Cooking & Food Science Project Ideas

Dried Foods: The Science Behind Making Lightweight Snacks *
If you've ever been on a long hike, you probably already know how hungry all that walking can make you. But if you're going a long distance, the last thing you want is a heavy pack of snacks on your back. So what can you bring along for a healthy, hunger-satisfying, lightweight snack? How about dried foods, like banana chips or beef jerky? Many foods have high water content. The drying process removes much of the water from the food, leaving… Read more

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

Egg Substitutes
Have any of your friends or family members ever had an allergic reaction to eggs? In this science project idea, you'll investigate how to modify recipes so that even egg-allergic friends and family members can enjoy them. Read more

Hot Pot: Choosing the Right Pot in Which to Cook Your Meals *
What is cooking? Cooking is applying heat to food in order to help make it taste good. But the decision to cook your food doesn't end there. Do you want to cook it at a low temperature for a long time or do you want to apply high heat and cook or sear it right away? You might think that a pot is just something in which to cook your food, but it is also a cooking tool. Pots and pans are made from different kinds of materials, such as aluminum,… Read more

How Do You Make the 'Best' Cookie?
Have you ever bitten in to a cookie and thought, "this is the best cookie in the whole wide world!"? Was it one you made at home? In this science fair project, discover if you can perfect the taste of your favorite cookie right in your own kitchen! Read more