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).