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How To Preserve Fondant Figures for Just About Forever

How To Preserve Fondant Figures for Just About Forever

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Working with fondant is a type of art, just like painting and sculpting. This amazing dough is versatile and helps you make awesome decorations.

Sometimes, people like to keep a fondant cake topper from a special occasion as a memory, but is that doable? How to preserve fondant figures forever?

This article serves as a guide to help you learn how to keep and care for fondant figures for the longest period possible. So, keep scrolling.

Can Fondant Figures Be Preserved?

Though hard to believe, fondant figures last for years if cared for properly.

Despite their sugar content, such figurines don’t attract any kind of bugs at all. So, you can easily preserve and keep a fondant decoration piece in your house.

All you need to do is know how to dry fondant correctly and what to avoid to keep it in perfect condition.

How To Dry Fondant Figures

Before you’re able to store fondant figures, you should allow them to harden. Air drying works great but may take a long time, especially if you live in a humid area.

To speed up the process, you may try one of the following tips.

1 – Adding a Drying Agent

Drying agents are additives you can use to make your fondant dry faster. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or Tylose is one of these additives.

You can easily find such components in any cake-decorating stores or online. All you need to do is knead a small amount into the fondant before using it.

Another suitable alternative that helps fondant dry out quickly and hold firm is gum paste (which you can make using Tylose).

Combining an equal amount of gum paste with the fondant gives perfect results.

In all cases, it’s essential to keep dusting your work surface with corn starch to keep the fondant from becoming too soft.

2 – Using the Oven Light or a Table Lamp

Another effective way to dry your fondant figures is by leaving them under a low-watt light. Whether inside the oven or under a regular table lamp, the emitted heat is just perfect.

As long as it’s not too humid, small figures can dry in an hour using this method. Just make sure no one turns the oven on while the fondant is still inside.

3 – Using a Fan or a Hair Dryer

Air can be quite effective in speeding up the drying process. All you need to do is place the fondant figures on a counter next to a fan.

They can take a few hours to dry. However, it’s still a shorter process than leaving them to air-dry.

Having said that, if you don’t have a fan available, try using a hair dryer instead. This is a specially effective method for smaller figures.

In all cases, you need to use the lowest setting on the hair dryer and keep it at least six inches away from the fondant. Moreover, keep moving it around as you would drying your hair.

4 – Using a Food Dehydrator

Back in the day, having a food dehydrator in your bakery was a huge deal, especially for cake decorators.

Now, these appliances are becoming popular in people’s houses. So much so that TikTok is crawling with videos of people dehydrating all different kinds of food.

So, if you have one at home, you’re lucky. It’s one of the best ways to dry fondant figures as quickly as possible.

Depending on the size of your piece, it dries in the food dehydrator in almost one-tenth of the time it takes to air-dry.

What To Avoid To Preserve Fondant Figures for the Longest Time

After drying your fondant figures successfully, it’s vital to know what to avoid when storing them. Here are a few things that may ruin your preserved fondant decorations.

1 – Direct Sunlight

Exposing your fondant figures to sunlight or any other direct light may ruin them and cause their colors to fade.

Most fondant colors get worse with intense light, but the most affected tones of all are reds, whites, purples, blacks, and blues.

That’s why experts recommend keeping your fondant decorations, no matter how small they are, stored in a cool, dark place.

2 – Falling

Once dry, fondant figures become fragile and may shatter if they fall. That’s why you need to be careful handling them.

Furthermore, keep them away from children’s reach, especially if they have thin or small pieces sticking out.

3 – Moisture

Dry or not, fondant figures should always stay away from moisture. That’s because water dissolves the sugar inside the fondant.

So, keeping your fondant figures away from water and humidity is highly recommended.

4 – Dust

Over time, fondant figures are more likely to get dirty.

Unlike other materials, you can’t just grab a wet towel and wipe them. Water may spoil the fondant and cause staining.

Thus, you should wrap the decorations you want to preserve in cling film before storing them. Alternatively, you can keep them inside a glass container.

Final Thoughts

Keeping a fondant cake-decorating piece makes a sweet memory of any special occasion. Fortunately, it’s not a hard thing to do.

Preserving fondant figures forever is possible as long as you know how to dry and care for them properly.

Furthermore, storing fondant in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight can help it last for a long time.

Lastly, always remember to handle those cherished fondant keepsakes carefully, as they can be quite fragile.

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