I have been making homemade mmf for a while now and seem to get what I can only guess would be lumps of unmelted gelatin (it's very clear and lumpy) after I've microwaved the marshmellows and water together. Should I strain it, heat it up some more, is it the brand of marshmellows...what am I doing wrong? I have been asked to make my first wedding cake and I don't want little "bits" showing up on their cake ruining an otherwise great looking cake!

yes strain it

weird huh

you'd think the marshmallow peeps could/would make it right?

maybe change brands of marshmallows?

I've tried different brands before, (about 2-3 different brands) and they all seem to do the same thing

Ok, i wasn't done... , do you make your own and does this happen to you as well or am I doing something wrong?

i've never heard of getting gelatine blobs from melted marshmallows and i don't know how that could be your fault if you are melting purchased marshmallows.

but i never microwave mine-- i just melt mine slowly on the stovetop in a heavy pan

but i'm sure some people use the microwave to do this

but the microwave could potentially be the culprit

especially if it's doing this from brand to brand although some diffferent brands are made by the same place and just packaged differently

i think i'd try the stovetop method and see what shakes outa that pot!!

it sounds creepy though

AThis is the same problem I am having with a cake I am doing right now .... It is driving me crazy!

AI have been doing cakes with the marshmallow fondant for the last 4 years almost 5 and just started having this problem the last year or so .... I do use the microwave also. I have been picking out all the clumps and rolling it out again and still seem to have more!

the only thing I can think of is maybe the marshmallows are getting overheated in your microwave and solidifying into little blobs.  How long are they in there for?  I wouldn't microwave longer than 30 seconds at a time.  I know the general instructions are longer, but everyone's microwave has a different level of power.  30 seconds, take out and stir... 30 more seconds, take out and stir.  Keep going in 30 second increments until its melted and you dont have to heat it anymore.  See if that helps.

but wouldn't they be white or cloudly? clear? that's weird yeah?

bet they dumbed down the gelatine or something to save some pennies maybe

i've made mmf once i think

i make tons of rice krispie treat though

i melt enough butter to coat the heavy pot then add the marshmallows & let them melt --takes 10-15 mins--real low heat

so for mmf i'd just melt them without the butter--maybe grease the pan with a bit of shortening?

a little shortening shouldn't hurt anything

then after it's all melted i'd add the water

otherwise the water will boil before the other melts

That is so strange, I've made a ton of MM fondant and haven't ever seen that, using any brand of mm... I'm thinking overheated as well, because underheated are white. I use the micro, 30-seconds just 3 times, stirring in between.

Thanks everyone, I'll have to try these suggestions and see if they work, I really don't want to strain it...

I make a lot of MMF too and I've never had this issue. I use mini-marshmallows, any and all brands, I melt them in the microwave, usually in two 30-second bursts, stirring a little in between. 

I know it's been a while since I started this post, but I'm happy to say I tried heating my marshmellows and water in 20 second intervals (3 times) stirring in between and there are no more lumps! Thanks for the advice everyone! :)

I did get a new microwave, so it must have been heating it way hotter than my old one. 

AI had this problem for the first time and I've been making MMF for awhile. I recently got a new microwave, so I'm guessing that it heats hotter than my old one even tho it's the same wattage. I started out at 1 minute and I got these clear clumps that aren't really chewable. I threw that batch away because I didn't know what it was and I was worried. Now I know I overheated them....I'll be doing 30 sec. intervals here on out. I'm glad I found someone that had the same problem cuz I didn't know what the heck those clear clump were!!!

This happened to me at least twice before and it was very sudden and without meaning. That was when I was doing the bain marie method of melting the marshmallows. I wasn't sure if it was too much water or what. One time, I did forget them on the stove and they "cooked". It made very hard (but delicious) lumps. Though it still wasn't the weird, yellow-clear tiny lumps I was getting before...

Then I discovered the joy of melting by microwave and I never had a problem again! Go figure. It is a mystery.