Pastila: health benefits and harm, step-by-step recipe with photos

The benefits and harms of marshmallows depend on the composition, as well as the method of preparation. The dish first appeared in Russian cuisine of the 14th century. Then it was made exclusively from natural products: fruits, berries and honey. Therefore, properties that benefit humans prevailed.

Nowadays, manufacturers often replace basic components with cheaper ones. For example, they add dyes, thickeners, flavors and preservatives that can do more harm than good. To ensure that pastille saturates the body with vitamins and microelements, it is better to prepare it at home.

What is marshmallow and what is it made from?

Pastila is a healthy sweet; apples are mainly used for its preparation. In the Russian Empire, pastila was prepared mainly from Antonov apples. They gave it sourness, making the taste unique. Thanks to this feature, the dish has gained popularity in European countries.

Later, they began to add egg white to the sweetness to give it the airiness of a marshmallow. But experiments with dessert continued. Apples were gradually replaced by berries. For example, lingonberry, rowan or raspberry puree.

Recommended reading: Benefits of plums for the body

Advice! When following a diet, it is recommended to use adhesive marshmallows. It is characterized by low calorie content and natural composition.

Today there are countless varieties of delicacies. It is made from:

• fruits (apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, etc.);
• berries (raspberries, strawberries, currants, etc.).

Recommended reading: Benefits of strawberries for the body

Sesame seeds, nuts or poppy seeds can be added to the main puree. They complement the dish with a unique aroma and taste.

Kolomna pastila recipe

Kolomna, according to various archival sources, is the birthplace of marshmallow. For several centuries it was produced in fairly large volumes and sold in various regions of the Russian Empire and abroad. Then production died out, the traditions were almost lost, and only at the end of the twentieth century Kolomna confectioners restored the recipes and technologies. You can prepare Kolomna pastila at home.

Ingredients:

• Apples (best sour, autumn, Antonov type) - 2 kg.
• Sugar – 500 gr.
• Chicken protein - from 2 eggs.

Cooking algorithm:

The rules are almost the same as in the previous recipe. Wash the apples and pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Remove the core from each and place on a baking sheet (previously lined with parchment or foil). Bake until softened, being careful not to burn. Scoop out the apple pulp with a spoon; you can rub it through a sieve to make more puree. It needs to be squeezed out, you can use a colander and gauze; the less juice remains in the puree, the sooner the drying process will take place. Beat applesauce until fluffy, gradually adding sugar (or powdered sugar)

Separately, beat the egg whites with half the amount of sugar and carefully combine with the apple mixture. Line a baking sheet with high sides with foil, lay out the mixture, and place in the oven to dry (for 6-7 hours at 100 degrees). The finished dish should be sprinkled with powdered sugar, cut into portioned squares, and carefully transferred to a dish. You can invite your family to a tasting!

How many calories are in marshmallows?

The calorie content of sweets depends on the composition. 100 g contains from 300 to 360 kcal. An approximate table of the energy value of marshmallows with different ingredients.

The product is far from dietary. The beneficial properties of marshmallows prevail over the high calorie content, which cannot be said about cakes and sweets.

What types are there?

According to the preparation technology, three types of marshmallows are distinguished:

• brewed - based on a special mixture, which consists of applesauce and sugar;
• glueless - from fruit puree and egg whites whipped with sugar;
• glue - with the addition of agar-agar, molasses or pectin syrup.

When choosing a sweet, you need to pay attention to the composition of the product. Unscrupulous manufacturers often add flavorings, artificial thickeners and preservatives

You can recognize low-quality lozenges by their unnatural color, which is achieved by adding dyes.

Currant delicacy

What are the benefits of marshmallows for the body?

A healthy dessert should consist mainly of natural ingredients. If the dish is prepared independently, then the harm to the body is reduced to a minimum. An exception may be people with individual intolerance to the components.

The benefits of marshmallows for women are the following:

• cleansing the body of waste and toxins;
• reducing blood cholesterol levels;
• normalization of the state of the intestinal microflora and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• improving emotional state;
• satisfying hunger for a long period.

