water? Find out with this ice-cold science project and use your results to make your own… Read more

Does Color Affect Taste?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You might have heard the saying "The eyes eat before the mouth." The appearance of food, especially its color, certainly affects how we perceive its taste. But can your eyes actually change the way you taste something? In this science project, you will find out by investigating how people perceive the taste of different colored apple juice. How do you think color affects taste? Read more

Yuck, What Happened to My Apple? How Food Wrappings Affect Spoilage

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever eaten half an apple and saved the other half for later, only to find that, by time you were ready to eat it, the apple did not look as tasty anymore? It may have turned brown and shriveled, and, if left out long enough, it may have spoiled. Do you think you could have prevented the other half from spoiling, or made it spoil less, if you had stored it differently, such as in the refrigerator in a food wrapping? In this cooking and food science project, you will investigate which… Read more

Which Fruits Can Ruin Your Gelatin Dessert?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Why are some fruits, like pineapple, not recommended for adding to gelatin? It is because the gelatin may not solidify well if it has these fruits in it. In this science project you will determine whether certain enzymes in some fruits are preventing gelatin from solidifying, and whether there is a way to still include these fruits without ruining your gelatin dessert. It is an experiment with edible results! Read more

Why Does Fruit Turn Brown?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered why apple slices turn brown once you cut them, or why a yellow banana gets dark spots over time? In this project you will find out why this happens, and how you can keep your apple slices looking fresh! Read more

Comparing the Sweetness of Sugar & Sugar Substitutes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Cake, cookies, pie, ice cream, hot chocolate, lemonade... Yum! What do all these delicious treats have in common? Sugar. In addition to providing sweetness, sugar adds bulk, flavor, and structure to foods. But is it necessary to add sugar to achieve sweetness? Can the same sweetness be achieved using sugar substitutes like artificial or natural sweeteners? In this project, you will test sugar and sugar substitutes and compare the sweetness of each in relation to sugar. In the end, your day will… Read more

Candy Chromatography: What Makes Those Colors?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Quick, what is your favorite color of M&Ms® candy? Do you want to know what dyes were used to make that color? Check out this science project to find out how you can do some scientific detective work to find out for yourself. Read more

Develop Your Own Soda Pop Recipe

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Carbonated bevarages are quite popular in the United States (despite the health risks of drinking too much of the sugary ones). Many people love their bubbly, fizzy flavors. But how do the bubbles, fizz, and taste get into the water? In this cooking and food science project, you will work with baking soda, citric acid, and sweetener to create a your own soda pop. Once you develop your recipe, try it out on your friends and family. Who knows? You might create the next soda pop sensation! Read more

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