When I first set up my lab, I realized that many things that worked for my large, R1 postdoc lab weren’t going to work for me in my new environment. One of the most important processes was making fly food. My first decision was to use pre-portioned 1L food packets from Genesse to save on time and possible measuring errors for my undergrad food makers (we use the Bloomington Formula). The next challenge was how to cook the fly food without an industrial-sized kettle. The size wasn’t a problem because I only needed to make small batches, but the equipment was a trial and error process…

I first tried using a hotplate, but even the most powerful plate we had in the department took forever for the food to get to boiling. I next tried the “set it and forget it” method by using a slow-cooker, but the food never got to the correct temperature/consistency even after hours of cooking. I needed a faster solution.

Using an induction cooker to make small batches of fly food

What worked great was an induction cooker (like the ones at omelet stations at brunch buffets). I purchased a unit like this one and a 6 quart induction pot for ~ $200. A large spatula and  balloon whisk completed my cooking starter set. I start by turning the cooker to high and using a large balloon whisk to combine food ingredients with half the amount of water needed for the batch. I then continue to whisk as I add the remaining water and bring the food to a boil (2L of food will come to a boil in less than 10 minutes). I can then quickly turn the temperature to low to cook the food for 10 minutes. I then let the food cool on the bench for a few minutes before adding preservatives (I use both tegosept and propionic acid to keep mold at bay). This means that I can cook a batch of food in less than 25 minutes – a far cry from the hours I needed to spend with other methods.

Food dispensing

After so many battle scars delivered to me and my students from our two finicky peristaltic pumps, I finally took a colleague’s advice and purchased a Droso-filler. It’s not an inexpensive item for a lab with a small budget, but I was able to go halfsies with my department so that they can use it for classes. The filler makes quick work of filling trays of vials, taking only seconds per tray. As a note, it is pretty awkward to clean in the sink and the lever gets stuck in between uses, but I figure that putting a little muscle into work is something PUI faculty are used to (I’m not above banging on the lever with a screwdriver). Overall, the set-backs don’t overshadow the incredible time savings and I highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with food dispensing.

Food storage

Food storage was also a years-long trial and error process for my lab. We found that when we stored food in the fridge, we faced a fun hypocrisy of both too much condensation and dry food. We fixed the dryness by adding a little more water to the recipe and the condensation by keeping plastic-wrapped trays of vials at room temperature (tip: buy plastic wrap at Costco – for about $10 you can be set for years). The wrapped vials can last up to 3-4 weeks at room temperature.

I found myself in a regular battle with yeast and mold, which was never a problem in my postdoc lab. I added tegosept to the food, paid close attention to cleaning/autoclaving equipment, and tried to prevent excess moisture. Despite this, we still get occasional yeast outbreaks, but it’s manageable.

Did you have a fly food cooking school experience? Tell us about it in the comments!