Weird Cornstarch Uses: Experiment #1 - Marshmallow Unsticker

I recently purchased a book with supposed uses for all sorts of common household products. The book in itself is pretty fascinating, but I have to say that some of the claims it makes seem a little far-fetched at times.

Yesterday as I was making one of my favorite snacks using marshmallows, I went to measure out two cups of the marshmallows and they came out in a huge glop. I ended up with sticky hands and a gross mush of marshmallows lumped in a measuring cup. Oddly enough, I happened to remember reading something about unsticking marshmallows with cornstarch, and I thought it would be fun to try out today.

As I write this, I'm reminded of the comedian who talks about infomercials making up problems people don't have, and I laugh because a lot of the "tips" in the book seem to be for things that never happen, or aren't that big of a deal. ("Tired of marshmallows sticking to your fingers? Hair ruined because you touched it with marshmallow-y hands? Fear not! Cornstarch is to the rescue!") Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book I purchased was an "As Seen On TV" item, thus my skepticism at some of the "amazing" tips.

Watch the video with this link, the incredible cornstarch experiment. Try it out for yourselves if and when you have such a problem, and let me know how it turned out for you!