The anatomy of a marshmallow

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.

Whether you’re partial to s’mores, gooey ice cream sundaes, Rice Krispies treats, or another kind of decadent sweet, chances are it is the permeating taste and texture of the marshmallow that sticks in your memory — as much as it did to your fingers.

Although we associate marshmallows with sugary desserts and cereals, the marshmallow as we know it today has a surprising early history. According to The History Channel, the name for the marshmallow is derived from the marsh mallow plant, which grows in marshy areas. Before the marshmallow evolved into the soft, squishy pillows that you squeeze between graham crackers or scatter on top of your hot chocolate, the marsh mallow plant was used in medicine. 

Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs used portions of the plant to treat inflammations, coughs, and as a healing agent for wounds. The marshmallow eventually evolved from medical treatment to mouthwatering treat in France during the 19th century (via The History Channel). The gooey root juice of the marsh mallow plant is what originally provided the texture for marshmallows, but it was a challenge to extract. As a result, the root juice was ultimately replaced by gelatin. Despite this essential change, the name «marshmallow» managed to stick around.

Содержание

1. What other ingredients make up a marshmallow?
2. The most common marshmallow ingredients
3. Why is the gelatin so important in marshmallows?
4. Marshmallows start with mixing and beating
5. Today’s marshmallows are all about the extrusion process
6. What’s the difference between store-bought and homemade marshmallows?
7. Marshmallows were originally made very, very differently
8. The recipe for marshmallow fluff is pretty similar
9. Recap of how marshmallows are made
10. The marshmallow root
11. Developing a recipe for marshmallow root marshmallow
12. Thickening properties of marshmallow root powder
13. Making marshmallow root marshmallow
14. Why does marshmallow root thicken?
15. Ingredients
16. Instructions
17. Further reading
18. Szechuan peppercorn marshmallows
19. Ingredients
20. Recipe

What other ingredients make up a marshmallow?

Aside from gelatin, which provides structure, the ingredients in marshmallows include sugar, corn syrup, and water, according to Food Network. Sometimes, they also include other ingredients that affect the taste and color. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can’t partake in traditionally manufactured marshmallows due to the fact that gelatin comes from animal protein. However, there are marshmallows made with plants, such as seaweed. They taste the same but may be less fluffy.

As you might imagine, marshmallows have little to no nutritional value. However, like most other sweets, treating yourself to marshmallows every once in a while is likely not going to cause any health issues. That said, SFGate reports that if you eat burned marshmallows too often, it could be unhealthy. This is because food becomes potentially more toxic when it is intentionally burned as part of the cooking process. If you choose to eat marshmallows, eating them raw or lightly toasted, rather than charred, is the safest way to enjoy them.

The original marshmallow was named for the inclusion of marshmallow root in the recipe. The roots and leaves of the marshmallow plant contain mucilage, a slimy-textured demulcent best known for its use as a homeopathic cough suppressant. Marshmallow root is considered to be soothing and mildly antimicrobial. It has long been used as an herbal treatment for minor digestive issues and skin irritations, although its use in the creation of its namesake confection has long since fallen by the wayside.

At their most basic, marshmallows are simply comprised of a sugar solution beaten together with a food gum, such as gelatin or xanthan gum. You can add egg whites for structure—since they are able to hold large volumes of air, their addition allows for much lighter marshmallows—and various colorings and flavorings for flair. Essentially though, marshmallows are made from sugar, water, and a food gum. A percentage of glucose or inverted sugar is needed for stabilization. This is beneficial because it attracts moisture and keeps the sucrose or table sugar used in the candy-making process from crystallizing. A basic form of glucose can be created at home by making a simple syrup, which is simply sugar and water boiled together. The addition of cream of tartar or citric acid will help stabilize the inverted sugars by discouraging the formation of sugar crystals. This effect can also be achieved with a small addition of corn syrup to the sugar syrup mixture. These ingredients are not strictly necessary though, simply an added assurance of success.

Once the sugar solution is created, it must be heated to the proper temperature. Marshmallows are made with sugar that is heated to a temperature of 116 degrees Celsius (241 degrees Fahrenheit), otherwise known as the soft ball stage. We recommend using a thermometer to determine the temperature, for maximum safety and efficiency. Once the sugar has been heated to the proper temperature, it is beaten into the melted gelatin. This is a strong mechanical process that requires a mixer, preferably a standing mixture to achieve the proper texture. The beating incorporates air into the structure, creating small bubbles throughout, much like those seen in well-made bread. This structure is what gives the marshmallow its light, fluffy texture. In addition to creating structure, the amount of beating will control the moisture content of the finished marshmallow. Longer beating times will translate into a drier, more chewy marshmallow with a longer shelf life.

