Kitchen Talk Solutions
Bite 3 - Food Safety and Science
3a. Green fuzzy stuff
Project skill: Storing fruits
Life skill: Using scientific methods
1. After two weeks, what happened to the fruit in
the bread sack that was stored in the refrigerator (control)?
Nothing - it looks the same but possibly a bit drier.
2. What happened to the fruit stored in a warm, dark,
place (variable)?
Fruits look like blue-green fuzzy balls. It is actually a colony of millions
of microorganisms growing together, called penicillius. This mold is the one
from which scientists make penicillin, the medicine that fights infection when
the body is sick.
3. How does this experiment suggest the best way to
store fruit?
In the refrigerator. Cold temperatures slow down the growth of molds and bacteria.
Molds grow fast in warm, moist places.
3b. Make your own yogurt
Project skill: Making yogurt
Life skill: Processing information
3. Besides eating the yogurt you made, how can you
use the yogurt as a substitute for other dairy products?
Yogurt can be used instead of milk or cream in gravies and ice creams; instead
of sour cream in dips and dressings, such as on gyros sandwiches, or as a topping
on cheesecake; instead of ice cream in milk shakes; and instead of mayonnaise
or salad dressing in fruit salads and lettuce salad dressings.
3c. Reheating leftovers
Project skill: Reheating leftovers
Life skill: Preventing illness
4. What should you do with a leftover if you don't
know how long it's been in the refrigerator?
The leftover should be thrown away. Refer to the saying, "When
in doubt, throw it out."
©Copyright (2002) Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907. All Rights Reserved.