# Moldy Marshmallows **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078 "2001-03-23T01:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![headchecked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/258eb7/32.png) [@headchecked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headchecked)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/1 "2001-03-23T01:01:24Z")
I know old marshmallows get hard and shriveled, but do they grow mold? And if so, what color? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/2 "2001-03-23T10:55:23Z")
Time for an experiment, **headchecked**. Take one marshmallow, place it somewhere the whiff of decomposition won’t ruin the taste of all future Oreos, and wait. Time is the scientist’s friend. Please do report back once you’ve found out. Oh, BTW – welcome to the board. ---
**Author:** ![Magnum\_s\_Mustache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Magnum\_s\_Mustache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magnum_s_Mustache)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/3 "2001-03-23T11:39:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\*Time for an experiment, **headchecked**. Take one marshmallow, place it somewhere the whiff of decomposition won’t ruin the taste of all future Oreos, and wait. Time is the scientist’s friend. Please do report back once you’ve found out. > > Oh, BTW – welcome to the board. \*\* Maybe I can save headchecked the time. I’ve done this and the project is currently ongoing. I’ve had one large mallow hanging from the ceiling away from ants and bugs for about 5-6 months now. It’s in my kitchen. No reason why… Just wanted to see what would happen. The result? No mold, no change in color. Just one hard-ass mallow. My bet? It’s still edible. But I’m not going to test that theory yet. I still don’t know why I put it up there, but at least it came to good use, eh? SF ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/4 "2001-03-23T12:05:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Maybe I can save headchecked the time. I’ve done this and the project is currently ongoing. I’ve had one large mallow hanging from the ceiling away from ants and bugs for about 5-6 months now. It’s in my kitchen. No reason why… Just wanted to see what would happen. \*\* Y’know, this is why i love this board. I am both baffled and full of respect for the person who randomly hangs a marshmallow in their kitchen. Fran ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/5 "2001-03-23T12:13:47Z")
Cool, **MM**. So, if the marshmallow doesn’t not appear to support colonies of airborne fungus – is the marshmallow in fact organically biodegradable? Or will it be nestled alongside those pesky potato chip bags in the rubbish tips of near infinity, wearing shades and grinning fiendishly, when the sun decides to take one last breath? ---
**Author:** ![AKAmame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AKAmame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AKAmame)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/6 "2001-03-23T12:52:35Z")
Intact it isn’t likely to go mouldy as the a[sub]w[/sub] is too low (too dry). But, it may succumb to a yeast infection if you get the innoculum inside the integument. (yummm, alcoholic, exploding marshmallows!) ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/7 "2001-03-24T10:52:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Intact it isn’t likely to go mouldy as the a[sub]w[/sub] is too low (too dry). But, it may succumb to a yeast infection if you get the innoculum inside the integument. (yummm, alcoholic, exploding marshmallows!) The _what_ is too low? Get the _what_ into the _what_? Oh, man, this is gettin’ WAY too technical for me! And to think – we eat the things … _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/8 "2001-03-24T11:12:41Z")
Disclamer: Non-scientist here. Don’t even play one on TV!😃 > [@](#): > > The _what_ is too low? Get the _what_ into the _what_? Oh, man, this is gettin’ WAY too technical for me! And to think – we eat the things … _shudder_ Educated WAGs here, but: **a[sub]w[/sub]**= (probably) % of water; or **a** mount of **w** ater. **inoculum** (correct spelling)= matierial used to inoculate a culture (such as bacteria, mold spores, etc.) **integuement** = a natural outer covering of the body or of a plant, including skin, shell, hide, husk, or rind. [sup]Thank you Webster’s![/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/9 "2001-03-24T11:15:51Z")
> [@](#): > > matierial DAMN! Here I am petulantly correcting **AKAmame** ’s spelling and this happens! **M-A-T-E-R-I-A-L** [sup]Again, thank you Webster’s[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/10 "2001-03-25T00:09:50Z")
Thanks for the info, **Astroboy**. I can sleep better at night, now. So, let’s see if I have this straight – those in the good ol’ US of A not only eat their marshmallows, they also hang them from ceilings and jab 'em full of nasties so they’ll rot. In the cause of science, of course. Are you guys _sure_ you won the Cold War? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/11 "2001-03-25T07:41:00Z")
They’re good for at least a year. Every year at Christmas, my grandma buys a bag of big-ass marshmallows and puts them in the cupboard for a year. Then, at Christmas, she gives the hard, stale, year old bag of marshmallows (which are now tiny and shriveled) to grandpa, who eats them with relish. He LOVES old-ass marshmallows. Whatever, weirdo. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/12 "2001-03-25T17:05:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homer \* > **Then, at Christmas, she gives the hard, stale, year old bag of marshmallows (which are now tiny and shriveled) to grandpa, who eats them with relish.** I do hope that you mean that he eats them with joy and gusto, rather than he eats them topped with a sauce made from chopped pickles (or other savories) generally used as a condiment for meats. (insert barfing smilie here) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/13 "2001-03-25T18:09:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\*Thanks for the info, **Astroboy**. I can sleep better at night, now. > > So, let’s see if I have this straight – those in the good ol’ US of A not only eat their marshmallows, they also hang them from ceilings and jab 'em full of nasties so they’ll rot. In the cause of science, of course. > > Are you guys _sure_ you won the Cold War? 🙂 \*\* It’s because we do this that we won the cold war. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/14 "2001-03-25T21:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Billdo \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Homer \* > > **Then, at Christmas, she gives the hard, stale, year old bag of marshmallows (which are now tiny and shriveled) to grandpa, who eats them with relish.** > > I do hope that you mean that he eats them with joy and gusto, rather than he eats them topped with a sauce made from chopped pickles (or other savories) generally used as a condiment for meats. (insert barfing smilie here) \*\* :urp: Yeah, with joy and gusto. I didn’t even think of that. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![TBone2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@TBone2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBone2)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moldy-marshmallows/59078/15 "2001-03-25T21:44:20Z")
Getting back to the OP, I don’t know if the things will mold or not, but if they do, I suppose it would be the same color as the mold on sugar that you see every day… (tongue firmly in cheek here) I was reading an article about the history of marshmallows just the other day – why, I can’t imagine – and though they originally contained an extract from the root of the – drum roll here – marsh mallow, these days they’re something close to being pure sugar. More information, including instructions for making your own marshmallows, can be had at: [http://howthingswork.com/question128.htm](http://howthingswork.com/question128.htm)