You're the Chef - Food Experiment Solutions
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The following are solutions to the food experiments in the
4-H Foods Project, "You're the Chef" for Pennsylvania. These
have been modified from the Purdue Leader's Guide. Please note
that those questions in the project book that have "no right
answer" or involve personal feelings are not listed in this text.
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There are no answers for Member Activities 1a, 1b, or 1c.
1d. Lean On!
3. What two low-fat products could you use in place of
cottage cheese to make the vegetable dip?
No-or low-fat sour cream or non-fat yogurt.
2a. Slow, Moist and Tender
2. How does moist cooking tenderize less tender cuts of meat?
Moist cooking (oven and pan braising, stewing and simmering)
tenderizes tough meat by softening and dissolving most of the
connective tissue. The main component of connective tissue is
collagen (a protein), the "glue" that holds muscle fibers together.
This collagen turns into gelatin when it is exposed to hot, moist
cooking conditions.
3. What is the advantage of preparing a stew rather than a single
piece of meat simmered in moisture (braising)?
Stew includes meat, vegetables, and usually potatoes or another
starch; a complete meal can be cooked in one pan.
Dig Deeper-What happens to tender cuts when cooked by a moist heat
method?
Tender cuts of meat fall apart when they are cooked by a moist heat
method; some may become mushy if too much of the muscle fiber is
destroyed.
2b. Crazy Casseroles
1. What advantages did the box mix offer?
Convenience: no gathering supplies, measuring ingredients, or
having to find the recipe.
2. The homemade version?
Cost, possibly taste, the option to change the amount cooked
(for more or fewer servings), and the option to change or
eliminate certain ingredients for health reasons (such as salt).
2c. If you had overripe bananas but no time to bake banana bread, how
would you keep the bananas until you were ready to use them?
Peel and mash the bananas. Add a little lemon juice to prevent
darkening. Place in a freezer container and freeze until you are
ready to use them.
There are no answers for Activities 3a, 3b, and 3d:
2. What kinds of bread products can you make with frozen bread dough?
Frozen bread dough can make regular bread or cinnamon bread. Frozen
dough can be portioned out into dinner roll sizes so the consumer
just needs to "shape" them into cloverleaf, plain, bow knots, fan
tans, or crescent rolls. They can also be used to make breadsticks.
4a. Slow Them Down!
2. Which solution became the cloudiest? A. The control
3. What causes the cloudy appearance?
A. The presents of large quantities of bacteria.
4. Why did the cups containing the preservatives never become
cloudy as the control.
Preservatives (such as vinegar and salt in large quantities)
inhibit or slow down the growth of bacteria. Vinegar inhibited
bacterial growth the best.
4b. Stabilize It!
A. Which pudding forms a skin?
Pudding without carrageenan, the "control." The skin is
actually coagulated milk protein.
B. What is the stabilizing effect of carrageenan?
The pudding made without carrageenan "weeps" or develops a
watery fluid around the edges as it ages. The pudding made
with carrageenan does not "weep." Carrageenan combines with
the protein in milk so it prevents the butterfat from
separating from the watery part of milk; that's why there is
no skin on the pudding.
C. Which pudding tastes better?
The one made with evaporated milk (with carrageenan).
Dig Deeper-Carrageenan in Other Foods
Carrageenan is classified as a natural stabilizer/thickener
additive, which functions to:
Maintain smoothness and uniform texture and consistency, or
Provide a desired thickness (gel) by acting as a firming agent.
Carrageenan is found in soft drinks, ice cream, whipped
topping, evaporated milk, ground beef products.
Dig Deeper-How does Carrageenan Work
Carrageenan is extracted from sun-dried Irish moss seaweed;
therefore it is a natural additive. It is actually a
carbohydrate. It was discovered hundreds of years ago by cooks
in Ireland and France who used it as an ingredient in milk
puddings. To this day, carrageenan is the most effective
thickening agent and stabilizer for milk-based products,
such as coffee creamers, cottage cheese, ice cream, and sour
cream, because of the unique way it combines with milk
protein. It is also used to stabilize oil-water mixtures and
foam in beer.
Other natural stabilizers and thickeners include the following
gums: cellulose gum, guar gum, gum arabic, pectin, gelatin,
and locust bean gum. These are used, in addition to
carrageenan sometimes to stabilize beer foam, emulsify salad
dressings, and prevent crystals from forming on candy and ice
cream.
Casein and sodium caseinate are milk proteins used to thicken
and bleach. They can be found in coffee creamers, frozen
custard, ice cream and ice milk.
4c. Flavor it Caramel
1. What happened to the sugar as it heated?
It melted and became straw-colored. The sugar was broken down
into its chemical components, water and carbon, as it was
heated. Sugar melts at 320 degrees F. and starts to break down
or decompose at 356 degrees F. Sugar that is partly broken
down is called caramel.
2. Did the color change? Why or why not?
Yes, the melted sugar changed from straw-colored to a dark brown
color as more and more carbons formed while the sugar was de-
composing.
Dig Deeper-Heating Caramel Even Longer
The sugar is no longer sweet because it broke down completely.
Dig Deeper-What Foods and Seasonings Contain Caramel?
