Simple Steps on How to make Starch from Cassava or potato

Starch is a very important source of sugars in our diet. We get starch when we eat corn, potatoes, wheat and rice etc. But we can also transform this food to get starch handy instead of digesting them. It is Used as food additive. As an additive for food processing, food starches are typically used as thickeners and stabilizers in foods such as puddings, custards, soups, sauces, gravies, pie fillings, and salad dressings, and to make noodles and pastas.  

It is also used on clothes. The most common reason people use starch on clothes is for aesthetics, it adds beauty to clothes. A starched, pressed shirt looks professional and clean. Doesn't it?




Materials
Cassava or potato

Apparatus
Knife, Chiffon, Bucket, Blender or Grinder.

Method

1. Peel the back of the cassava following the round method and then wash with water.
2. If you are making in small quantity,  chop the cassava into smaller chunks and blend with  a blender adding much water while blending to make it easier. 
3. But if you are making the starch in a large quantity ( for commercial purpose), I will advice you take the peeled cassava  without chopping to a garri factory for grinding instead of wasting time with your small blender. Whether you use blender or grinder, it should be very smooth.
4. Wrap a chiffon cloth or sieve over a bucket like you do when filtering pap
5. Then pour the blended cassava into the chiffon cloth and then use your hand to stir while adding water with the other hand until  chaff is left, discard the residue (chaff). Repeat the same for the remaining ground cassava.
6. After the sieving, allow the filtrate to sediment for 2- 3 hours and then come back and decant ( pour the water on top) until you are left with a thick slurry paste. That is the wet starch. 
7. You can store the wet starch in a fridge 
8. To make it dry, simply scoop all the wet starch, spread it on a bag  or tray outside under the sun  to dry. That is the dry starch.
9. You can also add fragrance to make it standout.

Repeat the same process for potato