How to Make Popping Boba: The Science of Spherification

Boost your culinary creativity with the help of a molecular gastronomy technique called direct spherification! This video shows how you can make popping boba balls from juice and other liquids. We also provide tips and tricks to ensure you get the best results and reveal the science behind this fascinating process! As a special bonus, you’ll learn how to turn playing with spherification into a science project for school. Written instructions:
sbgo.org/popping-boba
Kit Available:
www.homesciencetools.com/prod...
You can also watch our reverse spherification video here: • Make Yogurt Boba With ... .
Science Buddies also hosts a library of instructions for over 1,500 other hands-on science projects, lesson plans, and fun activities for K-12 parents, students, and teachers! Visit us at www.sciencebuddies.org to learn more.
#STEM #sciencebuddies #spherification #directspherification #boba
-----------------Contents of this video--------------------
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - The Spherification Process
03:09 - The Science Behind Spherification
04:31 - Tips and Tricks
07:00 - Turning Spherification into a Science Project
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[@hayleesadler8165]

This kid is definitely going to do well in highschool science classes😳

[@urlocalautistic]

Yeah

[@CallMeStingRae]

This kid was probably told everything and is reading of a script lol

[@elizabethmakua-travis4009]

@@CallMeStingRae Script or not she is articulate, confident and creative. All traits of a very successful student. It’s cute you tried to take away from her abilities, but we all know you’re projecting from your own insecurities in yourself. Maybe do better and see the glass half full and not a crap cracked plastic cup like your greasy head.

[@lkx3353]

My friend this is called a child reading a script

[@BQ98632]

@@lkx3353 that the child may have written

[@melanie_meanders]

Love the idea that you’re giving tips how to turn it into a project. Most teachers are happy to let you choose your own project, especially when you’ve got your plan down like this!

[@ludwig112]

This is legit the only trustful and good Explanation of how to do popping boba, thank you so much lmao.

[@emilyennis8029]

This girl is going places, wouldn’t doubt if she already is. Well done !!!

[@ilikegum5102]

I'm pretty sure he's a boy!

[@pearlivory3483]

I sucked at science when I was a kid. This was actually interesting! Thanks!

[@promonax4176]

who watching this as they are drinking boba

[@austinbeck3424]

I about to order

[@POC3442]

Wish I was...

[@zmoore1103]

This is well executed and very informative. Thank you for explaining.

[@thespectre4587]

I love how there's science explanations to it all, instant subscribe

[@sophia.8379]

thank you this was so helpful for my science project

[@viridianagonzalez5324]

Amazing explanation. Thank you so much!

[@arthuralva2500]

This is a perfect explanation about it all, loved it

[@shaukatasghar1704]

This kid is a genius in the making . 👌🏻

[@sharonkende4774]

What a great video. I don't have to look up any equations. Nice explanation of the chemistry. This is fun to watch.

[@eliml.hnamte3033]

Such a cute voice and we can know its a voice of high intellectual.I love strawberry,blueberry and mango bubble tea with ice on it.

[@shabbirahmed4427]

This video is the one of the best I have seen 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@peterleter]

You've done a great job! ❤

[@MorganNaeNae]

This kid is great! Can we please get her a pop filter for her microphone? Her setup has to catch up to her ability!

[@reylopez4611]

Holy crap.. This kid is good explaining. Thank you little girl

[@nishantkumarsharma1085]

Beautifully explained the process and science

[@laurabarron7001]

Is there a way to preserve, or store, the spheres so that they can be sampled at a Science Fair? Or must they be made and tested within a few minutes, so that they do not keep hardening like the outer shell?

[@Science.Buddies]

Hi - sorry for the delayed reply - you can store the popping boba in the same solution they are made of - e.g. if you use strawberry lemonade, store them in a sealed container with strawberry lemonade. If you store them in water the flavor will diffuse out.

[@whimobsessed]

I really appreciate your detailed and informative video! I just got the things to make this for a fun summer science experiment with my kid and her friends! She's a huge fan of chemistry! ❤️ We watched together and decided it was a must!

[@Jupe367]

Very informative. I learn something today. Thanks!

[@machinegunangel]

Mind Blown! ♥️

[@cootcootkahoot292]

really good video!!! love the diagrams!!!!

[@virtuouswoman4life555]

I learned a lot from this video. Thanks.

[@JOHNSONWIELKI]

Awesome video, I love it so much! I'm definitely going to try this asap haha

[@ediblesafterwork3902]

This is incredible. Thank you for this

[@kkobwatchin]

Popping Boba! *giggle* This young lady is doing a great job orating the techniques. Her age aside, the script is thorough and it includes steps and curiosities that are often overlooked by professionals presenting the same techniques. I'm hooked.

