Questions tagged [food-science]
All about the scientific theories behind food. Cooking myths debunked here.
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Which oil is the best to season a cast iron pan from a scientific point of view? [duplicate]
So far I found many answers here which suggest to use flaxseed oil. Its smoke point is very low with 107 °C (225 °F).
After searching a while, I could find reports why I should never use flaxseed ...
1
vote
4answers
160 views
With few items, it easier/safer to use the fridge for everything, are there trade offs?
I don't keep much food in the house, and generally use the fridge as a general purpose store for all kinds of food, as a way to slow down chemical reactions and lifeform growth alike, as well as ...
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0answers
50 views
How do I use Carnauba or Beeswax for Candy?
I am trying to make gummies and I want to use either Carnauba wax or bees wax to make a coating, anyone got any idea WHAT Carnauba or bees wax to use and how to apply it? I know they use a tumbler but ...
1
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1answer
183 views
For microwave hot chocolate, why pour the hot milk into the chocolate rather than mixing the milk with chocolate then heating?
I read on the back of the unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder box that I should first heat milk in a microwave and then pour into another cup with the powder, salt and sugar. This tasted much better ...
3
votes
1answer
206 views
Does boiling water deactivate malt enzymes?
Will mixing boiling water with malt flour deactivate the malt enzymes?
I’m trying to adapt a recipe for mämmi that involves mixing mixing a combination of malt+regular flour with boiling water in a 1:...
2
votes
1answer
129 views
Why does salt and seasoning stick better to hot foods?
In every recipe I see for fries, popcorn, churros, and other foods where I normally want to add the salt/sugar/seasoning at the end, everybody says to make sure to do it while the food is still hot so ...
2
votes
1answer
153 views
Do yeast pancakes contain alcohol?
I fed my 2 year old pancakes that required yeast: yeast, mashed banana, warm water, whole wheat and buckwheat flour, and salt. I left the batch in the fridge overnight, and in the morning added a ...
2
votes
3answers
249 views
What do you get from boiling dough
I was wondering about what happens to bread dough under various cooking conditions.
More explicitly: what do you get when you boil dough?
I know baking gives you bread and frying gives you donuts. And ...
4
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0answers
193 views
What are the main flavours/aroma compounds of the Scottish soft drink “Irn-Bru” (Iron Brew)?
Those familiar with the Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru may be familiar with the marketing slogan: "made from girders." This is due to the drink's taste which some describe as having a metallic ...
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0answers
29 views
How to reliably get flatbreads to puff or balloon up? [duplicate]
When making similar (wheat) flatbreads of many types (from different cultures e.g. chapati and pita), it is desirable for it to puff up like a balloon so that a pocket forms on the inside. Presumably, ...
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2answers
155 views
Does steak from a supermarket cook quicker than steak from a butchers?
I've recently made the jump from buying steaks at the grocery store to buying whole cuts of steak from an online butcher and breaking them down into steaks myself.
One thing I have noticed is the ...
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Will adding salt to stainless steel steamer cause pitting? [duplicate]
I have bought a stainless steel pot steaming insert.
Will adding salt to food (maybe frozen) when I start cooking it with steam cause pitting of the insert?
Thank you.
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1answer
91 views
Why so many fruits/veg fall into these color categories?
Disclaimer: This question is not about cooking per se, rather about food itself; please let me know if this is not appropriate for this SE.
I have noticed that there are many fruits and vegetables ...
22
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3answers
5k views
What happens when you reduce stock all the way?
If you have fully filtered stock or broth, and you boil it until all of the liquid evaporates; what would you be left with. If you boiled only until a bit before that point would you have super ...
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1answer
83 views
Alternatives to borax for minced protein recipes (fish balls, kebabs, etc.)?
Borax (sodium salt of boric acid) is used in some recipes as a texturizing agent.
From Wikipedia:
borax imparts a firm, rubbery texture to food.
It does this by binding polymers in the food:
Borax ...
0
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1answer
43 views
Will mechanical blending denature alpha amylase / glucoamylase?
I am trying to break down the starches in a certain variety of oats in the most efficient way possible. I have to break the whole oats down after cooking, so they are fine particles for the amylase to ...
