Apple Mummification Gone Wrong

[melaniegk]

I have tried searching for anything remotely related to my question but can not find anything specific. I preview all my experiments and activities before I do them with my class. We will be studying Egypt soon and I love the idea of apple mummification. I used 1 part baking soda to 2 parts salt. 1/2 an apple was completely covered in it - no parts visible from any angle.

Both the control and the desiccant apple were in open, clear plastic cups on a book shelf out of direct sunlight for 1 week. The control was visible the entire week and barely turned brown but in the last two days had developed a few visible mold spots.

At the week mark, the baking soda/salt mixture had formed a crust and was no longer a loose powder. As I started removing the baking soda/salt I noticed a horrible smell. The smell got worse as I got closer to the apple. The apple inside was a black, rotting mess! This was not what I was expecting at all. What could have went wrong?

[amyCC]

We don't have an apple mummification project at Science Buddies, but we do have a similar project using hot dogs. The process used in this project is a bit different, but this might be helpful? https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... mification

Amy
Science Buddies