[@GaiasRebirth]

very well made and easy to understand video, keep it up!^^

[@elizabethmakua-travis4009]

Perfect presentation. Some content creators could learn a thing or two from you. 😇😇😇

[@dlgaming150]

fr juus llike me-

[@adamnowakowski5581]

Hate bubble tea. Cant swallow it but when I heard of popping bobba... On a whole another level. It's like a party in my mouth haha. Had to know how it's made and best video to know! Thanks!

[@Gschneebs11]

Best video explanation I’ve seen!

[@Always_ZzZzZ]

all your facts and instructions about popping boba helped me so much!io then succeeded makeing ther best popping boba ever!thanjks for the am azing information!

[@ririkokoro]

This help me a lot, thanks

[@renz1744]

Hello. I just wanted to ask does it harden (like tapioca pearls) when its old? We did this on our culinary class but the more you not consume it right away, it turns into a solid and not a popping boba anymore

[@whitneyjordancohen]

We did this is my science class and wow 🤩

[@justinhenson3768]

Love the video! Could use one of those pop screens for the audio to help!

[@Science.Buddies]

Thanks for the compliment and the suggestion, Justin!

[@dhiamehta2901]

@@Science.Buddies 8koo

[@ryanadams0922]

I wonder if you could use an Adjustable Pipettor gun to get the precise amount of squeeze per ball

[@simonelambert3222]

Love it!

[@GabrielaJohnSwamy]

How long can I store the food+sodium alginate mixture?

[@Quartz.aep.]

Hello can I use tri sodium citrate, I couldn't find ones without 'tri'

[@-GMedhaR]

Hey, i tried this last night and my boba did not go down and settle. It just gir disolved in the calcium lactate solution, what im i supposed to do? . Or what mistake have i done

[@bruh_lol3893]

this is good for my grade 7 science fair project. Thanks

[@sayro5298]

What a beautiful video, lovely voice!!!

[@val71999]

who is this kid and how is she so good at voiceovers??

[@kittensmom207]

Would it still work, if the liquid, that should sphericade be frozen? That ways you can easier make big and equal bobas, or even special shapes, if you’ve got the fitting ice trays

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes - you can freeze the liquid before solidifying it. This method is called cryoshperification. It is more commonly applied with the reverse spherification technique but also works for direct spherification. When freezing the liquid, you can use molds to better control the shape and size of the spheres. Then drop the frozen liquid in the gelling bath once they are frozen. The shapes will solidify while starting to thaw.

[@chloewuzhere176]

i am going to use this for my school science fair project, and I think it will be interesting and yummy❤

[@imdelalim3217]

Thank you I am a science geek but did not understand it before this video

[@braydenlewis3777]

Thanks

[@Science.Buddies]

You're welcome!

[@georgebarhoum3101]

I am using this method and technique with a machine but i always get a tail with the sphere and the boba is too thick or too thin or no taste.

[@maygungreer1395]

Hey kiddo thank you for sharing with us !!!! 💖💖💖 You done such a good job !!!! 💖💖💖 I have a question where can we get the salutations that your mix so we can order some and make this at home 😊💖💖💖

[@tamiresronchini3355]

The flavor you made of coke was small, how do you make the big one? The red one was bigger. I wanted to do that 😢

[@shaharinmimhossain6332]

Can you help me how to juice popping boba

[@rosesinthemorning6677]

But what do you use to make bugger sizes? I'm lost on that part😭

[@sharonkende4774]

Use a dropper with a wider hole. You could even try a turkey baster.

[@pamelajord4181]

Turkey’s basers are hard because they make it easier to make noodles

[@maurocesar6906]

Did you know how long does it last?

[@ccassyang1668]

can i use water to make the ball?

[@brentreithel2187]

this kids going places

[@MrShaurya28]

How do I make a bigger sphere???

[@tashfia_t8983]

I tried to make this and it works nice But I ended up adding a little too much of sodium alginate. What should I do Throw it or is there something I can do to make use of it

[@ScienceBuddiesEspanol]

The sodium alginate concentration in the direct spherification reaction doesn’t have to be exact. Usually, for direct spherification a sodium alginate concentration of 0.5% to 1% is used. The sodium alginate concentration in Science Buddies’ experimental procedure is about 0.8% (2 grams in 1 Cup/237mL). As sodium alginate is a gelling agent, the more alginate you add to your food or liquid, the thicker the liquid gets in the gel sphere. If you added too much alginate to your liquid, you could add more of your liquid/food to adjust the alginate concentration. The spherification reaction should still work, though.

[@ajayamdawadi]

When we make this burst from inside but after 2 days it become solid from inside also

[@metamatt7257]

ISs it safe for health? ive bought all ingridients and did it, but worried for health reasons, ive rinsed them after dipping them in the cacl2 solution but still worried about potetnial residue. Is this a problem/health hazatrd? Thanks

[@Science.Buddies]

Your popping boba are safe to eat!