The properties of the delicacy have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Women are much more likely to experience stress than men. Natural sweetness will help get rid of nervous tension.

Dessert is also beneficial for men; the zinc contained in the composition increases potency. Sweetness activates neurons in the brain, improving mental performance and physical stamina.

Harmful properties of treats

As noted above, marshmallow contains a lot of sugar, so many people need to be especially careful when consuming it, since its composition can cause obesity or worsen diabetes. In addition, a huge percentage of sugar in marshmallows negatively affects tooth enamel, causing caries.

Modern methods for preparing this dessert include the use of all kinds of sugar syrups, as well as dyes and preservatives, which can neutralize all the beneficial qualities of sweetness and lead to poisoning and allergic reactions.

Is it possible to have marshmallows during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Often pregnant women crave sweets. But in the huge abundance of confectionery products, it is difficult to find a healthy product. For preparation, manufacturers use chemical components that can harm the expectant mother and baby.

It is better for pregnant women to eat 50 g of homemade marshmallows. It will not only satisfy the desire for a sweet snack, but will also replenish the body’s reserves of vitamins.

Women during lactation are also not recommended to eat industrially produced delicacies. A low-quality dessert has a bright color and an inexpensive price.

In order not to harm the baby, the mother needs to adhere to the following rules for introducing marshmallows into the diet:

• You can try the dish when the baby is 3 months old;
• you need to start with 10 g in the morning;
• if signs of allergies or problems with the gastrointestinal tract appear, the product should be discarded for at least 3 weeks;
• If no negative reaction is observed, then a nursing mother can consume 100 g of the treat no more than 2 times a week.

Sweets should not be eaten on an empty stomach. This can cause weakness and apathy due to a sharp release of insulin into the blood, and then its rapid decline.

How to choose a marshmallow

In order to enjoy the old Russian dessert and not be disappointed, you need to be able to choose the product on the shelves in the store:

1. Please pay attention to where the product is located. The product should not be placed in a humid environment or in direct sunlight. As a result, the product quickly loses its taste and can deteriorate.
2. We focus on the integrity of the packaging: it is better not to take wrinkled or torn ones (it is not known what and how long the product was in contact with).
3. The freshness of the marshmallow also affects the taste. Shelf life in sealed containers is usually about 2 months.
4. A good dessert has a fresh appearance, not wrinkled or cracked, without mold, without signs of moisture, should not stick to your hands and has no foreign odors.
5. A good marshmallow should not contain many different “foods” and a large amount of sugar. Some manufacturers indicate how much it is in marshmallows on the packaging. And the abundance of artificial additives indicates low quality raw materials.

Is marshmallow good for children?

Fruit marshmallows - benefits for a child's health. The statement concerns a dish made from natural products. The delicacy has a beneficial effect on:

• brain activity;
• mental capacity;
• work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• lowers blood sugar levels;
• promotes the removal of waste and toxins from the body;
• prevents the development of anemia (benefits of apple marshmallows);
• physical endurance.

Natural sweetness is a real storehouse of vitamins and microelements. They have a beneficial effect on the body's defense mechanisms, preventing the development of acute respiratory infections.

Important! The harmful properties of the product are minimal if consumed in small portions in the first half of the day.

At what age can marshmallows be given to a child?

Confectionery products are allowed for children no earlier than 1 year after birth and prior consultation with a pediatrician. Sweets are introduced into the baby’s diet, gradually starting from 10 g, carefully observing the reaction.

It is better to feed sweets after eating the main food. Then the child’s appetite will be normal and parents will not be given up on their usual foods.

Fruit marshmallows are good for your baby, but they cannot replace regular food. No more than 50 g per day is allowed.

The benefits and harms of marshmallows for weight loss

People on a diet are prohibited from eating sweets. But pastila is an exception. It contains vitamins and microelements, provided that it is prepared from natural ingredients with a minimum amount of sugar.

The harm of dessert for those losing weight is its high calorie content. Nutritionists recommend eating no more than 40 g of treats. It is advisable to do this in the morning, when the metabolic process is faster. To ensure that carbohydrates are well absorbed, the dish is combined with cereals and fruits. If you follow the advice of experts, you can safely eat dessert while sticking to a diet.

