UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

College of Education
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

ND733L
Basic Foods 1 Laboratory

Activity #6

Starchy Gels

PARANA, KATHLEEN

PASCUAL, RENCHELE

RODRIGUEZ, CZARINA

SAMSON, ZEKINAH GRACE

SANCHEZ, ANNE DOMINIQUE

SANCHEZ, PAMELA BIANCA

SANTOS, LORENZO MIGUEL

TEOPENGCO, JOSE PAOLO

1N4

Group 6

Mr. Emanuelle Mistades

October 24,2019
 I. Introduction

The starch gelatinization is a chemical reaction involving starch, moisture and heat.
It is the thickening of starch in the presence of moisture and heat. It turns to a colloidal
system from a temporary suspension to a permanent suspension. Gelatinization refers on
temperature that depends on the types of starch, amount of water, the number of damaged
starch granules, pH, and other recipe ingredients. In this activity, different kinds of starches
were used how they differ in temperature. The gelatinization of starch promotes the
denaturation of protein with the coagulation of gluten. The objective of this activity is to
know and analyze the different kinds of starches that can be used in thickening, gelling,
binding and filling, structure, coating, diluent, and other cooking methods of starches.

II. Materials and Methods

Materials
● Saucepan
● Custard Cup
● Liquid Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoon
● Mixing Bowl
● Wooden Spoon
● Silicon Spatula

Ingredients
● Lemon
● Oil or Butter
● 4 Tablespoon of Starch (Cornstarch, All Purpose Flour, Rice Flour, Cake Flour,
and Dextrinized Flour)
● 1 Cup of Coconut milk
● 1/4 Cup of White Granulated Sugar
● 1/8 Cup of Water

Methods

Types of Starches
For the preparation, the student used different types of starches such as cornstarch,
all-purpose flour, rice flour, cake flour, and dextrinized flour to make the gel starch. The
following was done on each of the starch samples. A quarter cup of white granulated sugar
was blended with four tablespoons of starch. Next, a cup of water was poured and stirred
then scalded in a saucepan. After scalding, the mixture was slowly poured into a cup of
coconut milk while stirring constantly. Then it was cooked to boil with constant stirring to
prevent lumps and burns from appearing. The temperature was noted when the mixture
began to thicken and change its appearance from opaque to a translucent consistency. Then,
the mixture was placed into greased cups then cool at room temperature.

Varying Concentration
The preparation of starch had the same procedure that was applied in preparation
of the starch. Although the first and second trial had different amounts of starch
incorporated in the procedure. The first trial used 4 tablespoon of starch while the second
trial only used 2 tablespoon of starch. The starch was eventually mixed with sugar and
water, stirred and lastly coconut milk was added.The mixture was stirred thoroughly to
prevent lumping of the starch gel. After agitating the starch, the mixture started to thicken
and yielded a translucent consistency. The temperature was recorded, and finally poured
into the greased custard cups.

Effects of Acid and Sugar

The first trial and the second trial had different measurements of sugar. The first
trial followed the original recipe that was 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar while the
second trial was 1/8 cup of Granulated Sugar. The third trial followed the procedure of the
first with the following alteration; doubled sugar content, no sugar , and added lemon juice.
The double sugar added was 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar. The no sugar solution, of
course, had the sugar content removed. And, the cornstarch was mixed with 3 teaspoons of
lemon juice. The mixture was slowly poured into a cup of coconut milk while stirring
constantly. Then they were cooked to boil with constant stirring to prevent lumps and burns
from appearing. The temperature was noted when the mixture began to thicken and change
its appearance from opaque to a translucent consistency. Then, the mixture was placed into
greased cups then cool at room temperature.
 III. Discussion of Results

TREATMEN TEMP (C) TEMP (C) RATING APPEARANCE FLAVO MOUTHFEE TEXTUR
T WHEN THE OPAQUE TO (out of 5) R L E
MIXTURE TRANSLUCEN
STARTS T
TO
THICKEN

Cornstarch 62° 75° 4 Shiny,formed, Sweet Thick smooth Formed

turned opaque
after cooling
down

APF 56° 74° 4 Formed, opaque Sweet Thick, Viscous

gel smooth

Glutinous 59° 70° 5 Formed, Sweeter Smooth, Viscous,

Rice Flour translucent gel than sticky sticky
other
starch
gels
samples

Cake flour 65° 72° 3 Formed, shiny Little Took a while Viscous,
sweet to breakdown formed

