Curious Crew | Marshmallow Chemistry | Season 8 | PBS (2024)

FAQs

What is the chemistry of marshmallows? ›

A typical marshmallow contains sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin, plus some air. That's it. “A marshmallow is basically a foam that's stabilized by gelatin,” says Richard Hartel, a food engineer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

As the air in the bubbles warms up, the air molecules bounce around faster and faster and push harder against the bubble walls. Since the sugar walls are warm and soft, the bubbles expand, and the marshmallow puffs up. If it puffs up too much, some air bubbles burst, and the marshmallow deflates like a popped balloon.

Chris Comstock, better known by his stage name Marshmello, was born on May 19, 1992. He is an American electronic dance music producer and DJ.

Foods like jellybeans, marshmallows, and other gelatin-based foods also typically contain pork byproducts and are not considered Halal. Even products like vanilla extract and toothpaste can contain alcohol! Muslims will generally not eat meat that has also come in contact with pork.

Heating the marshmallow over the fire can make the sugar caramelize, a chemical reaction that produces the brown color and toasted flavor. It requires really high temperatures, so microwaving your marshmallow isn't going to cut it.

Dried out Peeps are hard because the sugary syrup that holds the air bubbles becomes more solid. In a fresh Peep, the sugar syrup is fluid and the marshmallow has a soft, spongy texture.

At the surface of the marshmallow, carbon reacts with oxygen, which produces a blue flame. 5. The oxidation stage - carbon atoms combine with oxygen atoms to produce carbon monoxide, and then carbon dioxide.

As the outside of the marshmallow gets hot, the sugars/proteins begin to break down and then burn, which produces new flavors and smells, which gives s'mores their characteristic flavor^{4, 5} (and is also why everyone likes their marshmallow done a different way).

Heating the marshmallow over the fire can make the sugar caramelize, a chemical reaction that produces the brown color and toasted flavor.