Do you like to eat cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving? Here's an easy recipe that also teaches you something about a molecule called pectin. Be sure to do this with an adult. But best of all, it's an experiment you can eat when you're done!
Pectin is a polysaccharide, a long-chain molecule that is made up of sugar units - a sugar chain. Pectin dissolves in water, but it thickens the liquid. It's what's commonly used to make jam and jelly thick and spreadable. Pectin is found in many fruits, such as cranberries.
What you'll need:
4 cups (1 pound) of fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Deep pan for cooking
Spoon with a long handle
Wash the cranberries, picking out any that aren't red, or any leaves or other bits of plants. Mix the water and sugar and boil. Keep heating over medium until the solution turns clear. Add the cranberries and turn up the heat to high. Make sure that your pan is deep enough that the cranberry sauce won't spatter out. Watch the berries as they cook, but don't get too close to the hot mixture! Keep stirring, and notice how the cranberry sauce feels. After about 5-10 minutes, the sauce will start to thicken up, and the pectin molecules dissolves out of the berries. Cook just a few minutes more, then let the sauce cool. Store in the refrigerator, then eat within a few days. Enjoy!
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