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/sci/ - Science & Math

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5464972 No.5464972 [Reply] [Original]

If I stored cookies in an inert atmosphere (lets say argon), would it keep them from going stale indefinitely?

>> No.5464981

why dont you try it

we are scientists you know

>> No.5464984

I really fucking want those cookies.

>> No.5464986

depends what you mean by stale

chemical and biological changes would still occur

>> No.5465005

Why do you think packed foods such as chips, cookies, etc. don't go stale in the bag?

>> No.5465007

>>5464986
What about storing them in a vacuum?

>> No.5465008

>>5464986
So they might get moldy still?

>>5464981
I intend to.

>> No.5465011

What causes fresh baked cookies to lose their delicious moistness and heat? How might you stop it from happening?

>> No.5465015

>>5465007
vacuum would be worse, it would literally, officially, suck the moisture out of them

>> No.5465016

>>5465008
many bacteria don't need oxygen, in fact some are killed by it

>> No.5465023

>>5465011
If we put them in a centrifuge and accelerate it close to the speed of light, time relative to the cookie slows down from our frame of reference, staying delicious and warm almost indefinitely.

>> No.5465034

Staleness almost always refers to the transfer of moisture from the atmosphere to the food. It does not necessarily include chemical/biological changes.

>> No.5465036

>>5465023
That sounds hard, I think I'll bake a pie from scratch instead

>> No.5465041

Staleness is about dryness as well as any chemical reactions, so you'd still lose water.

also some bacteria are anaerobic. Think about the first steps in the breakdown of glucose in respirations. These bacteria might not affect cookies, but they would affect some other foods.

>> No.5465048

>>5465034
for bread it is the exact opposite you dumbass

>> No.5465078

>>5465023
My god... that's brilliant!

For just 150% of the United State's annual power consumption we could accelerate a single cookie to relativistic velocities. Enough to keep it 'fresh-out-of-the-oven' warm for a couple of weeks at least!

I can't think of a single reason NOT to pursue this!

>> No.5465082

>>5465008

be sure to post the results when youre finished on here

>> No.5465115

>Step 1. What makes cookies go stale?
Cookies go stale for the same reason bread goes stale, starch crystallization. We know this happens regardless of the environment around it, so putting it in a vacuum or inert gas (argon) does nothing. The starch will crystallize.

>Step 1a. What makes bread/cookies so good and fresh and moist etc. right out of the oven?
Heat. Heat breaks down these crystalline structures, making the bread nice and soft (assuming that there is water present at all and it hasn't been baked out, like crackers etc.).

>Step 2. Is there any way to reverse staling?
Reheat. That's why people microwave or toast bread when it's stale. Reheat cookies and enjoy softness. So while you can't, as far as I know, prevent staling entirely (since doing so would necessitate removing or altering the starches that make bread bread and cookies cookies), you can just reverse it.

>Further questions
Are there any consequences, beyond energy maintenance, of keeping cookies at the appropriate temperature? The only one I can think of is the eventual evaporation of all the water, turning them into hard crackers.


Pretty sure all of the above is right, correct me if I'm wrong though.

>> No.5465132

>>5465078
please tell me you did the math

>> No.5465140

>>5465115
>Cookies go stale for the same reason bread goes stale, starch crystallization. We know this happens regardless of the environment around it, so putting it in a vacuum or inert gas (argon) does nothing. The starch will crystallize.
nope

breads harden when they stale, cookies soften

>> No.5465197

>>5465140
No, soft cookies harden. Hard breads, like crackers and hard cookies, go soft when they turn stale because they had the moisture baked out of them (this is important, I already mentioned this in the previous post), so they're already hard and they're made with salt. When they're left in the air, they absorb moisture because of the salt and turn soft. Crackers and the like also undergo the staling process and their starches crystallize, causing a change in texture. It's the difference between a light and crispy, fresh cracker, and a tougher, 'leathery,' one.

>> No.5465212

>>5465197
Dude knows alot about biscuits.

>> No.5465222

>>5465011

Learn to microwave your muffins. They're fucking delicious when steamy, gooey and chewy.