This magical mixture handles like pizza dough, but the instant it goes still it liquefies and melts into a glowing goo!
07
MAGIC MUD
SAFETY KEY:
+ Knife
SKILL LEVEL:
EASY
INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED
APPROXIMATE TIME:
30 minutes
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
+ Large bag of potatoes
+ 2 large mixing bowls
+ Large strainer
+ Tonic water
+ Small bowl
+ Spoon
+ Food processor
+ Tall jar with lid
PRO TIP: It’s mind-blowing to think this stuff is found inside our potatoes, but if you don’t feel like going to the trouble to get it out, cornstarch will work exactly the same.
LET’S BEGIN
CONCOCTING YOUR MUD
1. Wash the outsides of your potatoes so they are all nice and clean.
2. Use a food processor (or knife and cutting board) to chop them up into the smallest pieces possible.
3. Slide the potato pieces into a large mixing bowl and add enough hot water to cover completely. Stir for a few minutes. You may notice the water turning red—this is normal.
4. Grab a strainer and another large bowl and separate the potato water from the potato pieces. After about ten minutes a strange white layer will appear at the bottom of the bowl of potato water. Pour out the water and the white goop will stay at the bottom.
5. Mix a bit of fresh water into the white goop to help with the dryness, and pour the mixture into a tall jar with a lid. Screw the lid on tight, shake it all up, and let it sit for another ten minutes.
6. Dump out the water, which will take most of the impurities with it, leaving you with a very clean and magical substance. It looks like milk, but if you try stirring it around, you can see it behaves very strangely. It will look and feel like pizza dough, but pause for just a second and the mixture will collapse into goop that slimes between your fingers.
7. To add an awesome glow, leave your mixture out for two days, and it will turn into a white powder. Add a few spoonfuls to a clean bowl and then mix in a splash of tonic water. In just a few seconds it will become difficult to stir, and with a little patience, everything should combine and behave exactly the way it did before—the difference is that now it’s fluorescent. If you turn on some black lights, the Magic Mud takes on a mystical glow.
FUN FACT: Tonic water adds that spooky glow because it contains quinine. If you put a bottle of tonic under a black light, the tonic water fluoresces, and the whole bottle will look completely supernatural.
HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THIS? This project was thought up while attending a sales presentation for pots and pans, where one of the pots, a potato dish, was coated with a strange white residue. Out came the curiosity, and the experimenting began. You never know when your inquiring mind will lead to a magical gooey substance!