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 Mallow root sap has been replaced by gelatin.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.