A marshmallow is a candy or sugar-based candy type which in its modern form usually consists of sugar, water and gelatin shaken to a smooth consistency, molded into small cylindrical pieces, and coated with corn starch. Some marshmallow recipes call the eggs. This is a modern version of a drug confection made of Althaea officinalis , a marshmallow plant.
Video Marshmallow
History
The word "marshmallow" comes from mallow plant species ( Althaea officinalis ), native herbs of Europe, North Africa, and Asia that grow in swamps and other wetlands. Stems and leaves of fleshy plants and white flowers have five petals. It is not known exactly when marshmallows were discovered, but their history back in early 2000 BC. The ancient Egyptians were said to be the first to make them and eat them a privilege strictly reserved for gods and nobles, who used plant roots and to soothe cough and sore throat, and to heal wounds. The first Marshmallow is prepared by boiling a slice of root pulp with honey until thick. After thickening, the mixture becomes taut, cooled, and then used as intended.
Whether used for candy or medicine, making marshmallows is limited to a small scale. In the early to mid 1800s, marshmallows had gone to France where sweets added value to traditional medicinal plants with the pampering ingredients used by the Egyptians. The owner of a small candy store will pull the sap from the mallow roots into a fine candy print. This candy is called PÃÆ' à ¢ tÃÆ' à © de Guimauve. This is a soft dessert made from whipping roots of dried marshmallows with sugar, water, and egg whites. It is sold in bar form as candy. Drying and preparation of marshmallows takes one to two days before the final product can be produced. In the late 1800s, candy makers began to search for new processes, and found a starch mogul system, in which modified cornstarch trays had molds that were strongly pushed into them to create cavities inside the starch. The cavities are then filled with a mixture of shaked marshmallow sap, and allowed to cool or harden. At the same time, candy makers began to replace mallow roots with gelatin which created a stable marshmallow shape.
In the early 1900s, thanks to a starch mogul system, marshmallows were introduced to the United States and available for mass consumption. They are sold in cans as penny candies, and are immediately used in various recipes such as bananas, spongy mallow lime, and tutti frutti. In 1948, Alex Doumak patented an extrusion process involving marshmallow material through a tube. The tubes create a long string of mixed marshmallows, and then start to cool. The materials are then cut into equal parts, and packaged.
The modern marshmallow factory is highly automated, and it has been around since the early 1950s when the extrusion process was first developed. Many improvements and advancements allow the production of thousands of pounds of marshmallow a day. Today, marshmallows usually consist of four components. These are sugars, water, air, and whipping agents (usually proteins). The types of sugar and whipping ingredients vary depending on the desired characteristics. Each ingredient plays a special role in the final product.
Development of modern marshmallows
Confectioners in the early 19th century France spearheaded the innovation of marshmallow sap whip and sweetened it, to create a confection similar to modern marshmallows. The confection is made locally by the owners of the sweet little shops. They will extract the sap from the root of the mallow plant, and whip it themselves. The candy is very popular, but the factory is labor-intensive. At the end of the 19th century, French producers thought to use egg whites or gelatin, combined with modified corn starch, to create a chewy base. It avoids labor-intensive extraction processes, but it does require industrial methods to combine gelatin and corn starch in the right way.
Another milestone in the development of marshmallows was the extrusion process by American sugar maker Alex Doumak in 1954. In this process, a mixture of marshmallows was pumped through the extrusion heads with multiple ports adjacent to each other forming a "string" of marshmallows. This invention allows marshmallows to be produced automatically, and gives us a familiar cylinder shape from the current marshmallows. To make large quantities of marshmallows, industrial sweetmeats mix water, sugar, and corn syrup in large kettles that are then heated to the right temperature and cooked for the right time. The mixture is then pumped into another kettle to cool. The rehydrated gelatin is added and mixed in, after the mixture is cool enough not to denature the gelatin. To give marshmallow fluffiness, it is pumped through a blender when air is pumped into it. At this point, it still needs to be cooled further, so it will hold its shape when extruded, pumped through a heat exchanger before it is pumped through the extrusion head and into a wide conveyor belt. Belt conveyor is coated with corn starch and more corn starch is sown to the top of marshmallow extrusion as it passes through the conveyor. A large conveyor-width blade is located at the end of this conveyor table which cuts the extrusion into the desired marshmallow size. The pieces will then be dropped on corn starch in a large drum, allowing marshmallows to form their familiar skin and to allow unbroken pieces to crumble.
