difference between corn starch and flour?

[kingfencer]

i'm trying to look for cornstarch, i went to no frills and loblaws but couldn't find it. There is a jug in my kitchen with white powder. i can't tell if its cornstarch or flour. Any advice?

[Keelie]

cornstarch will be sort of gritty if you crumble it between two fingers, flour will be soft and powdery.
another way to tell is by putting some into a bit of cold water, if it mixes up instantly with a spoon without any lumps and with little effort, its cornstarch.

every grocery store across canada sells cornstarch.. its in the baking isle.

[eelfliw]

Flour has gluten and starch has none. So just add some water and you'll see.

[louieann34]

The difference between a Corn Starch and a Flour is that, the corn starch, when you crumble it with your two fingers..it would feel a little rough and that when you dissolve it on water it will easily melt....

Aside from Flour...it is soft and powdery that when you dissolve it on water, it won't easily melt.

[vinciman1215]

Agreed with all of the above posts.

Cornstarch however, is magic putty!

Put a bit of water to it, and it can offer you hours of fun!

lol. I'm serious.

It still amazes me how it can become solid to liquid and vice versa. :P