Vinegar Volcanoes
A fun, science classic using vinegar and baking soda that can also be used to make a crispy batter for a yummy tea….
Ingredients
Volcanoes: bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), vinegar, flour, salt, oil, selection of vegetables
Veggies: bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, foil, egg cup/shot glass, small plate/saucer, tray, food colour/paint (red, yellow or orange), washing-up liquid
Receipe
1. Prepare your supper
Prepare the vegetables (chop onions into rings and peppers, courgettes or carrots into thin sticks, top and tail green beans, chop broccoli into small florets, use sweetcorn to make fritters)
Mix half a cup of flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda
Add half a cup of water and 1 tbsp vinegar and mix well
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan or wok
Dip the vegetables in the batter and fry in batches until golden
Tip: take care with the hot oil - lay away from you as you put them in
Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt
2. Do some science
Place the glass or egg cup on a small plate then cover with foil as shown and poke a hole in the top to make your volcano, use a tray to contain the mess
Add 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda to the egg cup
Add some food colouring/paint plus squirt of washing up liquid
Add a spash of vinegar and watch it erupt
What’s going on? The science in a sentence… Vinegar, an acid, reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, a base, to produce the bubbles of gas called carbon dioxide.
Notes
Experiment with different containers (thin tubes work well), colours and quantities for the volcano. Can you make a rainbow one? There are some great videos of vinegar volcanos online; check out this one from Ryan’s World.
The batter also works well with fish – serve with chips and peas for the perfect Friday night supper. If you find the batter doesn’t stick well to fish, try dusting with flour first.
