starch powder

[macca]

This might be a blonde question
I've been all over town looking for starch powder, can't buy in the supermarkets anymore everything is in a spray tin. To order through normal suppliers on average 500gms $30-$100.

Any idea what I could use instead, thats quick and easy

Thanks

[nickykinz]

Cornflour?

[macca]

I knew I was having a blonde moment
ta

[lada]

Soluble starch laboratory grade (LR) 500g $30 at Serrata.
Easy use and very soluble no need for boiling.
Lada

[bindibadgi]

Smiley posted the answer a while ago - thanks Smiley!

And I use those little starch packing beads. I will never use starch powder ever again! Experiment a little, but from memory it's between 5 packing beads per 100ml for a strong solution. I think I ended up at 10 beads per 500mL for last year's Vitamin C titrations.

Recipe is: 10 packing beads in a large beaker.
Add 300ml of very hot water.
Stir a lot - I use a magnetic stirrer
Add cold water to bring it up to 500mL
Filter if necessary to get the glunky bits out.

Too easy!

I now have a couple of bags of packing beads stashed away & don't bother buying starch powder

[lada]

Good idea!! I sometimes use it as well. Good for junior science.
Lada

[Ocker]

I ordered starch powder a long time ago and was sent cornflower.
It didn't work not soluable
Ordered again Soluble starch and sent some orange stuff, (think sweet potato) terrible!
For food testing I now always boil a little bit of rice strain water
Works perfect every time!

[RosalieM]

corn flour is soluble if you mix it with boiling water (goes really thick and gluggy) and then add cold water to dilute it a bit. I, too, keep the packing beads but my box has gone missing... I guess someone either thought they were rubbish or decided to use them to pack something! Will start accumulating them again now...

[nickykinz]

Yes, mix cornflour or starch with cold water then pour in boiling water from kettle to make up to quantity required. It does settle after a while but just needs a shake.