This fun chemical reaction experiment tastes so delicious and is so easy for kids to complete themselves! Learn how to make sherbet that’s fizzy on your tongue and tastes great while learning.

Make Sherbet

Sherbet is a sugary powder that can be enjoyed by itself or sprinkled on top of ice cream. It has a fun, tingly effect on the tongue.

To make sherbet, you will need:

icing sugar or powdered sugar
citric acid
bi-carbonate of soda or baking soda
jelly crystals – optional

This recipe is so simple. Children can help measure out the 3 tablespoons of icing sugar, placing it in a bowl. Then, measure out the 1 tsp of citric acid and the 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. The jelly crystals are used to flavour and colour the sherbet.

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Give children a small amount, around ½ a teaspoon serve in a small cup or bowl. They could also sprinkle this over the top of a bowl of ice cream, pancakes or waffles.

Variations

For this, you can use any flavour of jelly or make multiple batches of the sherbet, using a different flavoured jelly for each one.

100s & 1000s could also be added to the mixture
Popping candy or pop rocks would also make a fun addition
Kool-aid could also be used to flavour and colour the sherbet

The Science

The tingling in your mouth is caused by an acid-base reaction. The citric acid is the acid, while the bicarb soda is the base. When an acid and a base is mixed with the saliva in your mouth, a gas is created. It is the carbon dioxide bubbles that give the sherbet its fizz. The icing sugar is a sweetener and the jelly crystals add flavour and colour to the sherbet.

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