Marshmallow, like most candies, is sweetened with sucrose. They are prepared by aeration of the mixture of sucrose and protein to a final density of about 0.5 g/ml. The molecular structure of marshmallows is simply a sugar solution mixed with stable structural agents such as gelatin, xanthan candy, or egg white. The structural components mentioned above prevent air from escaping and break down marshmallows during aeration.
Maps Marshmallow
Material function
Today, marshmallows consist of four components. These include sugar, water, air, and whipping agents/aerators (usually proteins). The types of sugar and whipping ingredients vary depending on the desired characteristics. Each brand of marshmallow has its own specific formula for how to produce 'perfect' marshmallows. No matter how they make each ingredient play a certain role in the final product.
Marshmallow is a foam, consisting of an aqueous continuous phase and a gas dispersed phase (in other words, a liquid with a gas bubble spreads throughout). In addition to being foam, this also makes marshmallow an "aeration" of confection because it consists of 50% air. The objective of aerated cones such as marshmallows is to enter the gas into the sugar mixture, and to stabilize the aerated product before the gas can escape. When gas is introduced into the system, small air bubbles are made. This is what contributes to the unique texture properties, and taste of this product.
Protein
In marshmallows, proteins are the principal active agents responsible for formation, and dispersed air stabilization. Due to its structure, the active surface molecules converge on the surface of a portion of the liquid (water-based). Some of each protein molecule is hydrophilic, with polar charge, and the other part is hydrophobic and non-polar. The non-polar part has little or no affinity for water, and so this part is far apart from water. However, the polar part is attracted to the water and has little or no affinity for air. Therefore, molecular orients with polar parts in water, with non-polar parts in air. The two main proteins commonly used as an aerator in marshmallows are albumen (egg white) and gelatin.
Album (egg whites)
Albumen is a mixture of proteins found in egg whites, and is used for its capacity to create foams. In a commercial setting, dried albumen is used as opposed to fresh egg whites. In addition to convenience, the benefits of using dry albumen are improved food safety, and a reduction in moisture content in marshmallows. Fresh egg white carries a higher risk than Salmonella, and about 90 percent water. This is undesirable for the shelf life and firmness of the product. For marshmallow type craftsmen, prepared by candy makers, fresh egg whites are usually used. Albums are rarely used alone when incorporated into modern marshmallows, and are instead used together with gelatin.
Gelatin
Gelatin is the most commonly used aerator in marshmallow production. It consists of collagen, structural proteins derived from animal skin, connective tissue, and bone. Not only can it stabilize the foam, such as albumen, but when combined with water, it forms a gel that can be thermally recoverable. This means gelatin can melt, then reset because of its sensitivity to temperature. The melting point of gelatin is 95-100 ° F (body temperature). This is what contributes to your melt-in-your-mouth sensation when marshmallows are consumed - when marshmallows touch your tongue, it immediately begins to melt (due to your body temperature), going from solid to liquid.
During preparation, the temperature should be just above the melting point of gelatin, so as soon as it is formed it cools down quickly, and the gelatin will regulate, maintaining the desired shape. If a mixture of marshmallow rope coming out of the extruder during processing is too warm, the marshmallow begins to flow before the gelatin set. Instead of a round marshmallow, it will take a more oval shape. Excessive heat can also lower, or break down, the gelatin itself. Therefore, when marshmallows are produced at home or by artisan candy makers, gelatin is added after the syrup is heated and cooled.
