By contributing writer Marci
Thanksgiving might be the starchiest of holidays. Think mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, breads, stuffing, even pumpkin pie. Ugh… I’m miserably full just thinking about it.
Why not turn this into a science experiment and freak out all your low-carb eating family and friends?
Testing for Starch
There is an easy indicator test for starch that you can do at home. You might already have the indicator solution in your medicine cabinet – Iodine. When iodine comes into contact with starch, the iodine turns from orange to dark blue, instantly.
To test if your foods contain starch, place several foods that you want to test on a plate and simply add a drop of iodine. (We used iodine tincture from the antiseptic section at Walgreens for $3.99.)
If there is no starch, the iodine stays orange/brown. If starch is present, the result is a dark blue color.
What’s Happening?
Starch is made up of two components – amylose and amylopectin. The amylose molecules react with the iodine ions and create the blue color.
This test will not work for sugar, another type of carbohydrate.
Grab your bottle of iodine and test your Thanksgiving feast. You all might be surprised where all the starch is hiding.
Israel R Ndoma says
What is the role of amylopectin in starch