Recipe: Craft Activity: Applesauce Oobleck

Hi! I'm Cornstarch!

"You can probably guess by my name that I'm made from corn! I've got other names, too, including Cornflour and Maize Starch (you can also spell my name Corn Starch). I'm used to thicken foods, like sauces and soups. I'm also used in glues and as an anti-sticking agent. That confuses me, but I like that I have so many purposes!"

• Cornstarch comes from the endosperm or tissue, making up the bulk of the corn kernel. In commercial processing, after soaking, the germ is separated from the endosperm and they are ground individually. A centrifuge separates the starch from the liquid (corn steep liquor), germ, fiber, and gluten. It is then dried. The residual matter is processed for animal feed and corn oil. Additional modifications to the cornstarch may be necessary, depending on its use.
• Cornstarch started as a laundry starch in the 1800s to stiffen shirt collars and other clothing, like the Paisley shawls made in Paisley, Scotland. In 1854, John Polson of Brown & Polson, the Scottish company that made the laundry starch for the shawls, patented a production method to enable its use in food. They called their product "Patented Corn Flour." They became the largest producers of cornstarch in the United Kingdom.
• In the culinary world, cornstarch is used as a thickening agent. Add cornstarch to water to thicken gravies, sauces, and soups, usually at a 1:2 ratio (e.g., 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water). Cornstarch results in a clearer thickening slurry than flour. After pouring it into a gravy or sauce, applying heat to the mixture causes it to thicken. However, boiling it for too long will cause the sauce to thin again. 
• Cornstarch is also added to powdered sugar as an anti-caking agent (to prevent lumps). Adding a thin outer layer of cornstarch to chicken nuggets allows more oil to be absorbed, creating a crisper nugget.  
• Non-food uses for cornstarch include baby powder, anti-sticking agent on latex medical items, like medical gloves, and adhesive in creating paste paper designs. 
• You can make cornstarch at home. Start by cleaning and soaking corn for 30 to 48 hours in room-temperature water to soften the kernels and begin to separate the starch. Drain and rinse the corn, then blend it in a high-powered blender with a little water to release more starch. Pour the resulting slurry into a container through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer. Liquid will pass through with the starch. Let it sit for a few hours, and the starch will settle at the bottom of the container. Pour off the liquid, leaving the starch at the bottom. Spread the wet starch in a thin layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let it dry out. This may take several hours or days, depending on air circulation and moisture. Breaking up clumps and laying the baking sheet by a sunny window may speed up the drying. Once thoroughly dried, use a blender or food processor to remove clumps and produce a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to six months.