Creating and making sugar decorations is the perfect activity to fill the time right now. Whether you want to hone your skills, create decorations in advance or simply practice mindfulness, we all should make good use of the time and create something positive whilst distracting ourselves for a short while from current circumstances.

We’ve pulled together key information you need to know on the best way to store any decorations you have created and would like to keep.

DO’S AND DON’TS

Generally, all the paste in the Renshaw Modelling Paste Range can be stored with the following guidelines. It is good practice to follow and will ensure you get the best from your creations.

• DO store in a cardboard cake box – Cardboard is the best type of storage box as it allows air to circulate.
• Use a cake box so you know it is hygienic.
• DO NOT store decorations in plastic containers. They can reabsorb moisture from the enclosed environment and begin to ‘sweat’, becoming soft. Use a cake box so you know it is hygienic.
• DO Store in a cool, dry place – If you’re lucky enough to have a designated space for sugar craft away from central heating, windows, humidity etc they will be fine to store there, otherwise in the dining/living room cupboard will be fine.
• DO NOT store decorations in the kitchen., they can become hot and humid with all the cooking and cleaning that takes place. This can cause dried decorations to reabsorb moisture and become soft.
• Never store decorations in the garage or shed!
• DO NOT store the decorations next to strong flavours such as spices as these can taint the flavour of the Paste. Another reason not to store them in the kitchen!
• Never leave a finished piece in direct sunlight. The colours you’ve used could fade resulting in a rather washed out, faded look.

Decorations made with clean, hygienic practice and stored following these instructions can be stored for long periods of time. generally we recommend up to 6 weeks, or before the best before date. This is to ensure the integrity of the modelling paste remains in the best possible condition for consumption. However, common sense should always prevail, and you should check yourself before adding to a cake for consumption.

Decorations made for decoration (not consumed) can be kept indefinitely if kept in the right condition – after all sugar is a preservative. The two biggest enemies are light and moisture, so keep them out of direct sunlight, and use a Cake Decorator’s Glaze if you can, to add a protective barrier to any moisture in the atmosphere.

The oldest models we have at Renshaw Head Office are 28 years old, handcrafted by the amazing talent Stephen Benison in 1992 with Renmarz. They look as fresh as the day they were made, all because they have been stored in the right way.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE

Sometimes people struggle to get the decorations to dry and remain dry due to having a humid home/work environment. Other cake decorators that have found themselves in these conditions have a few tricks up their sleeves to combat this. These include:

• Preheating the oven to 50⁰C (122⁰F). Place the prepared decoration in the oven and turn off and keep the door closed until cool. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool. They will still be soft when they are warm and will set up when cool. Typically used for plaques, numbers, letters etc
• Use a dehumidifier in the room they are stored in, this will remove excess moisture from the air and speed up drying time
• Tape silica gel packets to the inside of the storage box, they will absorb moisture. Caution is required if using this method, the silica gel must not touch the decorations. This method is typically used for sugar flowers as they are not usually eaten.

Give these suggestions a go and see what works for you.

We also have a range of tutorials to help you create modelled decorations including our Basic Guide to Modelling, Sugar Flowers, Modelled People and Modelled Dogs.

Keep sending in pictures of your makes and bakes on socials at @renshawbaking – it brightens our day to see all your creations!