illinois

I found a recipe online for a homemade solution for giant bubbles. It calls for cornstarch and baking powder. There is white stuff (I assume it's the cornstarch) that ends up in the bottom of the solution and does not mix well. Do you suppose it would do better to cook the cornstarch before adding the detergent and glycerin?

There are also recipes that use Karo syrup or sugar but I've nixed those--wouldn't that be sticky?

tessagin

Cornstarch does get sticky. Needs to be dissolved somewhat in water. Not sure what kind of bubble you're talking about but my mother used to treat cornstarch like flour. She would aerate it by sifting then mix with other ingredients, even when she made gravy.

AngelaS

We had the best results from the recipe that calls for glycerin and Dawn dish soap. We made amazing bubbles with it!

make them on the sidewalk tho-- the mixture will kill your grass.

illinois

Yes, the recipe calls for Dawn and glycerin but also the cornstarch and baking powder. I assume it's the cornstarch that didn't dissolve so am inquiring if anyone has used this mixture and if I should have cooked the water/cornstarch, even though the recipe didn't suggest doing that. This makes huge bubbles and I suppose the cornstarch and baking powder give them more surface tension to keep the solution together.

pennycandy

You are correct that it is the cornstarch. Cornstarch does not stay in suspension when mixed with water unless it is cooked. I'm not sure if cooking the cornstarch would have a negative effect on the recipe.

coopah

I used to make up batches of giant bubbles for my students on the last day of school. I used dishsoap and glycerin. Somehow, the cornstarch use in your recipe puzzles me, as I'm familiar with using it for a thickening agent, and for bubbles, you definitely want a light mixture. My advice would be to leave out the cornstarch and see what happens. Also, you might check other bubble recipes online, compare and go from that.

sewnclog

AngelaS; sounds like a great weed killer. lol

Onebyone

It's easier to buy the bottled giant bubble mixture. Glycerin is expensive.