After boiling a chicken in a stock pot, you let the chicken stock cool down and place it

in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you notice that a solid layer of fat has

formed on the top of a gelatinous mixture.

a. Explain why the chicken fat rose to the top.

b. Explain what the gelatinous mixture is underneath the layer of fat.

c. Describe how you could separate the fat from the gelatinous mixture.

Chicken fat is in the shallowest area because, being hydrophobic and lipid content of chicken, it is the lowest density compound in the broth, therefore it rises and does not precipitate. All fats usually float in liquid media because their density is less than that of water.

On the other hand, the gelatin that forms in the boil of the chicken broth is a gelatinous compound that is very nutritionally rich, consisting of denatured proteins that leave the chicken undergoing aqueous coagulation.

Both do not mix and due to the difference in densities, but in order to dissociate it, it is convenient to use emulsifiers or by cryogenic methods where cold is applied and its division is better.

Explanation:

In liquid media such as chicken broth, or any broth, when proteins or foods that contain a large amount of fats and proteins are boiled, the fatty layer will always be the most superficial because it is the one with the lowest density, therefore, that denatured coagulated protein with water it will be the next layer and finally the solids such as bone or cartilage remains would be in the deepest area because they are the ones with the highest density.

Another method to dissociate these products is through enzymatic activity, throwing enzymes into the broth formed.