When demonstrating I am often asked to explain the difference between the gums we cake decorators use. When making modelling paste I prefer to use gum tragacanth rather than its synthetic substitute CMC. Basically, because gum tragacanth gives me a firmer paste and I find it easier to work with. The proportions I use, in the UK, are 1tsp to g sugarpaste. Knead the gum into your sugarpaste. I found the following information on Wikipedia and it confirms what I have always believed:.
Astragalus tragacanthus. Iran is the biggest producer of the best quality of this gum. Gum tragacanth is a viscous, odourless, tasteless, water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides. Obtained from sap drained from the root of the plant and dried. The gum also seeps from the plant in twisted ribbons or flakes which can also be powdered. Gum tragacanth is less common in products than other gums, such as gum arabic or guar gum. This is largely because most tragacanth is grown in Middle Eastern countries, which have shaky trade relations with countries where the gum is to be used.
Commercial cultivation of tragacanth plants has generally not proved economically worthwhile in the west, since other gums can be used for similar purposes. The beauty of using CMC in cake decorating is that it is more or less instant. Great for last-minute requirements and class situations, however as stated above I do prefer to work with the real thing!!
Whilst at the Australian cake decorators seminar in Sydney a couple of weeks ago, I learnt of a third product that is used in Australia. It is basically Agar Agar a seaweed derivative and is used in much the same way as the above. However, they all look very similar - white or off white powders sold in small plastic…. I often receive requests for interviews but this is the….
Have you heard of Pastillage? When talking to my students in class, or engaging in conversations with enthusiastic cake decorators on social media, I often find either no one has…. Award winning, best-selling author and sugarcraft artist, who loves to design beautiful colourful cakes, inspire, teach and supply you with gorgeous products.
When making gum paste from sugar paste at what stage do you add colour? At the same time as kneading in the gum tragacanth or CMC or the next day after leaving for a over night? Many thanks. Hi Lucinda I find it easier to colour the paste before adding the gum, however if your sugarpaste is sticky you may find it easier to colour after you have added the gum — experiment and see how you get on.
Hope this helps Lindy. Hi Lindy, been using recipes from your books and i love them, however im having a bit of trouble with modeling paste, i make the sugerpaste recipe and thats all good til i add the gum trag. Hi Denise Modelling paste does stiffen up after it has been left for a while. You have a few options to bring it back to life, try adding white vegetable fat and a touch of water — the fat fat stops the paste becoming sticky and the water will really soften the paste and bring back the stretch.
Another option, may be combined with the first, is to pop the paste into a microwave for about 10 sections and knead, this should work even if the paste has gone rock solid! If you think that you have over done the gum then simply knead in some more sugarpaste to re-address the balance. Hope this is useful Lindy.
I found this useful information on the storage of fondant covered cakes and modelling-paste models in your book. The modelling-paste models, you said, could be kept forever. However, you had recommended the use of gum tragacanth with sugarpaste. I have 2 questions: 1. Can the modelling-paste made with Tylose keep for just as long? I notice an expiry date on the ready-made sugarpaste I bought. Will this mean that the modelling-paste made from this sugarpaste cannot be kept after the expiry date?
Please advise. Thank you, Angelina. Hello Angelina, You can make modeling paste with Tylose and it will keep just a long. If you go over the expiry date the modeling paste will still keep but you should not eat it. Hi Lindy, Can you please let us know how you got on with the Agar Agar? Thanks for your advice! Hi Lindy, Thank you so much for your prompt response to my earlier queries.
Would appreciate it very much if you could clarify this. Thanxs for any feed bk Anne x. Hello Angelina, Sugarpaste has an expiry date so if you are keeping the modelling paste decorations you would not want to eat them if you have kept them past the expiry date. Hope this makes sense! The Agar Agar powder is added to sugarpaste to make the modelling paste. Lindy found that it did not make very strong modelling paste. Hi Susan I would recommend making hearts and stars for cupcakes out of pastillage.
Pastillage once dry sets hard and stand up quite well to moisture. You could make lots in advance and store them. Good luck Lindy. It sounds like you need to add some white fat and water to your paste. See our blog for some top tips on sugarpaste and modelling paste. Hi Lindy, My Gum tragacanth that I have purchased is in powder form, I was wondering if this is the same for yours and therefore the same 1tsp principal applies?
Thank you. Hi Amy The best way to stiffen buttercream is to chill it. I have never heard of anyone adding gum trag to buttercream, has anyone else?
Hi, I am a bit confused as what to use to make small bears to go on a christening cake. I have sugar paste, but should I be using flower paste or mexican paste, the 2 latter are more expensive or should I just add gum trag to the sugar paste? Hi Debbie I know it is a little confusing. Edible Glue?
Attaching decorations with edible glue. In cake decorating there are so many different definitions, products and methods.
It can all get a bit confusing at times! For example sugar paste, gumpaste and fondant can mean the same thing depending on your culture! Gum Tragacanth:. Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes. It's a natural edible gum.
When added to fondant makes it more pliable and stretchy, improves structure and a better dried end result. CMC :. Carboxymethyl Cellulose is pretty much the man made cheap version of gum tragacanth and does the same thing but is easier to find. Tylose Powder:. Is the same as CMC but a different chemistry name I am not a scientist so I don't really know exactly how they are different but you will often see companies label a packet with both CMC and Tylose at the same time.
Okay so that's those definitions sorted but then there's the climate factor. Which is a tropical hot humid climate with some years seeing long wet seasons. A cake decorators nightmare! The common use of brushing with water to attach decorations to rolled fondant cakes doesn't work, there's already too much moisture in the air and anymore will ruin the edible creations I had spent so long in making. I also choose CMC as my preferred additive to my fondant for modelling.
Learn more. The main purpose of these products is to harden your sugarpaste to make flowers or models. CMC stands for Carboxymethyl Cellulose and can be used to harden sugarpaste and create a modelling paste or basic flower paste. You can also use it to make your own edible glue with the addition of just a little water! Tylose powder is effectively the same as CMC and works in the same way. Gum Tragacanth is the natural version of all these gums.
Sugar Flowers. Chemical Substitute. False gum paste. Are the gums safe? You Maybe Interested In Read More ». Joyce Freeman. Download Our Free eBooks. Sign Me Up. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Home About Blog contact Menu. Get Started. About Us. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
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