How does starch turn a thin liquid into a thicker sauce?
Starch granules change when heated with water: they absorb water, swell, and release material into the surrounding liquid. The thickening depends on the starch and mixture, rather than one universal temperature.
Questions you could explore
- What is changing at the granule level?
- Why might different formulations thicken differently?
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- Institute of Food Science and TechnologyCarbohydrates: gelatinisation
The Institute of Food Science & Technology explains starch gelatinization and thickening during heating.
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