In commercial operation, gelatin is only cooked with sugar syrup, instead of added later after the syrup has cooled. In this case, kinetics plays an important role, with both time and temperature factorization. If gelatin is added at the beginning of the batch which is then cooked to 235-240 à ° F in 20-30 minutes, a large amount of gelatin will be damaged. Marshmallow will reduce the elasticity of gelatin loss. But since the time spent by syrup at high temperatures on modern stoves is very short, there is little or no gelatin degradation.
In terms of texture, and taste of the mouth, gelatin makes marshmallows feel supple by forming a crumpled 3-D polymer chain network. After the gelatin is dissolved in warm water (dubbed "bloom stage"), it forms a dispersion, which results in a crosslink of a helical-shaped chain. The association in the network of gelatin proteins, trapping air in a mixture of marshmallows, and crippling water molecules in tissues. The result is a well-known marshmallow structure. This is why removing gelatin from a marshmallow recipe will produce marshmallow cr̮'̬me, as there is no gelatinous tissue to trap air and water bubbles.
Sugar
Marshmallow is an amorphous solid because of how the sugar crystallizes. This is because the crystals that are formed are not grained, and the size is very smooth, compared to the crystal pair whose crystal is rough, and the size is bigger. This is why temperature plays an important role in marshmallow production. To make amorphous solids such as marshmallows, a solution of sugar syrup (sucrose, corn syrup, and sugar upside) is heated at high temperatures. It is then cooled so quickly that no crystals are formed. Rapid fluid cooling in the open air does not allow the sucrose molecules to form crystals, so the (amorphous) glass of crystals is created instead. In most candies, different sugar combinations are used, each affecting the solubility concentrations of each other. The presence of inverted sugar and/or corn syrup causes a substantial decrease in the solubility of sucrose due to competition between sugar molecules for water.
A traditional marshmallow may contain about 60% of corn syrup, 30% sugar, and 1% to 2% gelatin. The ratio of syrup/maize sugar will provide only about 35% to 40% solids to prevent crystallization. Crystallization can be further avoided by choosing the right type of corn syrup. Higher conversion corn syrup will contribute more reverse sugar to the formula, which inhibits crystallization. If a coarse textured marshmallow is desired, you simply increase the sugar ratio to the point where it will crystallize from 60% to 65%, then whip it, and add a little powdered sugar. When cold, the sugar crystallizes out to form a grained marshmallow.
Sucrose
Sucrose is another ingredient that is used in most candy fires. It is a disaccharide consisting of one molecule of glucose and fructose. This sugar gives a sweet and big flavor to the marshmallow, while simultaneously adjusting the foam to a consistent consistency when it cools. Sucrose, and sugar in general, impair the ability of the foam to form, but increase the stability of the foam. Therefore, sucrose is used in conjunction with proteins such as gelatin. Proteins can absorb, open, and form a stable network, while sugar can increase viscosity. Liquid drainage of the continuous phase should be minimized as well. The thick liquid flows more slowly than the thin, thus increasing the viscosity of the continuous phase will reduce the drainage. High viscosity is essential if stable foams are to be produced. Therefore, sucrose is a major component of marshmallows. But sucrose is rarely used alone, because of its tendency to crystallize.
Corn syrup
Corn syrup, sometimes known as glucose syrup, is a syrup containing dextrin, maltose, and dextrose. Partial hydrolysis of corn flour obtained it. Corn syrup is important in the production of marshmallows because it prevents the crystallization of other sugars (such as sucrose). It can also contribute to the body, reduce sweetness, and alter the release of flavors, depending on the Dextrose Equivalent (DE) of the glucose syrup used.
DE is a measure of the amount of reducing sugar present in the sugar product in relation to glucose. Low DE glucose syrup will give a more chewy texture, while higher DE syrup will make the product softer. In addition, depending on the type of DE used, it can alter sweetness, hygroscopicity, and marshmallow browning. Corn syrup is tasteless and cheap to produce, which is why candy companies like to use this product.
