When dissolved in boiling water, Jell-O™ “gels” into a semi-solid state due to interactions that form between the gelatin proteins. Fresh pineapple, in addition to some other fresh fruits, contains an enzyme, called bromelein, that breaks down the proteins in the Jell-O causing it to liquify. Check out the following Web sites to get some ideas for experiments involving Jell-O™ and fresh fruit:
At The Exploratorium Web site, you can:
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“Why does a turkey continue to cook after it’s out of the oven? How can you be sure to thoroughly cook the dark meat without drying out the white meat? Is stuffing really a good idea? How do you make the skin golden?”
Scientists at the University of of Loughborough in Leicestershire, England have found out why you often find broken cookies in packages of store-bought cookies…
I found this web site when I was searching the web for “Candy Chromatography” activities. In addition to a protocol for the candy chromatography activity, the Kitchen Chemistry site also has procedures for a number of other activities (experiments and demonstrations) that can be done with items that you can find in your own kitchen. Each activity is accompanied by a list of the original references.
This is a fun project that can be altered to suit all different age groups. I have done this in a 3rd grade classroom. Each student got to prepare their own samples. It was a big hit!
This activity involves the use paper chromatography to separate the colors/dyes use in candy coatings of a Reese’s piece or an M&M. We choose to use the “dark brown” varieties of each candy and had the students compare the components by chromatography. It was a great way to introduce “mixtures.” Before doing the chromatography with the candy coatings, we introduced students to the concepts of chromatography using food coloring (both individual colors and mixtures of the food dyes).
Here are some references for related activities that I found on the web:
- from Science Discovery
- from Auburn University Science in Motion
…and there are even methods of dye extraction and separation for more advanced students (high school or college).
The Exploratorium in San Francisco has a portion of their web site dedicated to the science of cooking. They have examples of activities and experiments that you can do with different food items (e.g., bread, meat, eggs, pickles, candy, etc.) Just click on the image of whichever food item you wish to learn more about and then look in the “kitchen lab” section of that web page. Within each activity/example, they have a link to a section where you can “share & discuss” your findings. This feature also allows you to get feedback on your results or ask questions to museum staff. Check it out!