3
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3answers
188 views
Why “Pre-oiled Pita”?
I have started buying Kontos Pre-oiled Pita, and am super pleased with the product.
They taste great and also seem to last forever on the shelf.
.. but I have never heard of "oiling" pitas! ...
4
votes
2answers
120 views
Why does my red palm oil seem to have such a low smoke point?
I bought some red palm oil from an African grocer (no brand... it just comes in an unlabeled plastic milk jug), and it seems to have the lowest smoke point of any oil I've used despite every online ...
12
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1answer
3k views
What does it mean when an egg splatters and the white is greenish-yellow?
This morning I decided to make some eggs. I cracked open the first egg and it just all sort of splashed out onto the pan, the yolk already liquefied and the whites with this yellowish-greenish hue.
I ...
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1answer
95 views
What causes pollution when cooking? [closed]
I'm having trouble finding the right search terms so perhaps I am just missing some obvious resources. Sorry if that's the case.
It is sometimes brought up that cooking causes pollution. I learned of ...
0
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1answer
77 views
Any books that teach the science of Indian cooking? [closed]
Can someone please suggest good books to understadn the science of Indian cooking ?
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1answer
67 views
How do you decide when to deviate from baking ratios?
I've just started studying baking ratios. I like to learn to cook/bake on Youtube, and as I've been analyzing alot of the cooking/baking ratios I notice that quite a few of these youtube chefs do not ...
2
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1answer
118 views
Different ways of making the gravy in butter chicken.. which is better?
Can someone tell me the science behind the following scenarios:
a. Boil tomatoes, onions along with other dry masalas and then make a puree
b. Stir fry tomatoes, onions along with dry masalas and then ...
1
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1answer
97 views
Blackstrap molasses vs regular molasses
I'm aware of how molasses and refined sugar are made from sugar cane and how brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back to it.
But -- how "different" are the three grades of ...
19
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5answers
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Does the preparation of chicken liver mousse require force feeding of chickens?
The force feeding of ducks or geese required to prepare foie gras (French "fatty liver") is widely known and banned in some states. I was at a restaurant last night which offered "...
3
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2answers
232 views
How do I make my food taste like leftovers
I find that when I make stews, casseroles, curry’s etc. that they are much nicer after a day or two in the fridge. I understand that it “gives the flavours time to meld” etc, but what actually happens?...
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5answers
296 views
Does eye contact with the cooking food make it more delicious?
There's a belief in some cultures that if you look at your being-cooked food from the beginning till the end, you will have a more delicious food compared to when you leave the food to be cooked.
Is ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
What's the brix of a typical avocado?
What's the typical brix of a typical store-bought avocado? I mean the percentage of sugars, acids and such (I think it refers to all dissolved solids, but sugar gets the most attention). I can find ...
0
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1answer
81 views
Does the towel touching the day 1 starter and absorbing the liquid matter?
On day 1, I’ve noticed the towel is wet. Does the towel absorbing anything from the starter ruin the starter and prevent it from reaching its desired outcome?
0
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1answer
84 views
Is there a mold test kit for packaged food?
Many packaged foods taste moldy to me but not to others. I return some products but the stores are acting like I am trying to rip them off. There are several mold test kits for homes and air. Will ...
6
votes
2answers
168 views
Canning Tomatoes: When are they too blemished and why does it matter?
In every canning recipe I have seen, the recipe calls for unblemished tomatoes, but this has never been explained further. The sources of these recipes has been on various internet sites (the kind ...
0
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1answer
221 views
What is the optimal way to remove salt from cooked meat?
I want to remove salt from marinated chicken thighs. What would be the most effective way to do this "reverse brining", if flavour does not matter?
I have seen these two questions:
How ...
3
votes
3answers
140 views
Is there a way to incorporate air into a gel made from starch and will the pockets of air stay when dehydrated?
I'm experimenting with creating puff cereal at home. I was wondering if creating a gel, dehydrating it and then puffing it in an oven with high pressure is the only way. I actually had an successfull ...
2
votes
1answer
125 views
Which gum/gums to use to get a gummy texture when using Agar agar powder
Trying to do a school project that needs me to make gummies from scratch in an innovative way. I decided to go with Agar agar for a vegan based gummy. Unfortunately, once I make the gummies the agar ...
