Cooking & Food Science Project Ideas

Burning Calories: How Much Energy is Stored in Different Types of Food?
Have you ever wondered how nutritionists know how many Calories a certain food contains? In this project you'll learn a method for measuring how much chemical energy is available in different types of food. You will build your own calorimeter to capture the energy released by burning a small food item, like a nut or a piece of popcorn. This project gives a new meaning to the phrase "burning calories." Read more

Chemistry of Ice-Cream Making: Lowering the Freezing Point of Water
Have you ever made your own ice cream? If you have, you probably surrounded the ice cream container with ice and rock salt to get the mixture cold enough to freeze. But why does that work? How does adding salt (or other substances) affect the freezing point of water? Find out with this ice-cold science project. Read more

Do Oranges Lose or Gain Vitamin C After Being Picked?
Are oranges highest in vitamin C when they are fresh from the tree (or, in a pinch, the grocery shelf)? In this project you'll learn how to measure the amount of vitamin C in a solution using an iodine titration method. Read more

From Bitter to Sweet: How Sugar Content Changes in Ripening Fruit
You have most likely witnessed the change that occurs as a banana ripens It changes from green and relatively hard to yellow and soft. The flavor also changes, from bitter to sweet. What happens during ripening? One big change is the increase in sugar content. In this food science fair project, you will measure how the sugar content of a banana changes as it ripens. Read more

Get Saucy with the Thickening Power of Starches *
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… Read more