THE BIG QUESTION?
What are the main ingredients in today’s popular marshmallows?
HYPOTHESIS
If I test out the ratios of 1/2:1/3; 2/3:1/4; and 3/4:1/6, then the 2:3 ratios of sugar to corn syrup will be the closest to Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallows in texture and taste.
PROCEDURES
Preparing to Cook:
1. Wash your hands
2. Get out all cooking tools and ingredients, and set them out so they are ready to go and easy to access.
3. Identify the 240°F mark (116°C) on your candy thermometer. This is the traditional temperature used to make marshmallows.
Preparing Your Cake Pans
1. Label the sides of three cake pans with masking tape pieces, numbered from 1 to 3. Pan 1 will recipe 1, pan 2 will contain recipe 2, and pan 3 will contain recipe 3. Each recipe contains a different ratio of sugar to corn syrup.
2. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil on a paper towel and lightly oil the three cake pans.
3. Pour a small amount of powdered sugar in the strainer and dust the inside of the cake pans.
a. If you get too much powdered sugar in the pan, hold the pan upside-down over a sink, and gently tap out the excess sugar.
Preparing Your Gelatin
1. Pour 1/6 cup of cold water into the large mixing bowl
a. To get 1/6 cup, just fill the 1/3 measuring cup up halfway with water.
2. Sprinkle one ¼-ounce (oz) envelope of plain, unflavored gelatin over the cold water.
3. Mix the gelatin and water together for about 5 seconds (sec.) with a fork and set the bowl aside. This will give the gelatin time to “soften” or “bloom”.
Preparing Your Syrup
1. Add ¼ cup of cold water to the saucepan
2. Using Table 1 as a guide, add granulated sugar and corn syrup to the water in the saucepan, according to which recipe you are currently making.
3. Put the lid on the saucepan. An adult should closely supervise all the work from this point on.
4. Turn on the stove to medium-high heat.
5. Lift the lid and check the solution in the saucepan about every 30 sec. until it just comes to a boil.
6. Remove the lid and set it aside.
7. Begin to measure the temperature of the syrup in the saucepan using the candy thermometer.
a. When using the thermometer, do not let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom or sides of the pan. Instead, try to put the tip below the surface, closer to the middle of the pan.
8. Continue heating your syrup solution until the temperature reaches 240°F (116°C).
a. WARNING: The syrup will be very hot, so use extreme caution when working around the pan.
b. Observe how the temperature rises. Does it go up quickly at first? What happens as the solution becomes more concentrated? Record your observations in your lab notebook.
9. When the temperature reaches 240°F (116°C), immediately turn off the stove and move to the next section
Making Your Marshmallows
1. Turn the mixer on low, and carefully pour the hot syrup solution into the gelatin and water in the large mixing bowl
a. Note: Some syrup solution will likely solidify on the saucepan as the syrup cools. However, if you pour too slowly, or wait too long and do not immediately pour the syrup into the bowl after turning off the stove, you may end up with a lot of syrup solidified on the saucepan, which may affect your results.
2. Set the timer for 11 minutes and start it
3. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer until it is operating at full (high) speed.
4. Continue to beat for approximately 11 minutes, or until the mixture starts to become very thick, glossy, and lukewarm
5. Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla and beat for another minute.
a. Write down the total time that you beat the recipe in your lab notebook.
b. Try to beat each recipe for approximately the same amount of time.
6. Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil on a spatula and scoop out the marshmallow mixture from the mixing bowl and into the prepared cake pan with masking tape piece that matches the recipe number.
7. Use the spatula to gently smooth down the top of the marshmallow, so that it is pretty flat.
a. If the top of the marshmallow
