There is actually a marshmallow plant that usually grows wild in swamps and marshlands. The marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis) is not the same as the common mallow plant (Malva sylvestris). 

Marshmallow has a thick, sticky consistency similar to the okra plant.  Made into a candy, doctors often offered it to children to soothe their sore throats. But eventually, marshmallow root sap was replaced by other binding agents such as gum arabic and gelatin. Without the sap, the candy no longer had healing properties.

Marshmallows we can buy today are usually made of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin, dextrose, vanilla flavorings and sometimes egg whites.

INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

To be able to make marshmallows successfully is the desire of many persons. At first thought, this seems somewhat of a task, but in reality it is a simple matter if the directions are carefully followed. Plain marshmallows are a delicious treat, but you can also flavor them, coat them, and make them into fudge for variety.

MARSHMALLOWS
Soak four ounces of gum arabic* in a cup of water until it is dissolved. Strain it to take out any black specks that may be in the gum. Put the dissolved gum arabic into a saucepan with a half pound of powdered sugar. Place the saucepan in a second pan containing boiling water. Stir until the mixture becomes thick and white. When it begins to thicken, test it by dropping a little into cold water. When it will form a firm ball, remove it from the fire and stir into it the whites of three eggs whipped to a stiff froth. This will give it a spongy texture. Lastly, flavor it with two teaspoons of orange-flower water. 

Turn the paste into a pan covered thick with corn-starch. The layer of paste should be one inch thick. Too large a pan must not be used, or it will spread and make a thin layer. After the paste has stood twelve hours and turn it onto a slab.

Cut in squares by pressing the blade of a knife down through the mass, but do not slide it along when cutting. Remove the pieces, dust on all sides with corn-starch or confectioner’s sugar, and serve. Or you may pack them in boxes. Marshmallows become harder the longer they are kept, but are best when as soft as they can be handled.

*gum arabic – a natural gum consisting of the hardened sap the acacia tree. It is edible and used primarily in the food industry as a stabilizer. 

MARSHMALLOWS No. 2
Soak two ounces of gelatin in one-half cup water for an hour. Boil two cups of sugar, one-half cup water, and one-fourth teaspoon cream of tartar until it spins a thread.* Pour the gelatin on a platter and over this pour the syrup. Beat up for twenty or thirty minutes. Flavor with one teaspoon vanilla, if desired, adding it just before the beating up. Pour into a well greased cake tin and let stand till solid. Turn out on powdered sugar, cut in squares, roll in powdered sugar, and keep in a closed jar or box.

*spins a thread (for a sugary recipe) – to take a small amount of cooked syrup from a pot onto a spoon, and letting it drip back in. If it spins a long thread, like a spider web, it’s ready.

PINEAPPLE MARSHMALLOWS
Soak four ounces of gum arabic in one cup of pineapple juice until dissolved; then strain through cheese-cloth. Put into a saucepan with one-half pound of best powdered sugar and place the saucepan in a pan of hot water on the stove. Stir the mixture until it becomes thick and white. Drop a little into cold water and if it becomes a firm ball, remove from the fire and whip into it the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs. Flavor with a teaspoon of vanilla. Dust a square pan with corn-starch and pour in the mixture until an inch thick. Let it stand in a cool place for twelve hours, then cut it into inch squares and roll in a mixture of powdered sugar and corn-starch.

ORANGE MARSHMALLOWS
Soak two ounces of gelatin in one cup of orange juice until dissolved, then strain through cheese-cloth. Put into a saucepan in a pan of hot water on the stove and add one cup of sugar. Stir the mixture until it is thick and white. Heat until a little stirred on a cold plate will form a creamy ball. Remove from the fire and whip into the mixture the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs. Flavor with orange extract, using about a teaspoonful. Whip with silver fork until it begins to thicken. Pour into a pan well dusted with corn-starch and powdered sugar. When cool, cut in squares and roll in powdered sugar.

COCONUT MARSHMALLOWS
Add a half cup of water to two cups of sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then stir in one-half box of gelatin that has been soaked for a few hours in a little water. Let stand until partially cool, then add a pinch of salt, one teaspoon  vanilla, one and one-half cup shredded coconut, and the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs. Stir well, then pour into deep pans well dusted with corn-starch and powdered sugar. The mixture should be at least a half inch thick. Turn out on powdered sugar and corn-starch. Cut into cubes, and roll in the powdered and corn-starch mixture until each marshmallow is well coated, then roll in coconut.

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USING BOUGHT MARSHMALLOWS

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CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS
Buy your marshmallows, as that is cheaper and much easier than making them, and coat them with chocolate the same as chocolate creams. If they are very large, it is best to cut them in two before coating, as they will look prettier. Pistachio nuts, chopped very fine and sprinkled over them before the chocolate sets, look very nice.

MARSHMALLOWS COATED WITH BUTTERSCOTCH
A delightful confection may be made by covering marshmallows with hot butterscotch. To accomplish this, drop the marshmallows with a coating fork or an ordinary table fork into hot butterscotch that has just finished cooking. Remove them quickly, but see that the marshmallows are entirely covered. Drop on a buttered pan or plate and set aside to cool.

MARSHMALLOW FUDGE
Take two cups of light brown sugar, a cup of milk, a tablespoon of butter, and one- fourth teaspoon cream of tartar. Boil until it threads or to 235 degrees, and then add one-half pound of marshmallows. Beat until dissolved, then add a cup of chopped walnut meats. Pour into buttered pans and cut into squares. Another way to make this fudge is to omit the nuts and add two squares of chocolate.

WELLESLEY MARSHMALLOW FUDGE
Heat two cups of granulated sugar and one cup of rich milk (cream is better). Add two squares of Baker’s Chocolate, and boil until it hardens in cold water. Just before it is done, add a small piece of butter, then begin to stir in marshmallows, crushing and beating them with a spoon. Continue to stir in marshmallows after the fudge has been taken from the fire, until half a pound has been stirred in. Cool in sheets three-quarters of an inch thick, and cut in cubes.

COCONUT MARSHMALLOW FUDGE
Take two cups of sugar and one-half cup milk and boil it up. Then add one tablespoon butter and boil to the soft ball stage. Add a cup of grated coconut and beat up until creamy. Arrange some marshmallows in a pan and pour the fudge mixture over them. When cold, cut into squares between the marshmallows.

Image from Deposit Photos

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Do you like marshmallows? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please leave a comment below.

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