Are stale marshmallows garbage?
By patgalca
@patgalca (18180)
Orangeville, Ontario
February 27, 2010 12:38pm CST
Our grocery bills have been rather high lately, causing my husband to cringe. We just can't afford to be spending that kind of money. When I did groceries this week I said to myself that I was going to go home and make stuff with what I already had for the kids to snack on. I made a batch of muffins and then proceeded to make Rice Krispy Squares. However, the three bags of marshmallows were all open and the marshmallows hard. My 13yo is a marshmallow mouse but has admitted that she likes stale marshmallows - so why open all 3 packages? I had one saved to make Rice Krispy Squares and figured they were safe from her nibbling. I have, like, 3 boxes of Rice Krispies in the house so it seems logical to make some squares.
My husband says that the marshmallows are going to melt when I make the squares so I should be able to use them stale. I'm not so sure. My 16yo pointed out that it IS just a lump of sugar. So the three bags of marshmallows are sitting on the counter awaiting their fate.
Does anyone know if it is safe to make Rice Krispy Squares with stale marshmallows? Will the RKS still be chewy once made? Does anyone know?
And does anyone have a rotten kid who denies doing something they have admitted they like to do?
3 people like this
5 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
27 Feb 10
i was recently reading a book on tricks to save money in the kitchen and they said if you have stale marshmallows, you shold put a piece of fresh white bread in the bag with them and then the marshmallows will be fresher and the bread will become stale. i dont know if it actually will work but it may be worth a try.
4 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Feb 10
Makes sense... the bread would be providing moisture.
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
27 Feb 10
Hey pat! I would have to agree that stale marshmellows are just
fine to use for the Rice Krispy Squares! As was said by your
husband, "they are only going to melt anyway" and they who
would know that they were stale in the first place? Also, stale
marshmellow can be used to put into hot cocoa! Again, who will
know? I happen to love to put them on a large fork on toast
them like you would do around a campfire! I do this late at
night so my boyfriend doesn't know what a really whaco I am!lol
I love toasting marshmellow on my gas stove! So, you think
you are the only one trying to save money! Nope! There are
many ways to salvage stale marshmellow!
4 people like this
@patgalca (18180)
• Orangeville, Ontario
28 Feb 10
I just wonder whether it will change the way the Rice Krispy Squares taste. I'll keep the bread in the bag until tomorrow and see what happens.
My husband helps my kids roast marshmallows on our barbecue! Great minds think alike, I guess. Thanks for commenting.
Great minds think alike, I guess. Thanks for commenting.3 people like this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
28 Feb 10
It's perfectly safe. Often when food starts to move past it's usefulness as a "raw" food, and it's not a typical perishable like milk or meat, it can be used in cooking. My husband cooks with cheese that is not moulty, but starts to get a little "less moist." So if he can do this with cheese, why can't you do it with marshmallows?
1 person likes this
@paidreader (5143)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Hi patgalca. Glad to see you are already testing the bread trick. Hope it works for you but it will depend alot on how old the marshmallows are. If there is too much moisture lost they will not turn out as usual when you make the Rice Krispy treats. Those you may have to reserve for hot cocoa as they will melt quite nicely.
Sorry to say this, but I was that rotten kid. With me it was cheese. Mom couldn't keep it on hand for the recipes she wanted to use because if it was there I snacked. 
@patgalca (18180)
• Orangeville, Ontario
1 Mar 10
Yeah, but did you open ALL the packages of cheese, or eat one at a time?
The marshmallows closest to the piece of bread are getting soft. I used the newest bag with what should be the freshest marshmallows. Hopefully it will work and I can make some squares without having to go out and buy more mallows.
Thanks for commenting.
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Feb 10
I love stale marshmaallows, too (they last longer).
I've never made RKSs but I would think using stale marshmallows would be ok.
If they're realy really hard, you might want to add a bit of water to them.
2 people like this
