As the weather takes a turn into cooler temperatures I find myself longing for maple syrup. I want to imbue its flavor into everything I bake, be it savory or sweet. Well, if you're wondering where that sweet sap comes from and how we get it, look no further!
Looking for a new treat to spread on your morning toast? Want a wicked spoonful to stir into your cup of coffee? What if I told you there was a way to make maple syrup so thick that it wouldn't run off your waffles and pancakes? Well friends, the wait is over. With little more than some basic chemistry knowledge you'll be able to work magic in the kitchen with a bottle of maple syrup. Get ready, because this is your new addiction.
Though you may think of soft serve as something purely to be purchased at a carnival or ballpark, think again! Using dry ice in the kitchen really pays off here, a little science goes a long way when it comes to ice cream.
Want the secret to a killer party trick? Buy a pound of dry ice and make your guests instant soft serve ice cream after dinner, then toss your hair over your shoulder and say, "Oh, this? It's nothing." Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and reaches dangerously low temperatures (-109 degrees!), which is perfect for making icy desserts.
I'm a sucker for candy, particularly candy of the sucking variety. Though to be honest, when I'm presented with a stick of rock candy I am much more likely to crunch its crystals to smithereens than delicately decay them with saliva. There is something so terribly pleasing about the obliteration of sugar between teeth.
Hitting the gym and getting sweaty? When you're finished with a workout your body needs a boost of minerals in addition to a healthy dose of H2O. Shake up this quick drink and bid adieu to bottled sports drinks. You've got the ingredients on hand already, electrolytes full steam ahead!
We see so many popular athletes advertising Gatorade and other sports drinks that we assume they’re the best option for electrolyte replenishment after a hard workout. But the truth is, as with many packaged goods, that we can do far better with a few ingredients from our pantries!
The secret to avoiding mealy fruit this summer lies in temperature control. Learn the science behind those unfortunate peaches and get some tips on storing your favorites while the weather is still warm!
What was once a tool fit only for commercial kitchens has been adapted for your home! The Nomiku is an immersion circulator for the modern cook. Control temperature within a fraction of a degree for perfect cooking.
This is not a new trick, it is simply good, old, cooking at its best. When we slowly replace water content in food with sugar we act to reduce the amount of H2O necessary to support the growth of bacteria and microbes. Which is to say, we preserve the food. Sugar is a most excellent prison for your lemons. Keep them alive far past their due date with this solution.
What is a morning without the powerful aroma of coffee twisting through your skull? Learn the history behind the world's most popular beverage and start roasting your own beans at home today!
Get in touch with your rural self and shake some butter in a jar tonight. The traditions that kept our prairie-selves alive are ripe for the picking, no need for fancy equipment here just a jar and some cream!
Get shaking kids. We made butter on Home and Family this week and there's no reason you shouldn't follow suit. Warning: full science lesson attached to this one. Nerd alert.
High flying acrobatics ensue when we heat the tiny water droplet trapped inside corn bran. Learn the reason behind the sound in this quick lesson on popcorn!
I love the flavor schmaltz brings to the corn, making something already spicy and salty ever more savory. Regardless of the fat you use here, you'll have to remind yourself to walk away from the bowl. Otherwise you'll eat it in one sitting.
Though I normally skew toward the savory side when it comes to popcorn, this flavor has me eating greedy handfuls. What started as a chocolate drizzle, morphed into a cocoa dusting when I started experimenting in the kitchen.
Let me save you from the terrifying moments when you realize, mid-cake, that you're missing an ingredient. A little chemistry goes a long way when it comes to kitchen hacks!
This is the cake built on mistakes. When you run out of certain ingredients in the kitchen, it's always helpful to know the chemistry behind what you're missing. Do you need to mimic fat? Acid? Leavening? In this case, I took every major substitution I know and used them to build a cake.
The cold sweat that drips down your neck when you realize you're missing an ingredient, and the cake batter is halfway finished, is real. You have guests scheduled to arrive in mere hours, nay, minutes. Do you rush to the store and grab a bundt cake shelled in plastic? Oh no, not here. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.
Sugar presents us with some of the more accessible chemistry in the kitchen, and peanut brittle is an excellent example. Toss some baking soda into the bubbling caramel and let the carbon dioxide do the heavy lifting.
