Marshmallow

i saw how they are made on the hit food network show 'unwrapped'. great show. got some familiar tv schlub as the host and i can't place him. never can. except for alan thicke. growing pains.

that said, candy-marshmallow things almost always kinda suck, i mean, no offense.

MALLOMARS!

marshmallows are fun, but they need options:

http://www.buzzstuff.net/archives/mallomars-thumb.gif

respect!@

"Pweese don't eat mee"

http://www.candywrappermuseum.com/cx_mallocup.jpg

i wish marsh mallow was still made from mallow root! i bet it would taste wonderfully earthy.

just found this:

The History of Marshmallows
A Treat from the Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians were the first to enjoy a gooey treat now called marshmallow as early as 2000 BC. The treat was considered very special and it was reserved for gods and royalty.

Marshmallow was made from the mallow plant (Athaea officinalis) that grows wild in marshes. The term marshmallow was derived both from the native home of the plant and the plant name. Mallow is native to Asia and Europe and has been naturalized in America. The Egyptians squeezed sap from the mallow plant and mixed it with nuts and honey. However, no one knows what the candy looked like in those times.

The French were introduced to marshmallow in the early to mid-1800s. Owners of small candy stores whipped sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mold. This time-consuming process was typically done by hand. Candy stores had a hard time keeping up with the demand. Candy makers started looking for a new process to make marshmallows and found the starch mogul system in the late 1800s. It allowed candy makers to create marshmallow molds made of modified cornstarch. At this same time, candy makers replaced the mallow root with gelatin and this created the marshmallow stable form.

Marshmallows were introduced and popularized in the United States in the early 1900s, after the new manufacturing process was developed.

In 1948, Alex Doumak revolutionized the process for manufacturing marshmallows. He created and patented the extrusion process. This process involves taking the marshmallow ingredients and running it through tubes. Afterwards, ingredients are cut into equal pieces and packaged. In the 1950s, marshmallows became extremely popular in the United States and were used in a variety of food recipes.

Today, Americans are the main consumers of marshmallows. According to experts, Americans buy more than 90 million pounds annually. Marshmallow is considered a year-round snack even though the majority is sold during October and December.

taken from: http://www.candyusa.org/Candy/marshmallows.asp

How are Marshmallows Made?
In the 19th century, marshmallows were made by mixing mallow root sap, egg whites and sugar into a fluffy mold. The French added cornstarch to help speed up the production and give the candy its unforgettable form.

Today the manufacturing of marshmallows is quite different. Mallow root sap has been replaced by gelatin. Corn syrup, starch, sugar and water are mixed with the gelatin. The fluffy mixture is piped through long tubes and then cut into equal pieces. To create shaped marshmallows like Peeps, a special nozzle moves back and forth to cut the marshmallow into recognizable shapes.

Marshmallows also can be made at home. The ingredients are almost the same, but salt and vanilla extract can be added in for flavoring.

http://www.vegansuprememarshmallows.com./

or make yer own:

2 1/2 T. vegetable gelatin (Emes Kosher Gel)
1 1/2 C. (355 ml) sugar
1 C. (237 ml) light corn syrup
1/2 C. (118 ml) cold water
1/2 C. (118 ml) water at room temperature
1/4 t. salt
2 T. vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice)
Cornstarch for dusting

1. Combine Gel and 1/2 C. (118 ml) COLD water in the bowl of a mixer with a whisk attachment. Let stand for 1/2 hour.
2. Mix the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 C. (118 ml) water in a saucepan. Stir it over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and a syrup has formed.
3. Cook it until firmball stage (244 degrees Fahrenheit about 120 C. on a candy thermometer.) Remove pan from heat, and slowly and carefully pour the syrup into the gelatin/water mixture in your mixer. Beat the mixture at high speed until thick, white, and tripled in size, approximately 15 minutes. (If you stop before this time, you will have marshmallow creme which you can store in a jar and use like the commercial stuff.) Add the vanilla and beat just long enough to incorporate it.
4. Dust an 8" x 12" (20 cm x 30 cm) glass baking pan with cornstarch. Pour mixture into pan, and dust the top with more cornstarch. Wet your hands and pat the mixture to smooth out the top. Dust again.

Let stand overnight to dry out, uncovered. Next morning turn the "marshmallow cake" out onto a board, and cut in into small pieces with a dry, HOT knife. Dust again. Makes about 45 marshmallows.

I stumbled upon this...
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mallow07.html

because I saw this:
" … The action of Marsh Mallow root upon the bowels is unaccompanied by any … giving place to Marsh Mallow root, though they are still employed as a … "
in the search results....