edible paper

For the edible paper we only had enough time to make two of them. 

Making paper & packaging

Aim: To compare the material properties of edible rice paper resulting from three different recipes.

Terms & concepts you need to understand:

• Fiber

• Cellulose

• Material properties

• Starch

• Edible  

Method:

1. Write "Recipe 1" on one of the three sticky notes and stick it to a plate. Repeat for "Recipe 2" and "Recipe 3".

2. Stretch plastic wrap tightly over the microwavable plate so that it clings to the sides and does not touch the center of the plate, as shown in Figure 2.

3. Add 2 tbsp. of rice flour and about 1.5 tbsp. of water to the small bowl. Optionally, add a pinch of salt—this will be Recipe 1. 

4. Mix the ingredients until you have a smooth paste. The paste should have the consistency of white school glue, as shown in Figure 3. Add a little additional water if the paste is too stiff.

5. Pour the paste onto the plastic wrap. Spread the paste out evenly with a spoon and/or by tilting the plate.

6. Put the plate in the microwave and heat the paste on high for about 45 seconds to dry it (note that the exact duration depends on your microwave). The sheet of paper will look dry when it is done, as shown in Figure 5. (Safety note: In general, food should not touch plastic wrap while it is being heated in a microwave, but it is fine occasionally for items of which you eat relative small quantities.)

7. Let the sheet of paper cool. The edges might curl up a bit while cooling.

8. Carefully peel the sheet of paper from the plastic wrap. This can be tricky, so take your time! Removing the plastic wrap from the plate first might help. Turning over the plate with plastic wrap and paper is another strategy. You can also ask an adult to help with this step. Figure 6 shows a sheet of paper made with Recipe 2.

9. Lay your finished sheet of paper on the plate with the correct recipe number.

10. Now it's time to make Recipe 2. Repeat steps 2 to 8, but this time mix 1 tbsp. of rice flour, 1 tbsp. of potato starch, and about 1.5 tbsp. of water. Add the optional pinch of salt if you used it in the first recipe.

11. Finally, make Recipe 3 using the same procedure, but leave out the rice flour. Mix 2 tbsp. of potato starch and about 1.5 tbsp. of water. Again, add the pinch of salt if you have used it previously.

12. If any of your paper sheets did not turn out well, try that recipe one more time. Note that it is harder to make paper from some recipes than others, but even a small sheet will work for this activity.

13. Repeat the paper making procedure for each recipe one more time so that, if all goes well, you have two sheets of paper for each recipe. This time, aim to produce sheets that are as thin as you can make them. It is ok if some break in the process. A small piece that you can test is enough for the project, and you will get better with practice.