3
votes
1answer
96 views
Can you reconstitute dried morels in broth instead of water?
I'm making some risotto this weekend, and I've always read to reconstitute dried mushrooms in water, but I haven't read anything for or against reconstitution in broth.
Would there be any reason not ...
5
votes
1answer
171 views
Why do spring onions curl up when placed in cold water?
Thinly sliced spring onions (aka green onions, scallions, etc.), usually sliced on a bias, curl up when placed in ice water, making them a rather photogenic garnish. Why does this happen? Does this ...
0
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1answer
115 views
How is plant based chicken and bacon made using soya and pea protein?
I have recently applied for a role at a company which makes vegan meat substitutes (specifically chicken and bacon) and I was wondering how products such as these would be made from soy and pea ...
0
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0answers
36 views
Shelf Life of Gochujang [duplicate]
I made Korean Gochujang with the following ingredients: Fermented White Miso Paste, Gochugaru (Fine powdered chili flakes), Sugar, Water, Salt and Vinegar. I cooked all ingredients except for the salt ...
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1answer
55 views
Water seal vs open crock pickles
I was lent a crock with a water seal lip, which was used for making sauerkraut. I want to use it for making pickles, which I have usually done by placing a cloth over the crock. Searching for ...
1
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1answer
79 views
Home-school science curriculum using cooking [closed]
My sister has decided to home-school her children (all daughters, ranging from 5-14 years old) this year and has asked me, her physicist brother, for help creating a science curriculum. I would like ...
2
votes
1answer
107 views
What’s the science behind thenkuzhal (its a crispy snack, crispy hollow tubes)?
How/why does the hollow form inside this crispy snack? It is made from rice flour dough. For more details please check https://kalaskalai.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/thaenkuzhal-murukku/
2
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1answer
149 views
Are chocolate brands taking countries temperatures into account?
Today is an unsually hot day where I live in France, we are reaching 40°C in some cities.
As I grabbed a KitKat out of its bag, I noticed that it was completly melted. It's 35°C in my appartment.
It ...
2
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0answers
99 views
What's the proper way to slice cherub tomato for sandwiches that maximizes tomato flavor? [closed]
I buy cherub tomatoes because I can use them all week in a variety of dishes and meals.
I'm looking for the best way to slice them for sandwiches to maximize the tomato flavor in a bite. I don't need ...
1
vote
2answers
148 views
When to bring eggs whites to room temperature?
I’m looking over a recipe for angel food cake that calls for twelve egg whites at room temperature and it got me wondering about what’s the best way to do it. Is it best to bring the dozen of eggs to ...
0
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0answers
53 views
Are there unwanted effects to simmering vegetables for days? [duplicate]
Simply put, will continuously simmering vegetables for days, even up to a week or two, in a perpetual stock lead to unexpected or unwanted results?
Since even the longest stock recipes I know don't ...
6
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1answer
138 views
Why does refined coconut oil make cookies chewy?
I've made this recipe for Chewy Vegan Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies and they are indeed chewy and delicious.
I never used refined coconut oil before so I did some research. I saw a lot of recipes ...
2
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1answer
123 views
Why do small things taste better than big things?
Small berries have more flavor than large berries, small scallops have more flavor than large scallops, cherry tomatoes have more flavor than beefsteak tomatoes. I can't think of any cases where the ...
6
votes
1answer
213 views
Does saturated fat result in crispier fried food?
I was watching this video of Kenji making Kung Pao chicken, in which he claims that frying in saturated fat results in crispier food. Is there any truth to this? I found this page stating saturated ...
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3answers
249 views
Why do my grains smell like my room?
My rice smells like my room and it's kinda weird. It tastes fine but I moved the rice to another location that smells different and I can still smell the strong smell of my room whenever I sniff the ...
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0answers
138 views
For the life of me I can't get my nougat to set hard
Recipe:
Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/8 cup water (I dont think this does anything)
Dash of salt
Egg white
1 egg white whipped
Dash of cream of tartar to stabilize the egg white
2 tbsp ...
