It’s the season of freshly baked cookies, and it’s time to dust off those seasonal cookie recipes. But how much white sugar versus brown sugar should you use? And what’s the difference? Sugar does more for a cookie than just making them sweet. Stella Park at Serious Eats goes into the scientific differences between white … Continue reading
Nothing sets the tone for a drowsy Sunday afternoon like a breakfast that features maple syrup. This sticky and wonderful syrup fills the nooks and crannies of our nation’s waffles with the taste of autumn and the smell of Canada. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the science that makes maple syrup and its confectionery … Continue reading
Craving some kombucha without the grocery store prices? Why not try brewing your own kombucha? As a fermented tea drink that is brightly effervescent, deliciously tangy, and slightly sweet, having some kombucha on hand could add a little spring to these cold seasons. On top of that, the brewing and fermentation involved in kombucha-making requires … Continue reading
Summer would be incomplete without carnivals and bright, fleecy, sugary cotton candy. For a snack that’s nothing but sugar and air, there’s a surprising amount of physics and chemistry involved. Below are seven science-heavy facts about this feathery-light confection. Editor’s note: The original post stated that 1 ounce of cotton candy is 0.105 kilocalories, when in … Continue reading
Caramel flavor is a major component of desserts and candies, ranging from smooth, thick sauces to crispy, dark brown glazes of crème brûlées. Through caramelization, a browning process where sugar is heated to around 170 °C and broken down, over 100 compounds are formed that contribute to the color, flavors, and textures of what we … Continue reading
Old-fashioned candy-making is a fascinating spectacle, if one ever gets the opportunity to watch. Fortunately, the Internet is full of videos like this one, which shows how hard candies (specifically, candy canes) are made by hand: The process that turns ordinary, granulated table sugar into solid, glassy, hard candy is as dynamic on a molecular … Continue reading
Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm in Paso Robles was our lecturer on the topic of phase transitions. “Why are carrots harvested after winter particularly sweet?” Plants use sugar as an internal antifreeze. This is an example of the concept of freezing point depression. When a solution freezes, the molecules into a crystalline structure. However, when … Continue reading
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