Humidity is one of the biggest issues that we face as sugar flower artists. It is a topic that is frequently brought up in my Facebook group so I thought I would put together my Tips for Humidity and Sugar Flowers.
There really is nothing more annoying than spending hours on a flower, only to have it wilt overnight! Flowers with large wired petals are particularly susceptible along with reflexed petals. There is definitely no one solution for everyone but hopefully you will find one or two techniques that work for you.
Flowers with large wired petals can easily suffer the effects of humidity
Ventilation
Something as simple as keeping your room well ventilated can sometimes help with the moisture levels in your room. This does need to be controlled though. Fresh air and ventilation can often remove moisture build up. Be careful with this one though as if the moisture levels are very high outside then you could potentially make it worse.
Heating
Along with adequate ventilation, this can be helpful during winter months to help control moisture levels. Also during the in-between months before you think it is cold enough to turn on heating, rooms are very prone to damp. Adding a small amount of heat per day to keep moisture at bay can be helpful.
Choose your work space carefully
Think about where in your home/workplace you make your sugar flowers. Never hang wet laundry anywhere near where you are making your flowers. If you struggle with moisture levels in your home, something like damp washing can be a huge contributor! In rooms surrounding bathrooms, the moisture levels will be higher too so watch out for this. Always keep your bathrooms well ventilated to avoid build up of moisture in your home. The same can be said of kitchens if you doing lots of cooking on the hob.
Protect your flowers from humidity in storage
My favourite way to store my flowers is in a sturdy cardboard cake box (cardboard is breathable) with tissue, bubble wrap or other light soft packaging and a few silica gel sachets. For higher moisture levels, more silica gel should be used. A breathable box is recommended so that the flowers don’t “sweat” and the silica gel sachets will help to absorb any excess moisture. It is always advisable to regularly check on stored flowers to ensure they are not spoiling. Therefore if there are any signs on them softening, you can deal with it before they are beyond help!
I always store my fondant iced cakes overnight in cardboard boxes with silica gel sachets too to eliminate any moisture. This is particularly important for delicate ruffled cakes to ensure they stay firm and upright ahead of delivery.
Storage location is important too
In the same way that you need to consider where to work on your sugar flowers, the same can be said for storage. Never store your sugar flowers or boxes of sugar flowers next to or close to external walls as these are more prone to damp.
Once your flowers are dried, consider packing them away immediately rather than leaving them out unnecessarily. This will help prevent them from wilting if the moisture levels in the room increase overnight.
Cakes with delicate ruffles and reflexed flowers can be particularly susceptible to humidity
Consider a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels
If your home/workspace deals with lots of humidity on a frequent basis, consider investing in a dehumidifier to manage the moisture levels (it essentially extracts the moisture from the air). Be aware that dehumidifiers can be quite pricey to run though so you may wish to investigate whether it is cost effective before investing.
An air conditioning unit can also help to control moisture levels. I don’t often find humidity too much of a problem in my studio but on days that I do, a quick blast of my air con does the trick to deal with it.
Invest in a dehydrator!
My new favourite piece of equipment! In my opinion, this is the ultimate tool to help you deal with humidity. A dehydrator will help you dry your petals and flowers quickly and thoroughly on even the dampest of days. Dry your petals as you go along to help you create your flowers quickly during weather where they usually wouldn’t dry at all. Then dry the flowers completely ready for storage so that there are no worries about flowers wilting overnight. In case you missed it, I put together a blog post with my dehydrator recommendations here along with how I use mine.
Flower paste
Consider switching or adapting your flower paste. This may mean using different pastes at various times of the year depending on the weather. Or perhaps making slight adjustments to your recipe could be the answer too. Unfortunately there is no magic universal answer when it comes to flower paste. It’s definitely best to do a bit of trial and error to see what works best for you. Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to their preferred paste.
Have you considered cold porcelain?
If your flowers are not destined for cakes, then switching to cold porcelain could be the answer. This will eliminate any stresses surrounding humidity as well as reducing the worry of breakages versus fragile sugar flowers. Just be aware that cold porcelain is not considered a food safe medium. Making the switch from gumpaste to cold porcelain can take a bit of getting used to as well. Although there are transferrable skills, it does require a different technique as the two pastes do not have the same workability.
What’s your technique for dealing with humidity?
I hope you have found a few of these Tips for Humidity and Sugar Flowers useful! Do you struggle with humidity where you live? If so, do you have any particular methods that you use to deal with it? Do let us know your own tips in the comments!
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This blog shares my opinion based on my own experience in making sugar flowers and wedding cakes. From time-to-time, I will also share recommendations, polls and insights from my own students and Facebook group members as an attempt to offer some balance to the blog. Thank you for your continued support.
Clare x
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