Fizzing fun with vinegar and baking soda plus a bubbly batter recipe to liven up a few of your five-a-day…

Ingredients
Supper
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Vinegar
- Flour
- Salt
- Oil
- A selection of vegetables such as onions chopped into rings, peppers, courgettes or carrots chopped into thin sticks
Science
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Vinegar
- Foil
- Egg cup or shot glass
- Plate
- Tray
- Food colour or paint (red, yellow or orange)
- Washing up liquid
Method
Science
- Use foil to make your volcano around the egg cup or shot glass (sit it on a tray to contain the mess)
- Add 1 tsp baking soda to the egg cup
- Add some red, yellow or orange food colouring, or paint if you have any, plus squirt of washing up liquid
- Add a spash of vinegar and watch it erupt
Supper
- Mix half a cup of flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Add half a cup of water and 1 tbsp vinegar and mix well
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan or wok
- Dip the vegetables in the batter and fry in batches until golden (take care with the hot oil and lay away from you as you put them in)
- Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt

Science in a Sentence
Vinegar (an acid) reacts with the bicarbonate of soda (a base) to produce the bubbles of a gas called carbon dioxide.
Notes
Experiment with different containers (thin tubes work well), colours and quantities for the volcano. Can you make a rainbow one? There are some great videos of vinegar volcanos online; check out this one from Ryan’s World.
The batter works well with fish – serve with chips and peas for the perfect Friday night supper. If you find the batter doesn’t stick, try dusting with flour first.