Eighth Grade, Cooking & Food Science Science Projects (Page 2)

How Sugar Content Changes in Ripening Fruit

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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

Kimchi Chemistry

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You're probably familiar with sauerkraut, a German dish of cabbage that is fermented in a brine made of its own juice and salt. Have you heard of another cabbage dish, called kimchi? Kimchi is a traditional fermented cabbage dish from Korea. Koreans eat kimchi year round, enjoying its spicy taste and the fact that it contains loads of vitamins B and C. In this cooking and food science fair project, you will make kimchi from scratch and investigate changes in pH and glucose as the kimchi… Read more

Battle of the Senses: Taste Versus Smell

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever tried an apple that tastes like a banana? It sounds weird, but what actually makes the apple taste like an apple? Our tongue is definitely important for identifying food flavors, but if you have ever had a stuffy nose, you probably noticed that your smell contributes to taste as well. Which of those senses has more influence on flavor? Imagine eating an apple and, at the same time, smelling a really strong banana scent. How to you think the apple will taste? Will the nose or the… Read more

Determining Iodide Content of Salt

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that the salt you are using says it is "iodized"? Iodine is an important micronutrient, which means we need it in small quantities to be healthy. Because iodine is rare in many people's normal diets, it is added to table salt. Then when people salt their food, they are also adding this important micronutrient. In this food science project, you will use some kitchen-friendly chemistry to investigate which types of salt have iodine added (in the form of iodide) and which do… Read more

The Fluffiest Muffins: Flour Type and Muffin Density

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here's a project idea for all of you bakers out there. What happens if you try your favorite muffin recipe with different types of flour (e.g., white, whole wheat, rye, soy, etc.)? Think of ways you can measure the results. How would you measure the density of a muffin? A kitchen scale would definitely be useful for this project, both for measuring the results and for portioning out the batter for equal-sized muffins. What other measures might be of interest? (Nakajima, 2005) Read more

How Much Sugar Is Really in That Soda?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You know there is sugar in non-diet soda, but just how much sugar? Sure, you can look on the ingredients label, but how do food scientists actually measure the amount of sugar in a solution? They use a simple scientific device called a hydrometer. The hydrometer floats in the solution that is being tested, and the higher it floats, the more sugar there is! In this science fair project, you will use a precision hydrometer to measure the amount of sugar in soda. Read more

The Science of Making Cheese!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Oooey gooey cheese...yum! Who doesn't like a slice of warm pizza straight from the oven? There's nothing quite like a slice of pizza and a glass of milk, so what makes pizza so great? The cheese! But did you know that making cheese is all about science and chemistry? In this science fair project, you will learn more about the science of cheese making and what kind of milk works best. Try this science fair project and you'll learn about science and get something yummy to eat afterward! Read more

Making Maple Syrup Candy: How Does Temperature Affect It?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Maple syrup is deliciously gooey and great on breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles. But it has another amazing property. It can be turned into maple candies with a range of textures, like sticky maple taffy or molded maple sugar candy. In this science fair project, you will investigate how the temperature that maple syrup is heated up to affects what type of maple syrup-based candies can be made. Read more

What Do Different Baking Ingredients Do?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you like to bake, this might be an interesting project for you. When you're following a recipe, do you ever wonder why certain ingredients keep showing up time after time (e.g., baking powder in quick breads)? Do you notice that certain ingredients tend to occur in a particular ratio to one another (e.g., amount of shortening and sugar, or amount of shortening and flour, or number of eggs and amount of flour)? What happens if you use more or less of an ingredient than the recipe calls… Read more

Making Jell-o Stronger

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Gelatin! It's hard to think of another food that is used as frequently on the dinner table as off. You can find it in all sorts of sweet foods, from ice cream, yogurt, and gummy bears, to marshmallows and yellow colorings for sodas. Off the table, it shows up in glues, photographic paper, playing cards, crepe paper, medicine capsules, hair gels, and professional lighting equipment. From the kitchen to the theater—what a range of uses! In this cooking and food science fair project, you'll… Read more

Eighth Grade, Cooking & Food Science Science Projects (39 results)

Explore Our Science Videos