Once the sugar has been absorbed and the desired texture has been achieved, the marshmallows are poured into a mold and left to set. Before pouring the marshmallow, you need to generously coat the mold or tray with loose cornstarch. The starch will have a drying effect on the outer surface of the candy, allowing it to set more rapidly and dry on the outside so that it can be easily handled. The skin-like coating that forms on the outside of the confection helps increase its shelf life and usability.

Marshmallows are actually quite easy to make at home. The addition of powdered and liquid colors and flavorings allow cooks to create a dazzling display of these spongy delights. Powdered additions may be added to the gelatin while it is bloomed in hot water. Liquid additions are best added during the beating process.

Since recipes for sweet marshmallows are easily found in cookbooks and on the internet, in honor of Thanksgiving we have included a recipe for the slightly more savory and spicy Szechuan Peppercorn Marshmallow.

There are plenty of childhood favorites we outgrow, but you’re never, ever too old for marshmallows. Whether you’re piling them on top of your hot chocolate, making s’mores by the campfire with your own children (or in the microwave after a particularly rough day), or hiding Peeps in a place they’ll stay hidden until they go stale, marshmallows are undeniably delicious.

They’re also pretty weird, soft, fluffy treats that are just the right amount of sweet and oddly comforting. No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without them! You can make them yourself, if you’re looking for a fun, rainy day project, but you just can’t duplicate the ones that come out of the bag.

How do they make those heavenly little marshmallow treats, anyway? What are we really eating? And is there a difference between the ones you make at home and the bag you just can’t resist picking up at the store? Strangely, it’s a tale that’s centuries in the making. 

The most common marshmallow ingredients

Americans do love their marshmallows, and it’s kind of mind-blowing just how much of the stuff we eat. As a nation, the National Confectioners Association says that around 90 million pounds of marshmallow are sold every year. That’s a ton of the light, fluffy little pillows, and to put it in an even more impressive perspective, that’s about the same weight as 1,286 gray whales.

So, what exactly are we eating? The American Chemical Society says that the ingredients in most marshmallows is about what you’d expect. You have your sugar, corn syrup, modified cornstarch, and gelatin — and air is so important to the process that we’re going to call it an ingredient, too. You can’t have that pillowy texture without it, after all!

Pretty straightforward, right? Some types of marshmallows might also have some coloring or flavoring added, too, but for the most part, that’s what you’re eating when you’re loading up your hot cocoa with the finishing touches that make it oh-so-comforting on a cold afternoon.

Why is the gelatin so important in marshmallows?

Marshmallows start with mixing and beating

So, let’s get down to the how-to. According to How Products Are Made, there are two types of ingredients that go into marshmallows (and the specifics can vary by brand) — emulsifying agents and sweeteners. Sweeteners are stuff like sugar and corn syrup, and that’s what gives the marshmallows their flavors. Emulsifiers are what act to create that distinctive texture. To make a marshmallow, well, a marshmallow, it’s got to be able to hold its shape while still incorporating a lot of air — and emulsifiers are how that happens.

The whole marshmallow-making process usually starts by mixing sugar, corn syrup, and water, then bringing it to a boil. The gelatin is added at this point, and after the mixture is strained, it’s whipped — a lot.

The whipping process is incredibly important, and at this point, the mixture will turn foamy and double or triple in size thanks to the air that enters the mixture. It’s also at this point that any flavoring is added. Surprisingly, by this time, the hard part’s done.

Today’s marshmallows are all about the extrusion process

Marshmallows have been made for a long time, and before extrusion was added to the process in the 1950s, marshmallow shaping was done by hand. According to The New York Times, it was a labor- and time-intensive process. The mixture would have to «sweat» for a couple of hours, and it was during that time that it would form that outer layer that holds the whole thing together. After sitting, it would be sprinkled with a layer of starch, then packaged and sold.

But that all changed with a process that was the brainchild of Alex Doumak. He came up with the idea of treating the goopy, raw marshmallow «dough» as though it was something more industrial than food, and he ultimately developed the extrusion machine that’s still used today.

