[Chemistry]

[Chemical Pie]

This project idea comes to you from Science AL!VE in Burnaby, British Columbia.

 [Science AL!VE]
[Purpose:]
This activity demonstrates the fact that all substances and mixtures are chemicals.

[Theory:]
People generally tend to associate the word "chemical" with pure substances that only scientists use. In real life, chemicals are usually found as complex mixtures that are all around us. For example, flour is a mixture of polysaccharides (starch) and proteins. Butter is a mixture of fats containing mostly carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This activity will involve the baking of an unusual apple pie, one that will require no apples. It tastes and looks like apple pie because our senses will be tricked into thinking that it is apple pie. Chemicals are used to reproduce the taste of apples, and the cracker pieces resemble and give the texture of apples.

[Chemistry Boy eating a pie]

[Materials:]

[Procedure:]
  1. Place 2 cups of water in the pot and heat until it boils.
  2. While the water is heating, mix 1.5 cups of sucrose with 1.5 tsps. potassium bitartrate.
  3. Add the mixture to the boiling water, a little at a time, and stir.
  4. Add 25 whole crackers, one at a time, to the boiling solution.
  5. Boil for about 3 minutes, but do not stir.
  6. Carefully pour the mixture into the tart shells.
  7. Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on top of the pie filling.
  8. Place small pieces of butter evenly over the filling.
  9. Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 400º Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.
  10. Cool, and enjoy eating your experiment.

Safety:
Be careful when pouring the hot filling into the pie shells. Have someone hold the pot (by the handle) while the water is boiling.

[Chefs at work]

[Conclusions:]
The cream of tartar produces a weak acid, which combines with the other ingredients to produce the tangy taste of apples. This acid, combined with the pieces of solid cracker, closely resembles the taste and appearance of apple pie.

The numerous artificial flavourings and colourings used in food processing are evidence of how chemistry is used in many of the foods that we eat.

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Last updated on 14 August 1998.