I'm The Next Stay-Puft Man

Earlier tonight, I made marshmallows. I know what you're thinking - who makes their own marshmallows? I actually never even knew you could make them. If you had told me that marshmallows grew on trees, I would have believed you (turns out as you'll see below, I wasn't so far off.)

I don't even like marshmallows that much, but I was just thinking earlier tonight, "I think I feel like making marshmallows." (I'm the weird type of guy who would actually have such a thought.) I don't know why I was having this urge. It's not like I've ever had strong feelings for them. I think this box of unflavored gelatin was just calling out to me to use it. By the way, as a total sidebar, I have to say that Jell-o is one of my most favorite foods in the world. I could eat it all day.

I went online to do some research. I learned that originally marshmallows were made with the extract of marshmallow plant, which served as a gelling agent. Since I do not grow marshmallow plants in my apartment, I would have to go the non-plant route. After doing some more research, I found a recipe that called for light corn syrup, gelatin, water and sugar, all things that I happened to have in my cabinets. (I had prepared myself for my marshmallow experiment day to come).

The process was weird and messy, but kind of fun. The mixture is clear when you wouldn't expect it to be, and then turns white when you wouldn't expect it to. And the texture just morphs in really unexpected ways until ta-da, you have marshmallows!

But geez, what a pain to get out of the mixing bowl! The mixture gets stiff pretty fast and gives your mixer a work out. And then getting the stuff out of the bowl is next to impossible because the stuff sticks everywhere. One spatula grew into a spatula and a butter knife; then a spatula, butter knife, and tablespoon; and then a spatula, butter knife, tablespoon and my hands. I gave up after a while because I was sick of my hands having long stretchy spider web strands coming off of them. I left a third of the marshmallow goo in the bowl and just went on with the rest.

(Cut to present, 4 hours later)

I checked on my marshmallows, and I just had to try one. It was awesome. Totally different than a store-bought marshmallow. Store-bought ones are chewy and spongy. Homemade ones are thicker, denser and moist, and kind of melt in your mouth as soon you bite into them.

I think I wanna make these again. Plus I still have two packs of gelatin left. But I don't want to turn into my old college roommate. I remember one time I came home and she was just sitting on the couch with a jar of marshmallow fluff eating it by the spoonful. A girl and her fluff. Such a special moment.