You’ve packed the drinking water, the food, the clothes, the matches, the can opener, the paper plates, the insect repellent, the sleeping bags, the air mattresses, the hatchet, the fishing rods, the horseshoes, the bathing suits, the boat, the tent and yes, even the tent pegs.
But as the campfire emits its first wisps of smoke, all other preparation is forgotten amid the mournful cry: “We forgot the marshmallows!”
They’re nothing but six ingredients — sugar, corn syrup, corn starch, gelatin, water and air — yet no campout, cookout or open fire experience is complete without them.
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Seems like people of all ages like ’em, too. Nothing finishes off a camping meal like a sweet confection that will leave your fingers sticky during all the days or weeks that separate you from your shower at home.
Besides the taste, marshmallows allow us an excuse to play with fire, to revisit our primal natures forged when something stuck on a sharp stick and roasted over open flame was the only option available. Beyond rare, medium and well done, of course.
In fact, the latter descriptions also apply to modern marshmallow cooking. In any camping crew of more than two people, there is always one who insists on careful and uniform browning on all sides of the marshmallow.
This is a difficult technique to master, mostly since patience is required. That’s why this method is generally reserved for those who ate too many hotdogs or burgers during the main course and don’t have room yet for dessert.
The larger school of marshmallow cooks generally opt for treats flambé, wherein the puffball is set aflame, held aloft and waived about until the outside is ashes and the inside is hot enough to burn fingers, lips and tongue.
It doesn’t matter if the raw marshmallows are jet puffed or generic or colored or white, just as long as they aren’t too squished to slip on a skewer.
At about $1.20 per 250 grams, which is about 40 marshmallows, it’s a pretty cheap form of entertainment.
From another perspective, if wheat were worth the equivalent amount by weight, farmers would be getting about $130 per bushel.
We’ve come across a recipe for home-made marshmallows, reported to be tastier than store-bought varieties, although considerably less convenient. For the details, go to www.producer.com, click on columnists, and follow the links.
