4

My partner and I are working an entrepreneurial project for school, and we decided to make a sort of edible water bottle.

We decided we would make it out of bread, which we would cover in some solution and leave to dry to make it hard and waterproof.

We considered using honey, but it would be too sticky, sweet, and expensive.

Is there any good solution that will make this bread waterproof and hard easily? Something that is cheap and not bad-tasting?

also, if you think this question should be posted on a different stackexchange site, please tell me.

Thanks.

Improve this question
2
  • Maybe some jelly without any flavour?
    – napolux
    Dec 6, 2013 at 16:33
  • You have specified a solution but anything soluble to go into the solution would be... well... not waterproof. I infer you mean to includes colloids and other suspensions. If there were some sort of polymer which could be suspended, and then deposited and cured, that would allow you to apply it in such a manner, but I cannot think of any such thing that is edible. There is a reason non-metallurgical societies used vessels made from leaves, gourds, animal skins, or other products to carry and cook water.
    – SAJ14SAJ
    Dec 6, 2013 at 16:37

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
5

I can think of a few things, but I'm not sure how well they'd work for water bottles, specifically, as I don't know what the temperature of the liquid is how long it needs to function as a container, and how long it needs to be on the shelf before use. (and what liquid you're using, so it doesn't make things taste really foul).

If we're just using water, I'd be inclined to use:

  • Nut butters : (eg, peanut butter) The high oil content will repel water. Of course, if it's being held for long times, you'll have issues with rancidity. And it doesn't really harden up at room temperature.
  • Chocolate : so long as it's not a hot liquid, it'll resist water for quite a while. This is one case where 'coating chocolate' may be better than real chocolate as it's got a higher melting point.

I personally wouldn't use honey as it's water-soluble, and will start disolving into even a cold liquid.

Improve this answer
1
  • 2
    It's worth noting that coating chocolate has a higher melting point because it includes wax, usually paraffin wax. Paraffin wax itself might be another option.
    – Anthm
    Dec 6, 2013 at 19:57
12

Carnuba Wax. It's edible and waterproof. In my childhood they used to sell a candy bottle made of Carnuba Wax with colored sugar water in it. You'd bite the top off, drink the sugar water and chew on the wax until you got tired.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodchemistryfaqs/f/carnauba-wax.htm

Improve this answer
4
  • Edible is still a stretch for carnuba wax :-)
    – SAJ14SAJ
    Dec 6, 2013 at 17:49
  • 4
    If we're counting carnauba wax, you could actually just use shellac. It's also used as a food glaze.
    – SourDoh
    Dec 6, 2013 at 18:15
  • Never knew shellac was a natural product, learn something new all the time.
    – draksia
    Dec 6, 2013 at 19:28
  • 4
    @sajsaj Edible is not a stretch for carnauba wax, it even has an E number (E903). As far as I remember, M&M's use it for their hard shell.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Dec 8, 2013 at 17:04
6

At renaissance fairs, the animal drinking horns are coated with beeswax. You cannot use hot liquids but they work great for cold liquids.

Not tasty, but edible and non-toxic. Fairly cheap. A pound of beeswax is only 13 or so bucks including shipping. You can brush it light coatings on, or pour and swirl it around.

Improve this answer
-2

if it is cold liquid than use chocolate

Improve this answer
2
  • But your hand is still going to be warm. Also probably pretty prone to cracking!
    – Cascabel ♦
    Nov 29, 2014 at 23:49
  • 1
    @Cascabel : the outside doesn't need to be coated, and the bread will act as an insulator
    – Joe
    Dec 30, 2018 at 23:18

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.