{"id":23334,"date":"2013-11-21T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2013-11-21T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/homeschool\/?p=23334"},"modified":"2013-11-14T20:51:22","modified_gmt":"2013-11-15T01:51:22","slug":"testing-for-starch-science-experiment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/homeschool\/testing-for-starch-science-experiment\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing for Starch Science Experiment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Testing<\/p>\n

By\u00a0contributing writer\u00a0Marci<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Thanksgiving might be the starchiest of holidays. Think mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, breads, stuffing, even pumpkin pie. Ugh\u2026 I\u2019m miserably full just thinking about it.<\/p>\n

Why not turn this into a science experiment and freak out all your low-carb eating family and friends?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Testing for Starch<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.)<\/p>\n

\"Testing<\/p>\n

If there is no starch, the iodine stays orange\/brown. If starch is present, the result is a dark blue color.<\/p>\n

What’s Happening?<\/h2>\n

Starch is made up of two components – amylose<\/em> and amylopectin<\/em>. The amylose molecules react with the iodine ions and create the blue color.<\/p>\n

This test will not<\/strong>\u00a0work for sugar, another type of carbohydrate.<\/p>\n

Grab your bottle of iodine and test your Thanksgiving feast. You all might be surprised where all the starch is hiding.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

More from The Happy Housewife<\/h3>\n