A Shoutout to All my Peeps

cpfeifer writes "The Washington Post bring us this fluffy piece the details the history of the sickeningly sweet marshmallow peep and marshmallow in general. The fact that these things have tons of little air bubbles in them explains why they are so entertaining when you microwave them."

Johnny

[cjpez]

Did anyone here notice the little bit in Jhonen Vasquez' comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac [mailordercentral.com] between the panels in one of the issues that features a little marshmallow peep saying, "I am a marshmallow peep?"

That was a great scene.

Or was it Squee [mailordercentral.com]? Whichever. Classic in either case.

Stale Peeps

[TrollMan 5000]

I'm one of the 20% who like them stale. They're fine when freshwith a nice marshmallow texture, but let them harden a little, and you have a chewy treat. Plus the sugar coating has a pleasing texture when somewhat stale.

Re:Air bubbles?

[heliocentric]

Last time I checked microwaves were not made air-tight. Expanding air was able to freely leave the vessel. While I'm not going to even comment about your dipole argument, I will add that marshmellow does contain trapped pockets of air and in that way differs from a microwave.

Re:Air bubbles?

[NaturePhotog]

You're both wrong. From the article itself:

In the interior of the marshmallow, the microwaves' energy converts water into steam, which first puffs up the marshmallow and then, when the gelatin's elasticity limit is exceeded, breaks its way out though a hole it punches in the top.

Air bubbles may affect this process, but ultimately it's because of the water trapped in the marshmallow.

The best way to eat 'em

[Chelloveck]

Peeps in chocolate fondue. Mmmmm...

I thought they were SUPPOSED to catch on fire!

[netringer]

You cannot have read this far without thinking about toasting marshmallows on a stick over a campfire, right? The fire's heat both melts the gelatin and caramelizes the sugar, producing a hot, caramel-flavored goo that yin-yangs your tongue with heat and sweet. But as in all cooking, there is a right way and a wrong way. Wrong way: Hold the marshmallow just above the flames until it catches fire, and let it burn until it has a crisp, black crust. Don't be deterred by the fact that the crust is made of indigestible carbon laced with bitter-tasting and probably carcinogenic tars. Right way: Wait until the fire has died down to glowing coals and then hold the marshmallow high over them, rotating it until it slowly develops a nice, uniform tan color. (Patience, patience.) If it should catch fire, blow it out immediately, let it cool for a few seconds, and continue toasting.

Hey, in my urban Boy Scout troop we set them on fire on purpose! We had to exorcise our pyromaniac tendencies, and better on a camping trip than in an abandoned building in the city.

I have more of a weakness for Chocolate-Mashmallow Eggs than Peeps. I can go through a few dozen if I let myself at 'em.

Re:I thought they were SUPPOSED to catch on fire!

[rjamestaylor]

Marshmellows are definitely better burnt.

BTW, in my Boy Scout troop we set a lot of things on fire on purpose, not just marshmellows...

Peep research

[meridoc]

Check out an experiment (originally through Emory University) here [peepresearch.org].

Re:Peep research

[TheGreenLantern]

They experiment on bunnies rather than 'peeps', but this page [gulf.net] is a lot better.

Peep show....

[Blob Pet]

and he talks about watching the marshmallow through the small window of your microwave....what a perv.

Stale AND Frozen!!

[The Iconoclast]

I like stale and frozen. Flash frozen to be precise! In LIQUID NITROGEN!!! YEAH!!

It livens up the flavour of the stale peep and gets them shockingly cold. So cold that when you put a bit of peep in your mouth (not a whole one or you'll burn yourself) you can breathe out "smoke"!! It ROCKS!!!

Lucky Charms

[DA-MAN]

These experiments don't work quite the same with those things they call Marshmallows in Lucky Charms....what's up with that????

He didnt mention,

[Veramocor]

He didn't mention the effect of shooting unlicensed particle accelerators (Proton Pack) at a giant walking marshmallow man sent to destory humanity.

Remember crossing the beams, is bad, except in this one case.

Veramocor

Another thing left unmentioned...

[watashiwananashidesu]

In addition to the very famous peeps, the company also produces marshmallow bunnies. The bunnies are pretty much the same, but shaped like two-dimensional rabbits. Also, I believe the bunnies are usually pink and lack the color variety that peeps have.

Within my own family, it seems that my relatives prefer marshmallow bunnies. I usually like marshmallow peeps better; three dimensional foods are more appealing to me. However, I've yet to put one in the microwave... but as soon as mom buys some...

Re:Another thing left unmentioned...

[SVDave]

In addition to the very famous peeps, the company also produces marshmallow bunnies. The bunnies are pretty much the same, but shaped like two-dimensional rabbits.

In other words, marshmallow road kill.

Re:Peep Off!

[Charlie Bill]

Oh, come on now. Nobody can eat 88 peeps. I know. I've tried.