Play with Your Food!

This may look like an advanced science experiment, but it’s much easier than it seems! No heat is required either, so it’s safe for kids of all ages. Bursting boba is fun to create and even more fun to snack on! Use them to top fruit salads or parfaits or mixed into water for a pop of flavor. 

 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

 

Blender

½ teaspoon sodium alginate

2 teaspoons calcium lactate

1 ½ cups juice (use juice without calcium as this will affect the chemistry and cause foam!)

4 cups water

Clear bowl

Squeeze bottle or syringe

Sieve

* Sodium alginate and calcium lactate can be tricky to find, but are can be easily ordered online!

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Add juice and sodium alginate to the blender.

2. Blend for one minute and let rest until the bubbles are gone, about  15 to 20 minutes.

3. Pour the mixture into a syringe or squeeze bottle.

4. Add 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of calcium lactate to a clear bowl and mix until completely dissolved.

5. To create the boba, drip small amounts slowly into the calcium lactate bath. Each ball will begin to form a gel.

6. Let each ball sit for three or four minutes in the bath.

7. When the balls are ready, use a spoon to carefully remove them from the bath and rinse with a sieve.

8. These are delicate, so serve immediately!