Caramel, if used as an additive in food products, usually is
used for color, such as in main dish hamburger convenience mixes
(dry sauce packet), certain microwave food products, and dry
gravy mixes. Some caramel toppings and sauces use caramel as a
flavoring.
4d. Spoilers or Helpers?
1. Which banana slice shoed the fastest and most decomposition?
A. The banana treated with yeast.
2. How do the banana/yeast and no-yeast slices differ?
A. The yeast feeding on the banana caused it to break down
into smaller parts; it decayed. (In this instance, yeast
acts as a decomposer, breaking down food so other organisms
can use it.) The untreated banana slice has darkened because
it was exposed to air, but it is not decomposing.
3. Describe how the yeast acted under refrigeration.
A. Very little or no differences can be seen on the
refrigerated banana/yeast slice because refrigeration
slows down the action of yeast.
Dig Deeper-Foods for Yeast to Feed On
The action of yeast is fastest on sugary and starchy foods.
5a. Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Everywhere!
3. How has canning changed?
A. Home canning got its start when the mason jar was patented
in 1858. The method for canning at the time was "open kettle"
canning. Hot jars were filled to the brim with hot, fully
cooked food, then the lids were clamped on and a vacuum was
expected to form an airtight seal as the contents cooled.
The airtight seal was thought to be "proof against
contamination." When canning first began kettle canning was
used mostly for home canning fruit and tomatoes. This method
continued until World War II even though its limitation was
that it could be use only for strong acid foods. By the mid-
1940s, food scientists and microbiologists started to
discourage open-kettle canning because it was inadequate to
prevent the risk of spoilage. The USDA discourages the
practice of open-kettle canning. Other practices that are not
approved are the use of conventional ovens, microwave ovens and
dishwashers, steam canners, canning powders, jars with wire
bails and glass caps, one-piece zinc porcelain-lined caps.
5b. Roll-Up a Fruit Leather
3. Compare your leather roll with one you can buy at the store.
Homemade fruit leather may have more flavor depending on the
ripeness of the fruit used. Color may be slightly darker, but
the appearance and weight should be comparable. Use of in-
season fruits will lower the price.
5d. Pucker Up!
1. What acid is used to make pickles. A. Vinegar.
6a. Which Way is Best?
2. Which method cooks fastest? A. Lid on and with little water.
3. Describe the cooking instructions for green vegetables.
Wash thoroughly to remove sand, cut off woody and bruised
stems and leaves. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Pour 1/2 " water into a sauce pan (or cook spinach in water
that clung to leaves from washing). Bring to a boil.
Add spinach, bring to a boil again, and keep uncovered for
1-2 minutes. Cover pan, and let simmer until tender about
2-4 additional minutes. Drain and season to taste.
4. Describe cooking instructions for yellow vegetables.
Peel with vegetable peeler to remove thin layer of skin.
Remove ends; rinse. Leave baby carrots whole; cut larger
carrots into slices or strips. Pour 1/2 inch water into a
saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, cover pan, bring
to a boil again. Let simmer until tender, about 15-20
minutes for whole baby carrots, 8 to 13 minutes for slices
or strips. Drain and season to taste.
Dig Deeper-Yellow and Green Vegetable and Cooking Methods
Cooking methods for orange colored vegetables is not
critical in maintaining color.
When vegetable contain chlorophyll (green pigment), they
release organic acids when cooked which displace the magnesium
in chlorophyll and an olive green color is produced.
Chlorophyll is a water soluble pigment that can be leached out
in watery substances. The color change can be minimized by
cooking green vegetables uncovered for the first few minutes to
allow the acids that are released during cooking to escape.
Texture is least destroyed by steaming, stir-frying or
microwaving vegetables because minimal cooking water and
cooking time do not dissolve sugar, organic acids and flavor
components in the vegetables. Boiling in lots of water leaches
color and taste and makes the vegetables mushy.
2. What happens when a little bit of margarine or butter is added
to carotenoids? Do other pigments react this way?
Orange pigment can be seen in the butter. Carotenoids are fat-
soluble pigments, meaning they dissolve in fat. Other pigments,
such as chlorophyll, are water soluble and do not react this
way with butter.
6d. The Acid Test
1. What color is your cooked cabbage?
Red; however, if the cabbage was cooked too long, it turns
bluish purple. Red cabbage contains the chemical pigment
anthocyanin, an acid. Long cooking times release much of the
acid into the air with the steam, so the cabbage contains less
acid. In addition, water hardness may affect red cabbage's
cooked color. The harder the water, the greater the likelihood
the cabbage will turn bluish purple.
Dig Deeper-Making Cabbage More Appetizing
Vinegar is an acid. Adding vinegar to the cooked cabbage
makes it more acid, hence the color changes from bluish-purple
back to red. Some recipes call for the addition of an apple
when cooking cabbage because apples are acid-rich and will
help retain the cabbages red color; however, overcooking can
cause the acid to dissipate in the air.
Dig Deeper-Other Substances
Ammonia is basic, so the color will change to bluish. Salt and
sugar do not produce any color change. Baking powder may show
results of a weak acid since one of its components is an acid.
Note: Liquids with deep colors, such as coffee, cola, or
tomato juice will not work well because their own color masks
any color change. Try using just one or two drops of these
liquids.
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Updated 8/15/05