Simple Homemade Marshmallow Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in marshmallows? ›

Marshmallows are made of sugar, corn syrup (sugar), water and gelatin. They can have other things added for flavor and color, but that's it. The magic is how the ingredients are combined. Marshmallows are a scaffolding of sugar and gelatin that stays rigid enough to become a network of stable air bubbles.

Even just a couple degrees too hot or too cool makes all the difference. If the sugar isn't cooked hot enough, they'll be mushy (and possibly contribute to the "soggy" factor mentioned above). If the syrup is cooked too hot, they'll set too firm and chewy and lack volume.

Turn the oven on to its lowest setting, and preheat. Turn it off, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Place the marshmallows in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. The warm air will dry them out without melting them.

The process for making marshmallows involves combining sugar, corn syrup, and water and then bringing that mixture to a boil. The sugar syrup makes the marshmallows sweet and, when heated to a specific temperature, helps give them their texture.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Gelatin. Gelatin is the aerator most often used in the production of marshmallows. It is made up of collagen, a structural protein derived from animal skin, connective tissue, and bones. Not only can it stabilize foams, like albumen, but when combined with water it forms a thermally-reversible gel.

First, if the syrup is too hot, it can cause the gelatin to break down, resulting in marshmallows that are flat and runny. A second reason is if the syrup is too cool, it won't blend well with the gelatin, leading to a lumpy texture.

We found that the vinegar had caused the most "melting" even though it had not melted as much as we thought it would have. When we turned it with forceps, it came apart easily and was much smaller on the side that was in the vinegar. The co*ke and the cranberry juice "stained" the marshmallow and made them soggy.

The fluffy and chewy texture of marshmallows is thanks to gelatin, the same ingredient that gives Jell-O its jiggle. Cornstarch and powdered sugar coat the outside to keep them from sticking to one another.

Just pour a little confectioners' (powdered) sugar or cornstarch into the bag, close and shake, shake, shake until the marshmallows are coated. Most of the marshmallows will fall apart, but there might be a few that remain stubborn, and you should be able to gently pull them apart.

What are marshmallows made from meat? ›

Most modern marshmallows are made from gelatin, which is made from animal byproducts like skin, bones, and connective tissue. Some modern marshmallows might be made from carrageenan instead and might be vegan.

Marshmallows are a sweet treat that many of us enjoy with hot chocolate, on top of sweet potatoes, or even shaped into peeps at Easter time. But these fluffy white puffs aren't very nutritious. Marshmallow ingredients usually include just sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin.

Jet-Puffed marshmallows are a ubiquitous staple of grocery stores (not to mention so many childhoods). Launched in 1958, the brand owes its name to the production process in which the raw materials of a marshmallow are fed through tubes and pumped to fluff with air before being cut into the nuggets of yore.

Foods like jellybeans, marshmallows, and other gelatin-based foods also typically contain pork byproducts and are not considered Halal. Even products like vanilla extract and toothpaste can contain alcohol! Muslims will generally not eat meat that has also come in contact with pork.