Dextrinized 70° 90° 2 Powdery Sweet Mushy Mushy

Flour

No Sugar 64° 85° 1 Formed, gel Salty, Grainy Viscous,

bland well
formed

Decreased 75° 90° 3 Less formed Less Less thick, Viscous,

Cornstarch than cornstarch sweet smooth gel, less
formed

Decreased 65° 95° 4 Less formed Less Smooth. Less

APF than APF, sweet pliable formed
translucent gel

Decreased 75° 93° 5 Opaque gel, less Sweet Smooth, Viscous,

Glutinous formed than sticky sticky
Rice Flour rice starch

Decreased 74° 90° 4 Shiny, smooth, Less Smooth, Slippery,

 Cake Flour less formed, gel sweet breaks in the nosticky
mouth

Double Sugar 85° 105° 3 Shiny paste Sweetest Smooth, thick Thick
formed
paste

Acid 90° 100° 2 Shiny gel Sour Smooth, thick Gelatinous

The cornstarch solution resulted to an opaque formed gelatin. It was more formed
than the other starches due to a larger percent of amylose that is 25%. The appearance
changed after it cooled down. It started as a translucent and viscous mixture and changed
to an opaque formed gel after cooling down. This is because of the process called
retrogradation (syneresis). This occurs when the gel cools - water forms above the gel
while the amylose molecules, bond together. It was sweet because of the starch that was
broken down into simpler sugars, sucrose and the coconut milk.

The all purpose flour solution formed an opaque,thick yet viscous gel. This is due
to the protein content of the flour used, it said to be that an all purpose flour maybe available
in bleached or unbleached variety. In this experiment, bleached APF was used.
Nevertheless, all purpose flour is also known as refined flour, this type of flour is known
to have very few protein content or sometimes has zero protein content. This is one of the
possible reasons why this solution yielded a viscous texture because the protein and gluten
content of a flour affects the interaction of starch to water.

The glutinous rice flour resulted to a formed and translucent mixture. It started as a
translucent viscous mixture but like cornstarch and other starches, it turned to gel after
cooling down. It was sticky, smooth and less formed because of its lesser amylose content
that is with a ratio of 20:80 of amylose and amylopectin respectively. Like cornstarch it
was sweet because of the starch that was broken down into simpler sugars, sucrose and the
coconut milk.

Cake flour, is a type of flour that has low protein and gluten content. As stated
earlier, the low protein content of this type of flour may be a possible factor why it yielded
a viscous texture.

The dextrinized flour formed a mushier texture compared to the other flours. This
was due to the process of dextrinization which breaks down the starch to become sweeter
dextrins in the presence of dry heat. At the same time, it loses the ability to thicken, hence
the less formed texture..
 The decreased corn starch, all purpose flour, rice starch and cake flour all took
longer to form gel compared to their regular counterparts' gels. Their gel’s also all ended
up being formed and viscous also. However, compared to their normal counterparts, they
are less formed and viscous. The decrease in starch means more sugar. This delays
gelatinization because sugar competes with starch for available water. This is also the
reason for the increase in the temperature needed for gelatinization.

The double sugar solution’s gel ended up also being formed and viscous. However,
this was not the correct output. As previously stated, the increase in sugar also increases
the competition for water. Therefore, the texture of the gel should even be less formed than
that of the decreased flours. The correct texture would be a thick yet runny gel.
Additionally, the increase in sugar also increases the sweetness of the gel.

The acid solution yielded a shiny gel appearance and viscous appearance. However,
this was not the correct output. This should result into a less viscous yet runny texture. This
is due to the acid added which is lemon juice allowing acid hydrolysis to take place. The
biological form of starch is altered whenever acid is added, because acid breaks down the
bonds of the starch into a monomer which weakens the ability of the starch to thicken. This
inaccuracy may be a result of not adding enough acid in the mixture to ease the break down
process.

The result of each of the starch tests vary in temperature, appearance, flavor,
mouthfeel and texture. Generally, starches dissolves in warm water that causes it to swell
and burst releasing more starch particles in the liquid that causes the mixture to thicken.
The temperature for most starches to gelatinize occurs at 56oC - 75oC. This goes in line
with all the starches used except for the doubled sugar and acid mixtures. The doubled
sugar content increases the competition for water delaying the gelatinization process.
While for the acid mixture, the lessened ability to thicken increases the temperature needed
for the starch to gelatinize.

There were some possible errors to take note of. The first being the inaccuracy of
the thermometers used.While a bimetallic thermometer can be used to measure the
temperature of the heating the gels, it was also less effective as compared to using a candy
thermometer as ther metallic portion of the thermometer may have affected the readings.
Another factor could be that the stove was on high heat for a portion of the experiment.
This may have affected how the starch started to gelatinize due to the amount of heat being
applied onto it. Retrogradation or syneresis may have also occurred while cooling down
the gels. This process usually occurs when the gel cools. Water forms above the gel while
the amylose molecules, bond together.
IV. Conclusion
The main objective of this study is to know the different starch gelatinization The
results yielded varied by means of amount sugar, starch or acid added, temperature,
appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and texture. The recipe calls for heating the mixture while
stirring it to prevent lumping and scorching until boiling point is reached.Therefore the
amount of acid or sugar and temperature is the crucial part in starch gelatinization because
if there is more sugar it tends to delay the gelatinization for it competes with starch for
available water. When an acid is added to the mixture it tends to weaken the ability of
starch to thicken for it breakdown the bonds of starch reducing it to a monomer, also when
it is left to room temperature it has a tendency to alter the gelatin’s desired outcome.

