How to Make Boba STEM Science Experiment
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My daughter is obsessed with boba (even though I hate it!) so I thought it would be a fun science experiment and learn how to make boba! Believe it or not there is quite an extensive science behind creating the perfect boba! Research spherification if you want to extend your learning!
It’s incredibly easy to make boba at home! Turn it into a full school lesson as a food scientist by creating graphing charts and documenting boba shapes and preferred flavors, or just make it at home for fun with your kids! Below is the easy boba recipe and ingredients that you’ll need to make your own at home!
Ingredients Needed for Boba:
- Fruit juices and/or sodas (any flavor you like – some work better than others)
- Sodium alginate
- Calcium lactate
- Water
- Food coloring (optional to color your boba)
Tools:
- Syringe or pipette dropper
- Bowl or cup (We used small Dixie cups in a large group setting to cut costs)
- Small Strainer (or plastic spoons for large group settings)
The biggest thing to remember is that there is NO right or wrong when it comes to shapes, sizes and flavors of boba making! This is about experimenting and trying new things! I’ve made this with groups of kids as young as 5 years old! You’ll need to prepare two mixtures below before combining them together to make your boba.
The two main ingredients that you will probably need to purchase is calcium lactate (a calcium salt used to create the reaction that forms the popping boba) and sodium alginate (a gelling agent derived from seaweed). Some people have used calcium chloride instead of calcium lactate, but I went with calcium lactate because I heard it was a little easier to use with kids.
Mixture #1: Sodium Alginate Mixture
*Refrigerate your juice or soda BEFORE your experiment!* You can use any flavor of either beverage that you want. Every flavor, brand, and type of beverage will have a different affect on your boba colors, shapes and taste. We ultimately liked using a generic strawberry soda for our boba. This alone would be a great experiment!
Mix 1/2 cup refrigerated soda (or juice) with ¼ tsp sodium alginate, then add 1/2 c. more soda (or juice). Carefully sprinkle in the sodium alginate mixture so it doesn’t clump! Stir and mix together and put it to the side to let it sit for a few minutes.
NOTE – You can leave the sodium alginate mixture in the fridge overnight if you want to pre-prep it before class! It also helps the bubbles settle before using it, but this step is NOT required.
Mixture #2: Calcium Lactate Mixture
Stir together 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of calcium lactate. You can use warm water if you want but I’ve used regular tap water in a classroom setting without issues.
How to Make the Boba Pearls:
Using a pipette or syringe (we found pipettes the easiest for the kids to use, especially younger kids) drop one single drop of the sodium alginate mixture into the calcium lactate mixture. Each drop will become a drop of boba! See if you can get a perfectly round boba ball! Can you make a string of boba instead? Try using different “droppers” for different sizes!
Let your boba sit in the mixture for about a minute, then use a strainer or spoon to remove the boba. You do note want to drink the calcium lactate mixture, but having it on your boba won’t hurt you. Some people like to rinse the boba to remove the excess calcium but my kids are not patient enough for that and I definitely was not going to do that in a large classroom!
The longer you let your boba sit inside the calcium lactate mixture, the more dense it will become. Can you make squishy boba that pops with gel when pressed between your fingers? What about boba that is like tough gelatin? Which texture do you prefer? There is a LOT to learn with plenty of experimenting opportunities here!
The result will be popping boba with a juicy center that bursts when eaten the shorter time you leave it in the mix. I recommend about one minute for a good texture of boba. Want to make popping boba? Leave the mixture set for 30-40 seconds and then check on it!
Want to make boba milk tea? Add milk to your tea or juice then add in your boba pearls!
You can refrigerate any unused mixture for 1-2 days and make some more boba the next day – or just toss your extra liquid! A little goes a long way and the ingredients you buy can handle plenty of kids! I didn’t even use half of my ingredients with 25 kids!
Looking for more cool STEM experiments? Click here for STEM activities!
