I recently purchased my first container of bovine gelatin. Gelatin (for those of you who are not vegetarian) is a great source of collagen and amino acids such as glycine and proline. It provides many health benefits such as supporting skin, hair and nail growth, joint health and recovery, and muscle building. It can also strengthen the immune system and provide digestive support. (For some people, the glycine in the gelatin may aggravate existing health problems, especially if you are sensitive to oxalates and/or sulfur.)

For most, bovine gelatin is a great nutrient-dense food. I have been experimenting with different ways of including it in my family’s diet. One thing I started doing is adding it to our morning smoothies a few times a week. I also tried my hand at making marshmallows for the first time. The following recipe is super easy and quite delicious! They are nutrient-dense and the best part is that they are free of corn syrup and processed sugar, GMO ingredients found in most store bought marshmallows!

Homemade Marshmallows

1 cup purified water
4 tbsp. gelatin
1 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup arrowroot (optional)

Pour 1/2 cup of water into a mixing bowl and add the gelatin. Whisk slightly and set aside. Pour another 1/2 cup of water and the sweetener into a small sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil. Keep stirring the mixture constantly for 8 minutes (or until it reaches F240 degrees with a kitchen thermometer).

When done, slowly pour the heated mixture into the mixing bowl with the gelatin mix as you use a hand mixer to mix them together. (The gelatin mix will have already started hardening.) Once blended, continue to mix on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until it forms gentle peaks similar to marshmallow cream. Add the vanilla the last couple of minutes.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with coconut oil and pour the mixture into the dish. Smooth out evenly and let it sit for 2 to 4 hours. After it has hardened to marshmallow consistency, use a sharp knife to slice into cubes. (You may need to grease the knife.)

Once removed from the baking dish, you can roll the cubes in arrowroot powder to make them less sticky but this is not necessary. Store the marshmallow cubes in an airtight container at room temperature.

NOTE: Instead of vanilla, you can also experiment with other flavorings such as mint or lemon extract or cacao powder.

This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. As a “Health Designer” she has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website. Including additional suggested resources (books and articles) by topic, a pantry list that is gluten-free, dairy free and GMO-free, and a healing foods list.