SugarVeil® Icing in Dry Conditions

Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. In terms of decorating, the humidity inside of your work place is even more pertinent than climate aspects. Use a hygrometer to measure humidity (available in home stores or thru SugarVeil on Amazon.com): a 30% and below reading is “Dry”.  Dryness removes moisture from the decorations, lessening the window of flexibility to cut and manipulate SugarVeil decorations.

The following are lesser-realized influences which contribute to dryness around your work area:

Here are some helpful tips for working with thin SugarVeil in dry air:

1. Follow the oven-setting details (paddle attachment/medium speed) here but use 1 Tbl. less water in mixing: 2/3 cup (95g) SugarVeil powder to 1/3 cup (80ml) water less 1 Tbl. (15ml).
2. Beat SugarVeil just before spreading. When spreading, the mat may look immediately ‘white’ and you might assume it is covered, but it is important to spread SugarVeil repeatedly lengthwise, crosswise, and diagonally to compact a sufficiency into the tiny incised lines.
3. Spread a second application of SugarVeil onto mat when the first application is partially 'set' (after two minutes in the oven, when SugarVeil does not come off on a fingertip if touched).
4. Directly after peeling, store decorations airtight: place between parchment sheets out of sunlight in a zipped plastic bag. For multiple decorations, stack between parchment sheets in a shallow, airtight container [Ziploc brand makes a plastic "Weathertight" box (size small), that is just the right size]. When doing production while ovens are operating, you can drape a moist towel atop the open container.
5. Do not work in the direct path of a blowing furnace duct or within the glare of the sun.
6. While working with fine decorations in dry conditions, or cutting delicate SugarVeil shapes prior to placing onto a cake, place rolled, wet towels around borders of work area to increase the humidity. You can also place a folded, wetted towel directly under the mat to increase working time in very dry conditions.
7. When making fabric, if you spread SugarVeil a bit thicker to make bows and punched shapes, the working time will be longer in the dry air.
8. When using the Confectioners’ Mats, you can almost eliminate the considerations necessary for working in dry air by smoothing an overall solid layer of SugarVeil (a contrasting color is nice) onto the surface of the entire mat when lace is dry to the touch. This may be a preferable alternative to using the sheer lace by itself.

Because SugarVeil decorations last indefinitely, and become flexible again when hydrated, some bakers prefer to store them in their 'dry' form and re-moisten by steaming, or by placing the decorations onto a moist towel to restore flexibility.

Some bakers prefer to allow SugarVeil decorations to completely dry.

When ready to use, place onto a moist towel and pat gently.

Flexibility is restored.