The modern market, which offers consumers confectionery, is quite wide. Marshmallows are a popular sweet tooth product. About fifteen percent of buyers acquire it. The popularity of marshmallows lies in the low calorie content and natural ingredients.
Story
Marshmallow was invented many years ago. The ancient Greeks already knew the recipe for making a delicious air product. The origin of the name is goodies. Zephyr was the god of the southern light breeze in Greek mythology. And this is not surprising. The darling loved by many is really incredibly light and airy.
Classification
Making marshmallows involves the inclusion of a small amount of ingredients. The list of such products includes egg yolk and fruit and berry puree, as well as sugar. These are the main ingredients of goodies. At the stage of whipping the mixture, pectin, agar syrup or gelatin mass is added to it. These ingredients allow the finished marshmallow to keep in shape.
There are various types of marshmallows, which are classified according to the raw materials added during the production of the sweet product. So, there are cherry and pear, lemon and raspberry, chocolate and cream product. But especially often produce apple marshmallows.
Sweetness is also classified by the added thickener. The most delicious and useful are marshmallows, which contain pectin (malic acid). Not so tender is a delicacy with agar-agar. However, the addition of this substance derived from algae makes the marshmallow saturated with iodine. Only its taste at the same time becomes sugary-sweet. Marshmallow with gelatin is of great benefit to humans. This product contains a special protein needed by the muscles.
Glazed and unglazed marshmallows are produced. Chocolate is typically used for the coating over the product. Sweet product can be two-tone, combined and decorated. The most common form of marshmallow is the hemisphere. However, there is a treat in the form of a stick.
Technology
Production of marshmallows is currently an affordable and profitable business. The popularity of the product is quite high, and new technologies allow the release of an expanded assortment list of airy sweets.
The main stages of the technology for the release of goodies depend on the type of product and on its formulation. So, the process of producing marshmallows with pectin involves several steps. Initially, raw materials are prepared. After that, applesauce is mixed with sugar and pectin.
Next, sugar-syrup syrup is prepared. At the next stage, a marshmallow is produced, which is structured. Halves of the sweet product are dried, sprinkled with powdered sugar and stick together.
The nuances of the process
The production of marshmallows has not undergone significant changes for decades. Of course, some improvements in the manufacturing processes are made by individual companies producing a sweet product, but in general, the technology of production of marshmallows remains unchanged. Therefore, the one who will release this sweet will have to look for new ways to surprise consumers. In this case, it will be necessary to maintain an affordable price for the product.
Equipment
Marshmallow production is carried out on automated lines, which can be used for the manufacture of pastille. Their cost is quite high.However, in the end, the costs justify themselves, as they minimize the impact of the human factor, and therefore improve the quality of the final product.
The most important step in the production of marshmallows is to obtain confectionery foam. It is made from a mixture of fruit puree, egg whites and sugar-agar syrup. The necessary ingredients are loaded sequentially into the capacity of the whipping machine. Initially, fruit puree is placed there. Its amount is determined by the recipe. Then add half the required volume of egg white.
The whipping machine is turned on for ten minutes. After that, the second part of the protein is added to the equipment. The process continues with a slightly open lid, which allows you to saturate the mass with oxygen and speed up the process of evaporation of excess water. After ten to twelve minutes, all the other ingredients provided for in the recipe are added to the marshmallow.
Only after that a certain volume of sugar-agar syrup syrup having a high temperature is loaded into the mixer. Mixing the components of the mixture is carried out for three to four minutes. This time is sufficient for a uniform distribution of gelling substances throughout the mass. The prepared semi-finished product is transported to the marshmallow unit.
In it, each portion of the mass is given a hemispherical shape. The machine is operated by jigging. The resulting portions of the product are aged and dried. This process lasts for twelve hours. Dry marshmallows can be immediately sent for packaging.
Some types of product are put into the enrobing machine. There marshmallows are coated. Glazed treats are cooled in a conveyor apparatus, packed and packaged.
Thus, equipment for the production of marshmallows includes a whipping machine-mixer (it is used in the process of preparing multicomponent mixtures) and a digester (sugar and syrup syrup is made in it). Also included in this list is a marshmallow machine forming half the product, a glazed-decorating line and a packaging machine.
Equipment selection
All the above units are the necessary minimum, which is necessary in order to establish the production of marshmallows. According to the recommendation of specialists, the devices should be purchased in combination.
Choosing machines for organizing your own production, you should pay attention to their quality. Equipment that you decide to save on will bring significant material losses in the future. It, quite possibly, will periodically fail at the most inopportune moment and become the cause downtime production line.
No less significant factor is the influence of bad machines on the quality of the final product. Moreover, this problem is detected even visually. For example, an irregularly shaped product can be formed with a zephyro-depositing machine, and a coating layer will be applied with drips and bubbles with a coating machine. These defects do not affect the taste of sweets, but they worsen its appearance. And this will certainly push the buyer away.
Poorly functioning equipment negatively affects the taste of marshmallows. For example, a mixer whisking a poor-quality mixture will leave unpleasant lumps in it and will not create the necessary consistency of the product. Instead of a light and airy treat, you get a sticky and sticky rubbery mass. Thus, the savings on equipment quality are imaginary. Only good machines can produce a product with high consumer properties, and this, in turn, will be an excellent advantage over competitors.
Cost of equipment
The funds that will need to be invested in the purchase of a minimum set of devices will amount to two to two and a half million rubles. In addition, you will need to purchase refrigerators, where raw materials and finished products will be stored.The cost of such equipment will depend on its volume and technical characteristics.
The initial capital will be spent on renting a room, preparing it for work, purchasing raw materials and purchasing vehicles for delivering marshmallows to customers. The total amount of investments (according to rough estimates) will be in the range of three and a half to four million rubles.
Production profitability
The wholesale price of ordinary vanilla marshmallows is about one hundred rubles per kilogram. The profitability of production on average is 14%. The maximum output of marshmallows can reach the end of the first year of operation. The payback period of the project will be three years. This period will be reduced when expanding the range of products. So, marshmallows can be produced in parallel with marshmallows.
I came across your site and was pleasantly surprised - I learned a lot of new and interesting things about my favorite treat. The production process of such a sweet product, difficult to make, like marshmallows, is described in an understandable and accessible language. It was especially interesting to learn about the payback of this business and profitability.
In general, you tried not in vain - a great article!)))