V. Post Guide Questions

1. What is gelatinization?
Starch gelatinization is a process of breaking down the intermolecular bonds
of starch molecules in the presence of water and heat, allowing the hydrogen
bonding sites to engage more water.

2. Is dextrinization a form of gelatinization? If yes, why? If not, explain the process

of gelatinization.
No, during gelatinization, the starch granule absorbs water, swells and loses
its crystallinity; while in dextrinization, which is favored by extrusion at lower
moisture contents, the starch granule is torn apart physically. Both processes cause
the starch to become more readily digested.

3. What is the difference between starch and flour? How does this difference influence
the use of the two products in the cookery?
Starch is extracted from carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes, corn and
wheat while flour is made by grinding raw grains.

4. State the effect of acid and sugar in the starchy gels.

Cornstarch paste with acid and sugar results in a thin paste. The added sugar
contributes to the translucency reported in the warm paste while the acid inhibits
gelatinization by breaking down starch.

5. What was the effect of decreasing the concentration of starch used in starchy gels?
The gel strength of the starchy gel will decrease since the greater the amount
of amylase, the firm the gel is (greater the gel strength).
 6. Did all the types of starches used in the experiment formed identical products? Why
or why not?
No, since the type of starches were prepared in different ways that affected
each of its texture hence the different form of the products.

VI. Documentation
PROCESS PICTURES

FIGURE NO. 1:
● In the preparation of the essential ingredients
such as coconut milk, flour, butter, Lemon
Juice, Sugar, and water.

FIGURE NO. 1

FIGURE NO. 2:
● In the preparation of cornstarch, add 1/4 cup
of white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix it well

FIGURE NO. 2
FIGURE NO. 3:
● In the preparation of All Purpose Flour, In the
preparation of cornstarch, add 1/4 cup of
white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of All Purpose Flour. Mix it well

FIGURE NO. 3

FIGURE NO. 4:
● In the preparation of Cake Flour, In the
preparation of cornstarch, add 1/4 cup of
white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of Cake Flour. Mix it well

FIGURE NO. 4
FIGURE NO. 5:
● In the preparation of Dextrinized Flour, In the
preparation of cornstarch, add 1/4 cup of
white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of Dextrinized Flour. Mix it well

FIGURE NO. 5

FIGURE NO. 6:
● In cooking the cornstarch, add 1 cup of
coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in surface
and lumps. After it starts to thicken, put it in
the greasy custard cups

FIGURE NO. 6

FIGURE NO. 7:
● In cooking the All Purpose Flour, add 1 cup
of coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in
surface and lumps. After it starts to thicken,
put it in the greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 7
FIGURE NO. 8:
● In the preparation of Rice Flour, add 1/4 cup
of white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of Rice Flour. Mix it well. In
cooking the Rice Flour, add 1 cup of coconut
milk, stir it to prevent burn in surface and
lumps. After it starts to thicken, put it in the
greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 8

FIGURE NO. 9:
● In cooking the Dextrinized Flour, add 1 cup
of coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in
surface and lumps. After it starts to thicken,
put it in the greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 9
FIGURE NO. 10:
● In the preparation of double sugar cornstarch,
add 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/8 cup of water
and 4 tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix it well.
In cooking the double sugar cornstarch, add 1
cup of coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in
surface and lumps. After it starts to thicken,
put it in the greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 10

FIGURE NO. 11:

● In the preparation of no sugar cornstarch, add
1/4 cup of white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and
4 tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix it well. In
cooking the no sugar cornstarch, add 1 cup of
coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in surface
and lumps. After it starts to thicken, put it in
the greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 11
 FIGURE NO. 12:
● In the preparation of cornstarch with lemon
juice, add 3 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/4 of
white sugar, 1/8 cup of water and 4
tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix it well. In
cooking the no sugar cornstarch, add 1 cup of
coconut milk, stir it to prevent burn in surface
and lumps. After it starts to thicken, put it in
the greasy custard cups.

FIGURE NO. 12

FIGURE NO. 13:

● Complete presentation of different starches

FIGURE NO. 13

VII. References

Brown, A. (2011). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation, Fourth Edition.

Belmont, CA. Cengage Learning.
Scientific cooking. Retrieved from: https://scientificcooking.weebly.com/gelatinisation.html
Gelatinization. Retrieved from: https://www.smartkitchen.com/resources/gelatinization
Miura, H., & Tanii, S. (1994). Endosperm starch properties in several wheat cultivars preferred
for Japanese noodles. Euphytica, 72(3), 171–175. doi:10.1007/bf00034154
Morrison, W. R., & Gadan, H. (1987). The amylose and lipid contents of starch granules in
developing wheat endosperm. Journal of Cereal Science, 5(3), 263–275. doi:10.1016/s0733-
5210(87)80027-9