Edible Science

This week, experiments with bananas and dairy:

We all know that bananas turn from green to yellow when they ripen, but how many of us know why? This week the students examined the chemical composition of bananas and discussed what happens when things ripen. We experimented with the effects of air on the ripening process by creating different environments for each banana. Does it matter if the banana is exposed to air? To another ripened banana? We'll see! And best of all, we'll taste because this is edible science!


To further explore the ripening process, we turned our attention to milk and cream. After a discussion about what happens to milk to turn it to cream, yogurt, or cheese, we tried our hand at it! The students added cultures to cream to create our own version of creme fraiche, a French favorite. Within a few hours the cream should thicken and turn a bit sour. Now the students know what's behind the process... that is, if it all goes as planned!