[@metamatt7257]

@@Science.Buddies ok thanks! And how do you make the liquid more liquidy? For me when i pop the boba its quite thick, and i can recall the popping boba to be quite liquid

[@IAmTheMainCharacter]

Good job, keep gping

[@nathanshipe4777]

Whats the best way to make larger, boba, sized balls? Trying to avoid caviar sized little boba balls.

[@Science.Buddies]

To make larger boba balls, try to find a syringe or dropper with a wider opening that makes larger drops. If you want to make even larger boba balls, you can use the ladle and teaspoon method. Fill a small ladle with calcium chloride solution and the teaspoon with your alginate mixture. Carefully pour the alginate mixture into the ladle to make a larger sphere. Shaking the ladle a little can help to form the sphere. Once the sphere has formed, place the boba ball in the setting bath and let it solidify for a little longer, about 5 minutes. Take the boba balls out of the solution and rinse them with water.

[@shem3807]

What are all of the ingredients you need?

[@Science.Buddies]

A written list of ingredients can be found here: www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/FoodSci_p074/cooking-food-science/juice-balls-science-of-spherification?from=KZbin#materials

[@shem3807]

Thank you!

[@yakupfurkankocaoglu8722]

hello, I liked the video very much, my question is, even though I take it out of chlorinated water in 1 minute, the hardening continues, how can I prevent this?

[@Science.Buddies]

Hi! We're glad you enjoyed the video and have already started experimenting. Getting the technique just right to fit your creative vision can be tricky, but is part of the fun. It definitely requires some experimenting and trial and error. The chemical reaction always continues for a little bit after you remove the sphere from the calcium chloride bath. If you want a less-hardened sphere you can try doing one or more of these things: 1) have the sphere spend less time (not a full minute) in the calcium chloride solution - this will allow less time for the reaction to occur and thus less hardening overall 2) make sure to rinse the spheres off in fresh water immediately after removing from the calcium chloride solution - this will get rid of the reaction occurring on the surface of the sphere 3) try making larger spheres by starting with bigger drops of your food liquid - larger spheres have more volume so less of their contents will be hardened.

[@yakupfurkankocaoglu8722]

Thank you very much for your answer, what kind of water should I leave it in so that I can leave it in the same consistency for a long time in the storage container?

[@Science.Buddies]

​@@yakupfurkankocaoglu8722 You want to store the boba spheres in the solution you used to make the spheres. For example, if you used grape juice to make the spheres, store them in grape juice. This way, the spheres will keep their flavor. If you store them in water, the flavor will dilute, and the spheres lose flavor.

[@yakupfurkankocaoglu8722]

but the bubble tea spheres I make become hard as time passes and turn into a jelly consistency, how can I prevent this?

[@nickyvc7159]

how can I make bigger sphere? when I use a dropper the sphere becomes too small

[@Science.Buddies]

You can try using a dropper with a larger opening to make bigger spheres.

[@Hurateo]

What about Cold Oil and any liquid without agar agar even water? Please explain

[@Science.Buddies]

Hi - we're not sure we understand your question, however, there are other types of bobas - the type that you find in bubble tea - that can be made with tapioca flour or agar: www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/make-boba-for-bubble-tea or www.honestfoodtalks.com/crystal-boba-recipe-agar-pearls/

[@Hurateo]

@@Science.Buddies umm like There are other Spherification (Not sure) but the one I'm looking for is the one where you put oil (Dunno what oil) in the freezer to make it cold then just like you showed you use dropper and suck any liquid even water and pour it into the cold water to get the exact same result instead of using Sodium Alginate and calcium whatever.

[@LeeKayAl]

Im an adult but this was soo interesting 🥰

[@theabsolutelycursedsprout9308]

why did you have to clarify you're an adult?

[@GoldKingkong]

Coz he doesn't want to make those boba balls when he already has 2 by birth.

[@berneriquise8014]

How can make Last longer, because when leave in refrigerator it turns all jelly, no liquid inside, is just for the moment

[@Science.Buddies]

Make sure you store the popping boba in the liquid you made them with. For example if you made them with apple juice, store them in apple juice.

[@allainenanez9305]

@@Science.Buddieshi!! may i ask if the liquid i made my popping boba with should also contain calcium lactate in it? it’s for the storage of my popping boba

[@ankurupadhyay280]

👏

[@denisemoseley9662]

What's the shelf life once the ball is made??

[@Science.Buddies]

The popping boba pearls should be stored in the liquid they are made from, so they don't lose their flavor. Put the container with the popping boba in the fridge to make them last longer. It is best to consume the popping boba within 24 hours, but they are probably good for up to a week, depending on the liquids you use to make them.

[@-jxssie-3894]

how to I make big popping boba

[@kirstencroser1584]

wow

[@judsjo]

Great job kiddo

[@farahnineteenable]

Hi! Can you use any flavoured liquid?

