Things are heating up in Jan Term Food Science class

Students in science teacher Elinor Wilson’s Food Science class recently made a wide range of delicious foods including breads, cookies, cake, muffins, mac and cheese, pavlovas, jam and pad thai, and for good measure, learned about the science involved in food prep and sustainability.  

Through the process of preparing various baked items, students learned about what causes different baked goods to rise (hint: it’s baking soda, baking powder, and/or yeast).  

Students also participated in independent projects where they were able to choose what they wanted to prepare and learned about sustainability relating to the items they prepared. In addition, they did research on the science of cooking techniques for their independent projects and learned about thickening agents, sugar ratios in cookies, and stabilizers for whipped eggs. 

They also did a lab about the “five-second rule” and whether or not it’s accurate in terms of culturing bacteria (hint: it’s a myth!).