ELi5: How does water soften things? Pasta for example.
In: Chemistry
Pasta is made from flour and water and sometimes eggs. This makes a soft dough. When it dries, it hardens. If you let it absorb water, it will get soft again.
The pasta is dried to last longer when something is dried it lacks water thats why its in water
Things like pasta that are desiccated originally had some type of liquid ingredient. When exposed to water they reabsorb it and regain the original texture/condition. The water first enters any spaces, cracks or openings then the dried ingredients gradually absorb more. For things that can actually dissolve in water (flour without gluten, salt, sugar, etc.), the dried ingredients are slowly dissolving into the water and if left in a container that has a surplus of water, they will eventually dissolve away. Drop a piece of hard candy into a bowl of water and it will dissolve away completely, just as it does in your mouth.
I am not certain on that one, but the physical properties of water as it reaches its boiling point probably enhances its ability to quickly enter the cracks and air space within the dried grain or pasta, which will kick start the reabsorption (softening) process.
OR, it could be that any other instruction would confuse the hell out of people:
Box – “Pour 1 cup rice into 1 cup of hot water.”
Consumer – “What?
– How hot?
– How can I tell if it is hot enough?
– My stove burners don’t have a temperature setting!”
They avoid this problem by using a universally known and easily determined temperature. Water boils at 212 degrees F. Not 210, not 213. Once it begins boiling, it does not get hotter than 212 F (over 212F = steam, so there is no water) (forget about physics – the potential for a superheated state and pressure variations, etc. – they don’t happen to any great degree in an open pot on your stove).
Accordingly, once it starts to boil you see it and you know it is 212 F. You don’t need a special setting or a thermometer. The bubbling tells you the water is 212F. The bubbling tells you to add the grain, pasta, etc. It is a built in thermometer that removes the need for further instruction on the correct temp or timing to pour in the food. Easy peasy.
Many decisions are made (when do we tell the customer to add the pasta?) just to make things simple and not because of a complex scientific reason.
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