Turn the sugar
Inverted sugar is produced when sucrose is damaged by the addition of water, also known as hydrolysis. This molecule shows all the characteristics of honey except taste because it is the main sugar found in honey. This means that the inverted sugar has the ability to prevent crystallization, and produces a soft marshmallow. It is also an effective humectant, allowing it to trap water, and prevent marshmallow from drying out. For some candy, this is not a good trait to have, but for marshmallows, it is an advantage because it has a high water content.
Additional materials
Flavors
Unless variations of standard marshmallows are being made, vanilla is always used as flavoring. Vanilla can be added in extract form, or by inserting vanilla beans into the sugar syrup during cooking. This is the best technique to get the distribution of flavors evenly across marshmallows.
Acid
Acids, such as tartar cream or lemon juice, can also be used to improve foam stability. The addition of acid lowers the pH. This reduces the charge on protein molecules, and brings them closer to their isoelectric point. This results in a stronger and more stable inter-face film. When added to egg whites, acids prevent excessive aggregation on the interface. However, the foam formation of acid delays. It can therefore be added towards the end of the whipping process after a stable foam has been made.
Manufacturing process
Commercial process
In making commercial marshmallows, the whole process is simplified and fully automated.
To start gelatin is only cooked with sugar and syrup. Once a syrup containing gelatin is cooked, it is allowed to cool slightly before air is introduced into the system. Whipping is generally done in a rotor-stator type device. The compressed air is injected into warm syrup, which is held at a temperature just above the melting point of gelatin. In the marshmallow aerator, the pin on the cylinder rotates (rotor) intermesh with a stationary pin on the wall (stator) to provide the necessary shear force to break the large air injection bubbles into many small bubbles that give the smooth, smooth texture of marshmallows. A light, smooth flow of marshmallows flows out from the aerator on its way to formation steps.
Marshmallow candy is usually formed in one of three ways. First, it can be extruded in the desired shape and cut into pieces, as is done for Jet-Puffed marshmallows. Secondly, it can be saved to the belt, as is done for Peeps. Finally, it can be stored into starch-based molds in the mogul to create different shapes.
House creation process
The process of making marshmallows at home is different from the factories. At home, a mixture of corn syrup and sugar is boiled down to about 227Ã, à ° F (108Ã, à ° C) to provide moisture content of 20% or more. In a separate step, the agar is hydrated with enough warm water to create a thick solution. After the sugar syrup has cooled to about 100 ° C (38 ° C), the gelatin solution is mixed together with the desired flavor, and whipped with a Kitchen aid or Hobart mixer to achieve the final density. Marshmallow is then taken from a bowl, placed on a table, and cut into pieces to serve.
Marshmallow bake
A popular camping or backyard tradition in England, North America, New Zealand and Australia is roasting or roasting marshmallows over a campfire or other open flame. Marshmallows are placed on the ends of sticks or skewers and held carefully on fire. This creates a caramelized outer shell with a liquid and liquid layer underneath. The main taste compounds and color polymers associated with browning of sugar are made during the caramelization process.
S'mores is a traditional bonfire dish in the United States, made by placing a roasted marshmallow on a piece of chocolate, placed between two graham crackers. These can then be squeezed together to cause the chocolate to begin to melt.
Nutrition
Marshmallow is defined in US law as food with minimal nutritional value.
Dietary preferences
Traditional marshmallow recipes use powdered marshmallow roots, but most commercially produced marshmallows instead use gelatin in their manufacture. Vegans and vegetarians avoid gelatin, but there are versions that use non-animal replacement gels such as agar. In addition, marshmallows are generally not considered halal or halal unless their gelatin comes from halal or halal animals or they are vegan.
Marshmallow creme and other less tough marshmallow products generally contain little or no gelatin, which mainly serves to allow known confectionary marshmallows to retain their shape. They generally use egg whites instead. Non-gelatin, an egg-containing version of this product can be consumed by ovo vegetarians. Some brands of vegetarian and vegan marshmallows and marshmallow fluff exist.
See also
References
External links
- The Marshmallow Explained at HowStuffWorks.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia