Creating original, good dessert recipes isn’t easy. There are so many brownies recipes out there already, the same for a cupcake or ice cream recipe. Finding a book that really teaches you something new...
Welcome to FoodCrumbles.com!
Here we love to dig just a little deeper into food and science. We explain how food is made, how it's preserved & packaged and what the role of the ingredients in your food are. We also analyze recipes, so you understand why a recipe is the way it is! Last but not least, we give you tools to develop a basic understanding of food science! Have fun browsing around and don't forget to ask a question if you can't find the answer here!
Latest articles
Food Science Basics
Just getting started in the world of food science and want to get your fundamentals straightened out? No problem, we've got a good selection of articles for you.
How baking powder & baking soda work – Chemistry of leavening agents
Ever forgot to add the baking powder or baking soda to your recipe? Or used baking soda and baking powder in your cake, only to discover it resulted in a flat cake? Baking powder & baking soda have a crucial...
The science of distilling liquors
We know how to make spirits (we discussed that here), and we know that to make spirits (or liquors) you need to distill fermented grains. Distillation isn’t just used in spirits production though. It is one of any...
Lactic acid fermentation in food
Yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, none of these products would exist without lactic acid fermentation. This is a series of chemical reactions that transforms your ingredients into something pretty different (and delicious)...
Cake Science
Purple carrot cake – Baking with purple carrots
Carrots are orange, aren’t they? No, not necessarily! Purple and yellow carrots are a relatively new variation of carrots in our supermarket (at least in my perception, until I found out it’s actually the...
Science of a strawberry mousse mirror glaze cake
You don’t really understand food and recipes, until you’ve tried them. At least, that is my opinion. Once you’ve tried something a few times, it starts making more sense. This strawberry mousse mirror...
Bread Science
The benefits of using Maltogenic Amylase when baking bread
This is a guest post by Morgan Walker Clarke. Morgan is from Dallas, Texas, works in the hospitality industry and has an interest for food and science that he loves to share with us! Using enzymes in baking is not a new...
Vegetable Science
Ice Cream Science
Philadelphia style ice cream – An eggless chocolate ice cream
Before reading the book ‘Hello, my name is ice cream‘, I had never heard of Philadelphia style ice cream. Most of the ice creams I made myself were either by making a custard which I then churn in the ice...
How ice cream is made in a factory
Whether you make one bowl of ice cream at home, or 1000 liter in a factory, the science of ice cream stays the same. You’d still want small ice crystals, to make a super smooth ice cream and you’d like to...
Meat Science
Fruit Science
Candied cherries – Science of preserving cherries
You can find these bright red, slightly translucent fruits on top of cocktails, or topping off your refreshing sundae. The British also like to put them on top of their cakes. I’m talking about glacé or candied...
The power of lemons – Lemon science
After reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat I became a lot more aware of the importance of acid in food. Not just in a lemon meringue tart (even though those are delicious), in lemon bars or as a drizzle over a salad. Instead...
Cheese Science
Pie Science
Preventing soggy pie crust – On moisture migration
Water can be a food’s best friend, but also worst enemy. Water keeps a cake moist, strawberries juicy and ice cream solid (thanks ice crystals). But water can also make a cookie soggy, make oil splash and lack of...
Thickening with starch – Pie fillings
If you’ve ever made a meat pie, stew or sauce you know that one of the challenges is to get that right consistency. You don’t want it to be too runny, nor too thick. One of the most common tricks you might...
Cookie Science
Deciding which cocoa powder to buy – Chocolate Cookies
If you’d ask me to bake cookies, cakes or pies, chances are it will be a chocolate flavoured one. A good dark brown, slightly bitter, not to sweet, chocolate cookie or cake is almost always a guarantee for success...
Speculaaskruiden – A Dutch spice mix for pepernoten
Every year, at the start of autumn, all over the USA (and the internet), pumpkin spice mixes pop up. Even in Europe you can see it popping up in autumn, though not (yet) as prevalent. Pumpkin spice though isn’t...