Basically, the raw material is pushed through long tubes that don’t just form it into circular shapes, but put it under extreme pressure: 200 pounds of pressure per square inch, to be precise. By the time it gets to the end of the machine, it’s essentially formed long whips of marshmallows — light, fluffy marshmallows, no wait time required. Those are then sliced into the bite-sized morsels we all know and love, in a fraction of the time it used to take. This method is sometimes called jet-puffed, a term you may familiar with when it comes to marshmallows. 

When it comes to other shapes or marshmallows, the same principles are at work: machinery and pressure.

What’s the difference between store-bought and homemade marshmallows?

Gone are the days where the only marshmallows you can find are the ones in the bags at the grocery store. According to The Washington Post, pastry chefs across the country are embracing the marshmallow as something sweet and delicious they can put their own spin on by making it themselves.

How realistic is it to try to make them yourself? NPR spoke to Jennifer Reese, an author who decided to try all these make-at-home projects most of us just say we’re going to get around to someday. She says making marshmallows at home isn’t particularly difficult, and although it’s not cheaper than buying the store-bought ones, taste tests suggest they’re creamier, more flavorful, and worth the effort.

The process is much the same — boil your ingredients, whip into a foam, then let it set in a cookie sheet before cutting into puffs. Best of all? You can make your marshmallows as big as you want.

Marshmallows were originally made very, very differently

Marsh-mallow plants were, as their name suggests, harvested from alongside large bodies of water. They were used well into the 19th century, when the sap was removed, cooked with egg whites and sugar, then whipped. These original marshmallow candies were also medicinal, used to treat sore throats and cough. Any healing properties were attributed to the marsh-mallow sap, though, and once the recipe changed, so did their role. 

So, here’s a question: were those original marshmallows really medicinal, or was it another quack remedy? According to Medical News Today, there have been studies that seem to confirm the root of the marshmallow plant can be used to successfully treat coughs, chronic dry mouth, skin irritation, and it may also speed wound healing. Maybe we should go back to the old way?

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The recipe for marshmallow fluff is pretty similar

According to the American Chemical Society, there’s not much. Egg whites used to be used in most standard marshmallow recipes, but that’s been dropped from most commercial versions. It is, however, still used in marshmallow fluff, and that’s what gives it that ooey, gooey texture.

But the marshmallow fluff we know and love today is a little different, and Mental Floss says it was developed in 1917 by Archibald Query. It uses just four things: dried egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla (although commercial versions have swapped in other versions of the same products, like replacing the vanilla with vanillin). Now you know!

Recap of how marshmallows are made

Let’s quickly recap on marshmallow and the science of marshmallows. We’ll need it to be able to make marshmallows using marshmallow root (scroll down if you’re just interested in the recipe!).

Marshmallows are made by boiling a syrup of sugar, glucose and water to a temperature of 121°C. The reason we boil to this specific temperature is because we want a limited amount of water in our sugar syrup. The temperature of a boiling sugar syrup is always related to the water content of the syrup (let’s not dive in the details of that one just now, but I’ve written about this before in my post on caramel!). In the meantime we whip up an egg white to incorporate air and thus make a light and fluffy marshmallow.

By pouring the hot sugar syrup in the whipped egg white (while continuously whipping!), we cook the proteins in the egg white. By cooking them they become more stable and better in holding onto the air. We keep on whipping until the bowl is not too hot anymore and add the dissolved gelatin. Gelatin will strengthen the structure further, preventing it from collapsing. We don’t want a marshmallow to collapse since the air will escape and it will loose all its lightness.

The marshmallow root

In my marshmallow root marshmallow experiment I want to substitute the gelatin that is normally used for making marshmallows for marshmallow root powder. Why substitute gelatin? Simply because that’s the ‘old-fashioned’ method, extra advantage, this marshmallow is also suited for vegetarians! Why use the root? ‘s because I’ve read that especially this root has thickening properties and that’s what I need in my marshmallows. Gelatin stabilizes marshmallows, so my root should take over this role.

That led me to a search on the internet for marshmallow root powder. I had no idea whether this would actually be something that could be bought online.

Soon I ran into loads of websites on herbs and their healing powers. Marshmallow is considered a medicine for quite a lot of health discomforts and even used in shampoos! I’m not an expert on this topic, so wouldn’t know whether it actually works or not, just have a look yourself. Whether or not it is a benefit for your health, these types of websites do sell the marshmallow root powder you’ll need for this recipe. I found the powder in a local little shop selling all sorts of medicinal herbs, spices, etc.

