Learn the science behind:
No, we can’t answer the philosophical question, of why a lemon has a yellow color. But, we can explain what it is that makes a lemon yellow. Hint, it’s molecules, a specific group of molecules called carotenoids.
When eating your cereal, whether it’s early in the morning, or late at night, have you ever thought about the texture of the soft raisins and hard crunchy bits? If you did, by any chance, you might have been wondering…
Some say you need a year, others say you can’t start any later than at Stir-Up Sunday, and yet others make it in a day: Christmas cake (or pudding, definitions overlap somewhat but not completely). So what’s the correct answer?…
Oranges are orange. Not sure which was named first here, the fruit or the color? But, that’s not what we’re interested in anyway. We want to know, why do oranges have this bright, orange color? What is the underlying chemistry?…
They stand right next to each other in the store: golden, or yellow, brown raisins. They seem identical, except for their color. Is that true? Is their color the only difference? And if so, why even are most raisins brown,…
Raisins are dried grapes, nothing more, and nothing less (most of the time). But, since grapes contain a lot of water, it requires some smart processing and proper quality control to make sure those grapes actually turn into raisins.
Orange, purple, green, or bright red. You can find fruits and vegetables of just about any color out there. Some of them are very stable. Others disappear easily, or can even change color. Want to control the color of your…
New year’s celebrations have resulted in a lot of, once-a-year snacks, all over the world. In the Netherlands, you’re bound to find a pile of oliebollen in most homes. But, aside from this typical staple, don’t discount its fruity alternatives,…
Once you’ve peeled your banana or apple, you’d better eat it. Leave it unattended for a couple of hours and you’ll get back to an unappetizing brown piece of fruit. Same for pears, avocados, potatoes and plenty of other fruits…
As a people, we seem to have managed to make alcoholic drinks from all sorts of produce. Grains are transformed into beer, or spirits (e.g. whiskey). Grapes are transformed into wine, pears into perry, and apples, into cider. Making an…
Every year in August/September our pear trees give us a good supply of pears. They’re not the pretties, but sure are tasty. We have two types: Conference and Doyenne du Comice and once they start coming off that tree we…
Fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, they’re delicious and juicy. But, they’re also very seasonal and fragile. There’s a reason they tend to be sold in sturdy plastic containers, even a slight bruise ruins them. The presence of these brightly colored fruits…