[@Science.Buddies]

Not all liquids are ideal for direct spherification. You should avoid liquids with a high calcium content as the calcium will interfere with the spherification process. This will lead to a premature solidification of your liquid. The best way to find out if a liquid works for direct spherification is to test it.

[@ezravanderhelm2045]

Can you do it with calcium lactate and sodium alginate?

[@Science.Buddies]

yes; you can also use calcium lactate and sodium alginate for spherification and reverse spherification. See these resources: www.modernistcookingathome.com/basic-spherification/ www.modernistcookingathome.com/calcium-lactate/ The second resource says that in basic spherification it is usually added at a 0.5% ratio, whereas in reverse spherification it is added at a 3.0% ratio. You can use also calcium lactate gluconate.

[@LatoriaMartin]

Yes you can it actually gels with calcium lactate

[@-GMedhaR]

​@@Science.Buddiesh

[@ChefGL1TCH]

Can you warm these up without and still keep their shape trying to make a new recipe that is extremely easy and fast to serve

[@Science.Buddies]

We've never tried to warm them up. If you experiment with it, let us know how it goes!

[@muellerhoneybee1075]

This recipe did not work for us. It says 2 g to 1 cup when other recipes says 5 g so going to see if that is the issue. We used elderberry syrup, honey syrup, and chocolate almond milk. Only the elderberry syrup created a gel outside but was nothing like popping boba.

[@martagaczynska5335]

Give me exact mesurments. I need them for my bubble tea

[@spacelover141]

How many grams is a cup

[@kirstencroser1584]

then what is the sodium alginate for?

[@Science.Buddies]

The written instructions for the project contain an explanation of the chemistry: www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/FoodSci_p074/cooking-food-science/juice-balls-science-of-spherification?from=KZbin

[@justchees2123]

@@Science.Buddies can you please explain it by yourself because i don't understand

[@lizz1903]

I love the little girl talk

[@rupakmehandiratta1633]

So cool... So this can be consumed??

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes, these are edible!

[@marlonaresgado1652]

Where can i buy the chemical used in this process?

[@Science.Buddies]

See the video description for a link to the written instructions with a complete materials list and links.

[@lilll666]

I tried making this last night, but the problem is that after I dropped the liquid in the calcium water, it wouldn’t go all the way down and just sit on top of the calcium water making it flat 😭 do you have a solution for this?

[@pamelajord4181]

You took it out of the fridge to early there needs to be no bubbles at all. Or it was the liquid you used

[@marcelogomez636gm9]

I tried to make it but the bubbles don’t get rid of

[@yourfavGIRL79]

where do you get that stuff

[@spacelover141]

You need to order it. At least thats what I did idk where youre living

[@yourfavGIRL79]

@@spacelover141 germany🥲

[@thekidsta1]

They also say to use calcium lactate.. I see you used calcium chloride. Is there a difference?

[@Science.Buddies]

They are two different types of calcium salts that have two different anions (lactate versus chloride). For the spherification project, the calcium is the important part, as the calcium reacts with the alginate, so both the calcium lactate and calcium chloride work for the project.

[@naomilovelace7797]

can i use calcium lactate instead instead?

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes; you can also use calcium lactate and sodium alginate for spherification and reverse spherification. See these resources: www.modernistcookingathome.com/basic-spherification/ www.modernistcookingathome.com/calcium-lactate/ The second resource says that in basic spherification it is usually added at a 0.5% ratio, whereas in reverse spherification it is added at a 3.0% ratio. You can use also calcium lactate gluconate.

[@fusionvic]

Sounds like something we would have done in 7th grade science class.

[@kaungsetzaw9318]

Can Calcium Chloride cause some dangerous?

[@Science.Buddies]

Hi - be careful not to get the calcium chloride on your skin or in your eyes, as it can cause burns.

[@dinonuggie3148]

Is it edible?

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes! It's quite fun to eat the foods you turn into spheres.

[@fixtheticas]

Where can I get these chemicals cause it's not available in Pakistan 😭

[@Matthew0148]

1 thing how do you make bigger balls

[@Science.Buddies]

It is hard to make larger spheres, but you can use the same process on a spoonful of liquid for a larger shape.

[@SmartWizzard]

Is this edible, I mean the chemicals are safe for kids and adults

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes, these are perfectly safe to eat!

[@subodhchandramahato3788]

can it be eaten ?

[@Science.Buddies]

Yes, these are safe to eat!

[@Marie-or8uj]

What a cutie patootie❤️

[@JaguarRuins]

Hello 😮

[@1-a-a-a-1]

“1 hour over night” - EXCUSE ME??? You sleep for one hour???

[@Itz_oli-ry2nx]

NOW WHATS THE CONCLUSION