Cooking & Food Science Science Experiments (Page 10)

Dried Foods: The Science Behind Making Lightweight Snacks

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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 behind a lighter, but equally nutritious snack. Just… Read more

Find the Missing Ingredient

STEM Activity

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Food advertisements and labels bombard us with enticing slogans and attractive images, luring us into consuming the food. But have you ever wondered how nutritious the food is? Have you ever looked at a nutrition facts label and wondered what the columns of words and numbers meant? This activity will shed some light on the label. You will explore serving sizes and nutrients, and might find a discrepancy. Why would the sum of the nutrients not always add up to the total? Like a detective,… Read more

Fresh Whipped Cream That Lasts

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Fresh whipped cream is the final touch for many delectable desserts. One issue with fresh whipped cream is that it has to be used soon after it is made, especially if it is at room temperature, or it starts to collapse into goo. This is a problem for its use in frostings or inside pastries as filler. Whipped cream can be stabilized by adding unflavored gelatin. Stabilized whipped cream can be used at room temperature and it has a much longer life. But how much gelatin is just right? Try… Read more

From Sauce to Solid: The Science of Cranberry Condiments

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Slurp...plop!" Recognize that sound? You might if your family usually serves jellied cranberries for the holidays. Jellied cranberries are thick, like gelatin, and retain the shape of the mold in which it was placed, which might mean Aunt Sue's turkey mold or even the shape of the can if you buy one of the popular canned versions. Taking a bite of wiggly jellied cranberries can be a fun addition to a delicious meal, but cranberries can also be served as a sauce. Both versions use the same… Read more

Get Saucy with the Thickening Power of Starches

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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,… Read more

Have Your Chips Lost Their Chomp? Understanding How Food Becomes Rancid

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You are looking under your bed for that video game you want to play, when you come across a real treasure—an open bag of potato chips that you forgot about! A crispy and salty potato chip is a tasty treat. But wait! This potato chip is not crisp and does not taste as great as it should. What happened? The chips have gone rancid! In this cooking and food science fair project, you will look into what factors turned your chips rancid. Read more

Hey, There's Corn in My Candy!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you browse through a candy cookbook, you might notice that many of the recipes call for corn syrup in addition to sugar. Both sugar and corn syrup are sweet, so why do you need corn syrup if you already have sugar? In candy making, corn syrup is known as an interfering agent. But what does this mean and how does it work? You can find out for yourself by making two batches of rock candy, one with corn syrup and one without. For example, you could alter the science project When Science is… Read more

Hot Pot: Choosing the Right Pot in Which to Cook Your Meals

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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, stainless steel, iron, and ceramics. Each of these… Read more

Invisible Marshmallow Ink – Send Sweet Secret Messages Using Marshmallows!

STEM Activity

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When we put toast in the toaster, or add marshmallows to the top of our sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, we expect them to turn brown, and to develop a sweet, caramelized flavor. Although we expect it to happen, do you know why certain foods take on these new colors and flavors as they are toasted? In this activity you will explore the reaction that creates these tasty, toasty treats, and experiment with speeding up and slowing down the process. Read more

Mac and Cheese Science: What Makes a Thick Sauce?

STEM Activity

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There’s nothing like your favorite comfort food after a long day, right? Maybe it’s beef stew or a really great salad, or many people’s favorite, macaroni and cheese. The sauce has got to be just the right texture, though, or your noodles are either swimming in the sauce, or just one big glob! So how can you get just the right texture? Get ready to invite some friends over to taste-test. With this science activity, you can be a scientist, a cook and a crowd pleaser all at the… Read more

Cooking & Food Science Science Experiments (121 results)

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