Seven Ways to Use Marshmallows

Marshmallows may be made of nothing more than sugar and air, but they’re loads of fun and excitement. They are great to eat by themselves, roasted on a campfire, or used in many recipes. As good as they are to eat, marshmallows also have many other incredible uses that make life at home better, sweeter, and more convenient.
If you have an extra bag of marshmallows, and you just had enough of your daily dose of S’mores, there are still many other ways to use the sweet treats. Here are seven fun, practical uses for America’s favorite sweet snack.
1. Lozenge for Sore Throats
Unlike other candies and confectioneries, marshmallows are very soft, mild, and soothing. Marshmallows do not have the jagged edges and the very high sugar content of hard candies. The gelatin that binds the marshmallow together is very helpful at soothing pain and irritation in your throat. Two or three marshmallows are usually enough to soothe the irritating feeling. Make sure to chew on the marshmallow first; do not swallow them whole.
2. Draw Out Abscesses
If you have a boil on your skin or a shallow abscess on your gum, you can use a marshmallow to draw out the pus. The high sugar content of marshmallows attract pus cells and bacteria, and other dead matter that build up inside a pus sac or an abscess. When you use a marshmallow to draw out an abscess, make sure that you’re only doing it as a home remedy, not as a substitute for proper medical care. Marshmallows are only effective at drawing out abscesses if the boil or the pus sac has reached its head. Do not attempt to puncture the boil. Do not eat the marshmallow after you have used it to draw an abscess.
3. Pedicure Aid
If you run out of cotton balls, but you still want to give yourself a pedicure, you can use marshmallows to keep your toes apart. A marshmallow placed in between your toes can keep them separate, and makes adding nail color and polish so much easier. Do not eat the marshmallows after you have used them; not only is it gross, but the chemicals found in manicure ingredients are also toxic. (Tips on how to give yourself a pedicure)

4. Quick-Fix Frosting
Say you just baked a cake and you ran out of frosting and icing. While a cake tastes terrific even without icing or frosting, it just isn’t the same. If you ran out of icing ingredients, or if you do not know how to make icing, then you can use marshmallows to make a frosting that not only looks great, but tastes very good too.

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
• Place an aluminum mixing bowl on top of the pot of water to make a double boiler. The double boiler set-up ensures that the molten marshmallows do not boil.
• Melt marshmallows on the mixing bowl. Use a whisk to whip up the molten marshmallows. The whisk introduces air to the mixture, which prevents it from burning and adds an airy, fluffy texture to the frosting.
• Add a few tablespoonfuls of corn syrup or water to the mixture if it’s too thick.

Slather on the mixture to make your cakes look tastefully yummy and decadent.
5. Edible Glue
If you do confectioneries like wedding cakes, you may want to think about using molten marshmallows as a good way to glue cake parts together (Learn The Guide To Wedding Cakes). The gelatin and sugar in marshmallows form a very strong, cohesive bond with many other sweet treats like candy canes, caramel nests, and sugar ribbons. Another advantage to marshmallow glue is that you can use it as long as it’s in liquid form, although the strength of the bond is reduced when the glue starts to coagulate and harden.
6. Sugar Softener
Marshmallows are a great addition to your sugar bowl. Sugar granules sometimes clump up because of excess moisture and humidity. If you find that your sugar bowl has too many lumps in it, you can put one or two marshmallows with your sugar. Marshmallows act like a desiccant, and absorb excess moisture that cause sugar granules to clump together. You don’t have to worry about the sugar tasting different, because marshmallows are made up of the same sugars that you use at home.
7. Cake Decoration
Birthday candles sometimes leave a trail of wax that makes its way to the cake. While some party supply stores carry candles with edible wax, they don’t really taste good and may even cause indigestion. To prevent wax from trickling down to the cake, you can stick the candles on marshmallows. The marshmallows will prevent the wax from making its way to the cake, protecting the icing and the pastry. Multi-colored marshmallows also add a very fresh and festive look to your cake.

Marshmallows are not only tasty, but they are very useful around the home. With a bit of creativity, you can use marshmallows for everything from pin cushions and even as ingredients for your favorite dishes.