Cakes
02-15-2007, 06:51 AM
We can test the pH of things with cabbages. If we cook the cabbage in water, then the water will turn purple and then when we use the cabbage water to test things, new colors are made. The new colors tell us what the pH is.
how to make a cabbage test:
Put some red cabbage in water and cook it until the water gets very colored. You don't need much cabbage, just a few of the outter leaves or maybe a half cup or so unless you want thousands of test strips. And you don't need much water. Put in enough water to cover the cabbage or else just half cover the cabbage.
When you have the colored water all done and cooled down then you can use it to make test paper or you can use it in liquid form.
for liquid form-
Use 10 drops of cabbage juice per one tablespoon of the stuff you want to test. When combining the substances, hold the glass up to a white background to try and see an accurate result. Using a white plastic spoon could work well too.
for paper-
Start with white paper and soak the paper in the purple water until it turns a nice color. You can even try soaking it a few times to deepen the color if you want. Some cooks say that the water will be a deeper color if you steam your cabbage instead of boiling it. And for paper, you can use computer printer paper, coffee filters, paper towels or construction paper.
the white paper from my computer printer turned blue when i soaked it in the cabbage water. i cut the strips into 1" x 6" pieces before i soaked them (2.5cm x 15cm). they took from one to three hours to dry.
Dip the cabbage paper in whatever you want to test or put the paper in firm contact with moist soil. It might take the test five minutes or more before there is a good reading. You can also use a toothpick to put things onto the cabbage test or you can use a plastic fork<<it is more scientific since wood can be acidic.
I found that the stain turned mostly pink but along the edges of the pink I could see the color of the true reading.
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p14/CakesPix/pHscalecloseup6-8.jpg
what colors it could turn
You can fine tune your own scale. And here are a few common readings to start you off:
2.3 lemons
6.2 rain water (but this varies)
6.27-6.58 (perfect for most plant cultivation) avocados
7 (neutral) distilled water and also sugar water
7.356 human blood
8.2 sea water (3% salt)
10.5 detergent
13.5 draino cleaners
notice the exact pH for people?
They say that the body will do harm to it's self in an effort to maintain an exact pH and that we should eat plenty of acidic fruits in order to maintain our alkalinity<how strange, but at least they both start with A.
here are other common pH measurements:
a big list of foods from the gov (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/lacf-phs.html)
p.s.
the above process (and the actual ability to see the above process) is brought to you by little pieces of hydrogen
how to make a cabbage test:
Put some red cabbage in water and cook it until the water gets very colored. You don't need much cabbage, just a few of the outter leaves or maybe a half cup or so unless you want thousands of test strips. And you don't need much water. Put in enough water to cover the cabbage or else just half cover the cabbage.
When you have the colored water all done and cooled down then you can use it to make test paper or you can use it in liquid form.
for liquid form-
Use 10 drops of cabbage juice per one tablespoon of the stuff you want to test. When combining the substances, hold the glass up to a white background to try and see an accurate result. Using a white plastic spoon could work well too.
for paper-
Start with white paper and soak the paper in the purple water until it turns a nice color. You can even try soaking it a few times to deepen the color if you want. Some cooks say that the water will be a deeper color if you steam your cabbage instead of boiling it. And for paper, you can use computer printer paper, coffee filters, paper towels or construction paper.
the white paper from my computer printer turned blue when i soaked it in the cabbage water. i cut the strips into 1" x 6" pieces before i soaked them (2.5cm x 15cm). they took from one to three hours to dry.
Dip the cabbage paper in whatever you want to test or put the paper in firm contact with moist soil. It might take the test five minutes or more before there is a good reading. You can also use a toothpick to put things onto the cabbage test or you can use a plastic fork<<it is more scientific since wood can be acidic.
I found that the stain turned mostly pink but along the edges of the pink I could see the color of the true reading.
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p14/CakesPix/pHscalecloseup6-8.jpg
what colors it could turn
You can fine tune your own scale. And here are a few common readings to start you off:
2.3 lemons
6.2 rain water (but this varies)
6.27-6.58 (perfect for most plant cultivation) avocados
7 (neutral) distilled water and also sugar water
7.356 human blood
8.2 sea water (3% salt)
10.5 detergent
13.5 draino cleaners
notice the exact pH for people?
They say that the body will do harm to it's self in an effort to maintain an exact pH and that we should eat plenty of acidic fruits in order to maintain our alkalinity<how strange, but at least they both start with A.
here are other common pH measurements:
a big list of foods from the gov (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/lacf-phs.html)
p.s.
the above process (and the actual ability to see the above process) is brought to you by little pieces of hydrogen