ABSTRACT
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 325
Study of Mechanism of Marshmallow Hardening ...................................... 326
Method......................................................................................................... 326
Results.......................................................................................................... 327
Stabilization Through Formulation................................................................. 330
Method......................................................................................................... 331
Results.......................................................................................................... 332
Effect of Replacement Sugar/Sugar Syrups on the Moisture
Loss in Film .................................................................................... 332
Effect of Replacement Sugar/Sugar Syrups on the Sugar
Crystallization in Film .................................................................. 333
Stabilization through Process Control............................................................ 334
Method......................................................................................................... 335
Results.......................................................................................................... 335
Mean Air Cell Diameter and Total Surface Area ......................... 335
Air Cell Size Distributions ............................................................... 337
Stability of Marshmallow in Relation to Foam Structure ........... 337
Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 340
References ........................................................................................................... 340
Marshmallow originated in France as a medicinal paste called Pate de
Guimauve. Its common name comes from the fact it was produced using the
viscous juice extracted from the roots of the marsh mallow plant, Althaea
officinalis. This extract was mixed with eggs and sugar and then beaten into a
light fluffy foam (Lees and Jackson, 1973). Nowadays, marshmallow is an
aerated confectionery product with a characteristic foamy structure created
when air and moisture is incorporated into a syrup mixture. The air
increases the volume of the marshmallow and is responsible for its fluffy
texture (Jackson, 1990). The basic ingredients in marshmallow are sucrose,
glucose syrup, water, color and/or flavor, and whipping agents. Avariety of
whipping agents can be used either individually or in combination with
other ingredients, such as egg albumen, gelatine, pectin, agar, and starch, to
help produce a stable foam structure (Jackson, 1990; Kaletunc et al., 1992).
In the confectionery industry, marshmallow is prepared by heating a base
syrup, which evaporates water to achieve an optimal concentration. The
mixture is cooled to a predetermined temperature and a whipping agent is
added prior to beating. Depending on the texture required, the moisture
content of marshmallow can vary between 17 and 21%, and the density can
vary between 0.25 and 0.50 g/ml (Jackson, 1990).