The powder itself is a light brown colour and has a ‘healthy’ smell, it somehow reminded me of sweets you eat when you have a cough. It also reminded me of ‘drop’ a typical Dutch black candy containing liquorice.

Developing a recipe for marshmallow root marshmallow

I set out to come up with a recipe for making marshmallow with the marshmallow root. My first search on the internet for recipes gave a meagre score of two available recipes. Both which I didn’t really trust to make the marshmallow I wanted to make. One from learning herbs (which still contained gelatin, I didn’t want to use gelatin) and one from food.com (which uses gum arabic, that I don’t have in my cupboard).

So, I decided to start from scratch and I revisited the recipe I used to make the regular marshmallows with gelatin. I reasoned that if I would simply substitute the gelatin with marshmallow root powder, I could in essence make the same thing. That’s exactly what I ended up doing. The main trick was to find out how much marshmallow root powder I actually needed.

If you’re also planning to use this recipe, do realize that marshmallow root powder is not a mainstream ingredient, so the different powders can be pretty different. It might be that you need more or less of the powder to get the same consistency. Overall, I really liked using the root powder, it gave a better, smoother, more stretchy, less ‘plasticy’ marshmallow!

Thickening properties of marshmallow root powder

To test for the required quantity I took 1 tablespoon of marshmallow root powder and mixed it with some water. The powder quickly absorbed all water, already showing its thickening properties. By heating this mixture au bain marie (in a boil above a pot of boiling water) I found that by heating it slightly it thickened up a little more.

That led me to the conclusion that one: marshmallow root powder can indeed cause thickening of a mixture (especially if heated a bit) and two: marshmallow root powder can be mixed with water very easily, requiring only a very little bit to become a homogeneous paste.

Since I would be adding the marshmallow root powder to the whipped up egg white + sugar solution I though it would probably be important to make a paste out of the powder before whisking it in. I was afraid that adding a powder would cause it to fly everywhere or form lumps. My ‘ideal’ ratio for making this paste was decided to be 1 tbsp of marshmallow root powder with 1 tablespoon of water.

Making marshmallow root marshmallow

After boiling the sugars, whipping the egg white and whipping the two together (see below for recipe) it was time to add the marshmallow root powder. I only added the powder once the bowl had cooled down enough for me to touch it (not sure if that’s necessary though, didn’t get to test that out). I kept on whipping until everything had come to room temperature (a great advantage of using a stand mixer, your arm would have died from whisking in the meantime). To test the powder properly I decided to make three different recipes:

• Use no marshmallow root powder (to see whether it actually did something)

Adding no marshmallow root powder led to a very flat little marshmallow. It couldn’t keep its structure and just collapsed once I placed it on a try. It was by far the most dense marshmallow of the three and very sugary. Not a nice fluffly marshmallow. This ‘proved’ that I couldn’t simply leave out the gelatin, something would have to help keep it up.

• Use 1/2 tablespoon of marshmallow root powder per egg white

This marshmallow was already a lot less runny than the first one. It kept its shape better, though still not very good. It tended to flatten out over time. The marshmallow was also very very sticky and had a very very long pull to it. That was actually pretty cool, you could stretch it out quite a bit. However, don’t even try to cut this one into cubes. All in all, better than the first, not perfect yet.

• Use 1 table spoon of marshmallow root powder per egg white

What a nice, light and airy marshmallow this was. I couldn’t stretch this marshmallow as much as the previous, but it was still pretty flexible. Again cutting it into squares was hard, but the taste and texture really made up for it. This marshmallow also kept its shape best, it didn’t flow down all the time. For making marshmallows this really is the minimum quantity of marshmallow root powder you need. You might want to increase it a little more if you want firmer marshmallows that would look more like those using gelatin.

Why does marshmallow root thicken?

In conclusion I can say that I managed to make nice tasting marshmallows using marshmallow root powder instead of gelatin. The last thing I did want to investigate though, is the working principle of this powder. This proved to be harder than I thought and I still don’t have a complete answer I’m afraid. Here’s my best guess, if you know more details, I’d be happy to hear!

The first challenge was to find out which molecules are present in marshmallow root, luckily I found one website with such a list. I wasn’t too sure whether this was all that accurate, since once I started searching on, I found various websites with the exact same text. Was the text copied from somewhere? And if yes, what’s the source? I wasn’t too sure. However, in the list I saw one ingredient that could cause the thickening, which is ‘mucilage’. When looking into this further, I reasoned this could well be the substance causing the thickening.

Mucilage is a pretty common substance and can be found in various plants, for example okra and cacti. It is a mix of complex carbohydrates, proteins and sugars, which exactly, will differ per plant. Mucilage is used by the plants to hold on to water. It seems as if the more well known thickening agent agar-agar also contains quite a bit of mucilage. So, this mucilage seems to be able to cause quite some thickening of moisture containing substances (you could also see this when adding water to the marshmallow root, it simply all disappeared).

Ingredients

• 75 ml water (if, by accident, you’ve added more, no problem, it will just take a little longer for all the extra water to boil off again)
• 125g sugar (regular granulated sugar)
• 75g glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp marshmallow root powder
• Cornstarch + icing sugar

Instructions

1. Boil the water, sugar and glucose in a pan to 121C.
2. When it’s close to getting to that temperature, start whipping up the egg white until it has nice firm peaks.
3. Keep on whisking while adding the boiling hot (HOT!) sugar syrup (it’s easiest with a stand mixer).
4. Keep on whisking at a high speed until the bowl has cooled down to body temperature.
5. In the meantime, mix the marshmallow root powder with 1 tbsp of water. Once the mixture in the bowl has cooled down, add the paste. Keep on whisking for a little while until it has been incorporated.
6. Pour out onto a sheet of baking paper and coat with corn starch (or a mixture of corn starch and icing sugar, depending on how sweet you like it). Leave to set for a couple of hours.

Good luck making the marshmallow root marshmallow! If you’ve managed to make something, let me know, I’d be so curious!

Further reading

Having trouble finding the translation for marshmallow root to your own language? Use the latin name in your search: Althaea officinalis. For the Dutch readers, marshmallow root is heemstwortel in Dutch.

Just a little warning here, as far as I could find the quantities I’ve used in my recipe do not pose any health risk. However, do check whether your supplier is trustworthy and whether you might have any allergies, etc. I’m not an expert on this topic, I focus on the science of its use and am not liable for the recipe/information given here, always use an expert’s advice.

Szechuan peppercorn marshmallows

Ingredients

• 15 grams silver leaf gelatin
• 3 grams salt
• 1.5 grams Szechuan peppercorns
• 100 grams apple cider
• 305 grams isomalt
• 135 grams liquid glucose
• Cornstarch for coating the marshmallows

Recipe

Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper and dust the bottom and side generously with powdered sugar. Have more powdered sugar available to dust the top of the marshmallows.

Cover the gelatin sheets with cold water and let them soak until softened. The amount of water used should be just enough to hydrate the gelatin.

Place the salt and the Szechuan peppercorns in a skillet. Turn the heat on medium and toast the peppercorns until they start to release a fragrant smoke. When the peppercorns are just beginning to smoke, remove the pan from the heat and pour the salt and peppercorns onto a plate to cool. When the salt and pepper have cooled, place them into a spice grinder and grind together to a fine powder. Sift the powder through a fine mesh strainer to remove any large particles.

Heat the apple cider to a simmer. Squeeze out the bloomed gelatin, add it to the hot cider, and stir to melt the gelatin. Weigh the spice mixture and sprinkle the spice blend over the cider-bloomed gelatin. Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Place the isomalt and glucose in a pot and place over a medium-high flame. Bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Using either a candy or a digital thermometer, cook the mixture until it reaches 116 degrees Celsius. When the glucose mixture reaches 116 degrees, remove it from the heat and carefully pour it into the gelatin mixture. Turn the mixer on low, slowly stirring the hot sugar syrup. When the sugar syrup cools to 100 degrees Celsius, increase the speed to medium high. Whip the mixture for 10 minutes until the mixture grows in volume and takes on the appearance of whipped marshmallow topping. The marshmallow will cool significantly during the beating process.

Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan, using a lightly greased silicone or heatproof rubber spatula to help get the marshmallow out of the bowl. Coat the top of the marshmallow heavily with cornstarch. Cover the pan lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours or until completely cool. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board generously dusted with cornstarch, and cut into individual pieces using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Dust the cut edges with cornstarch to absorb excess moisture and prevent sticking.

Isomalt and glucose are available from www.chefrubber.com, www.le-sanctuaire.com, and www.terraspice.com.