Why is pastila called that?

Firstly, what, in my opinion, is very interesting, is that in the 19th century the word was written with an “o” - “postila”.
Pokhlebkin believes that the name of the sweet is related to the method of its production, that is, it comes from the verbs “to lay, spread.” William Vasilyevich came to this idea, most likely, by looking through Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary, where “postila, a Russian delicacy” coexists in one dictionary entry with the words “postila” and “bed”. However, if we look at such an authoritative source as Vasmer’s etymological dictionary, we will find a different explanation. The word is considered borrowed. The sources could be the Italian word pastello “a circle of dried fruit juice” or the Italian word pastiglia “ball of dough, flatbread” or the French pastille, related to these words... By the way, Dahl also pointed out the possibility of such borrowing, mentioning these Italian words in his article on postile.

But that is not all! The Great Soviet Encyclopedia turned out to be much less uncertain about the origin of the word “marshmallow”. The short article clearly states the only source: pastillus – flatbread. And this is... Latin! I don’t know whether the Old Russian confectioners who invented the apple delicacy knew Latin. And now no one can name the exact time of creation of marshmallow. The first mention of it dates back to the 14th century, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

Is it possible to have marshmallows if you have diabetes?

Experts say that marshmallows are prohibited for people with high blood sugar levels only theoretically. This is one of the methods of saturating the body with important substances, which does not have harmful effects.

Diabetics can consume this healthy product, but in moderation. An important condition is naturalness. A delicacy for diabetics is prepared exclusively from fruits without the addition of chocolate, vanilla and other additional ingredients.

Sugar-free marshmallows are beneficial for blood vessels, muscle tissue and nail growth. In order not to harm the health of diabetic patients, it is better to prepare the delicacy at home. Then it will be possible to control the entire process and strictly follow the recipe.

How to make homemade marshmallows

To prepare dessert at home you will need:

• sour apples (Antonovka) – 1.2 kg;
• sugar – 80 g;
• white of 1 egg.

1. The apples are pre-washed and cored. The peel is left.
2. Cover the baking sheet with baking paper and lay out the apples, cut into slices, tightly.
3. Send to bake in the oven for 50 minutes at a temperature of 1500 C.
4. Beat the cooled baked apples in a blender until smooth with the addition of 40 g of sugar.
   Advice! Sugar is an optional ingredient. It can be added in any quantity to taste or replaced with honey. Without sugar, apple marshmallows provide much more benefits.
5. Beat the egg white with the remaining sugar with a mixer until stiff foam, as for meringue.
6. Mix applesauce and whipped egg whites. Pour onto a baking tray covered with baking paper.
7. Set the oven to the lowest temperature and dry the future dessert for about 2 hours. It is important to monitor the dish so that it does not burn.

If the delicacy releases well from the foil, then it can be removed from the oven. Cool well and start tasting.

Differences in the composition of industrial marshmallows from homemade ones

In addition to natural fruit or berry raw materials, sugar, and egg whites, industrially produced marshmallows may contain:

• agar;
• pectin;
• gelatin;
• flavorings;
• preservatives;
• syrup;
• apple powder;
• stabilizers;
• thickeners;
• dyes.

Housewives do not add anything unnecessary or harmful to health to homemade marshmallows. A homemade delicacy consists of fruit or berry raw materials. Sugar, honey, proteins, and lemon juice are added to it. A homemade product is much healthier than a factory-produced delicacy.

Harm of marshmallows and contraindications

The properties of marshmallow, its benefits and harm to the human body, completely depend on the ingredients. People with allergies to fruits or berries are strictly prohibited from consuming it.

The large number of calories contained in the dessert causes harm to humans. When abused, the following problems arise:

• disruption of the liver and gastrointestinal tract;
• gastritis;
• stomach ulcer;
• headache;
• increased excitability and stress;
• dental caries;
• obesity.

Products with added sugar are contraindicated for diabetics. It is also not recommended to use marshmallows for people who are overweight and suffer from metabolic problems.