Having made sugar flowers for years and been accustomed to the time taken in the drying process, using a dehydrator for sugar flowers isn’t something I thought I needed! After doing a bit of research though (and some valuable advice from my Facebook group members), I decided to take the plunge and invest and I am so glad I did.
One of the fantastic things about running a Facebook community for sugar flower enthusiasts is having a wealth of different experiences and opinions from all over the world all in one place. The topic of humidity is one that I continue to come back to in the group. It continues to be one of the biggest challenges that my group members face when making their flowers. It’s a difficult topic as there is no “one fits all” answer for everyone. However, there is one investment that anyone can make that will make a huge difference. A dehydrator can without doubt improve your battle with humidity and many more benefits besides.
So what is it?
A dehydrator is essentially a small fan oven that is portable and can sit on your countertop. They come in a whole range of different sizes. From tiny ones that can easily be brought out and packed away again. To big beasty ones that take some arm-power to manoeuvre them! Traditionally a dehydrator is used to dry out fruit, vegetables, meat, herbs etc. as a means of preserving them.
Why are you using a dehydrator for sugar flowers?
A dehydrator is a sugar flower artist’s best friend! Let me tell you why…
Have you ever had one of those days where your petals or flowers are taking ages to dry? You’re using the same paste and the same technique but things just aren’t working out the same. The reason is very likely to do with the humidity! Wherever you live in the world, the chances are at some point in your flower making career, one of your sugar flowers have fallen victim to this invisible killer. You’ve spent hours making a flower only to leave it to dry overnight and found that is has flopped by morning. There is honestly nothing worse!
Dehydrator to the rescue
If you have a dehydrator, you can completely eliminate this stress and potential for disaster! Simply place your flowers to dry in your dehydrator for a short stint and then pack them away safely before the moisture can get to them. Or in my case, usually once my flowers have been dried fully in the dehydrator, they are then quite happy to sit out in my studio (disclaimer: but this is completely dependent on your room and climate!)
What else can you do with it?
Other than drying your flowers completely once you’ve finished working with them, a dehydrator can hugely speed up your process. Making flowers such as dahlias which have lots of petals individually glued in place can be a time-consuming process. Especially when you are having to wait for each layer of petals to dry substantially before adding the next. I find that just 10 minutes in the hydrator is enough to firm up my layers before adding the next. This means you can pop your dahlia in and it will be all firmed up and ready in no time. Even before you’ve had a chance to finish making your next layer of petals!
It’s also brilliant for drying petals in trickier positions such as reflexed roses. Rather than needing to make lots of supports for your petals to keep them in place whilst drying, you can apply a few petals in an open position and the dehydrator will set them in place before you add the next couple. If you’d like to learn how to make my reflexed rose, you can find it as a bonus tutorial to my Classic Rose class here.
No more waiting for petals to dry
Speed up your rose making by popping your petals in the dehydrator for 60 seconds to make them firm enough to work with and apply to your rose straight away. I used to plan all of my flower making over several days so that I could allow for drying times and would alternate between different flowers to keep a continuous production line. Now, I can focus on one flower from start to finish and it honestly feels so much more efficient this way! My busiest portion of the summer (when all of my July couples decided they were going to go for sugar flowers last minute) was made so much easier with the help of my dehydrator.
How do you use it?
The answer to this may vary slightly from person to person and for different models. As the essence of a dehydrator is the same whichever one you have, (i.e. an oven you can set at a low temperature) the methods of use should be fairly similar. When semi-drying petals for a rose for example, I like to set mine to its lowest temperature. In my case, that is 35 degrees Celsius, and I place my petals in for 60 seconds before checking on them. I will then put them for further lengths of time if necessary but check on them very frequently. So for example, I might put them in for an initial 60 seconds, check them, then put them back in for a further 30 seconds. This will depend on the type of paste you are using, how thick your paste is and how pliable you want your petal to be, so you will definitely need to experiment a little to find a way that works for you.
For setting flowers in-between layers, I like to set my dehydrator to 40 degrees Celsius. I will then place the flower in (often hanging upside down from a shelf) for 10-15 minutes. If I want to set my flower completely I will place it in at 40 degrees Celsius for 15-30 minutes.
Can anything go wrong?
I’m sure there can be mishaps but I am fortunate to not have had any issues yet! I am always cautious about not using a high temperature. You don’t want to overheat the paste or cause the paste to change consistency. Remember you are simply looking to dry your flowers, not cook them! You also don’t want to make your flowers overly brittle. Therefore be wary of placing them in the dehydrator for long periods of time.
I’m interested…which one should I buy…there are so many!
This definitely depends on your budget and your requirements. Make sure you check out the internal dimensions to ensure there is adequate space for your needs. I opted for quite a large model as I will have multiple students using mine during in-person classes. I am also fortunate enough to have the space for this size.
In order to give you a rounded opinion on different brands and sizes on offer, some of my lovely Facebook group members have very kindly offered their knowledge and own experiences with their dehydrators. Do read on below to see some of the different options on offer.
The brand I have is a Sous Vide 10 Tray. I went for this option purely for its huge size as well as knowing that Sous Vide is a reputable brand. There was also a good deal on it at the time which is always a bonus! I would definitely recommend this brand and they also offer a smaller 6 tray version which is slightly cheaper. There is also a great deal on this Sous Vide model at the moment too.
Hear from a few of my Facebook group members:
Michelle says…
“Hi Clare re my dehydrator and experience with it. It’s an Excalibur 4 tray which I bought on offer via Amazon UK. I’m based in Cornwall UK… which can be very damp and in the summer quite humid. Prior to purchasing it I lost a lot of sugar flowers to the elements. I often struggled during the humid months to get petals to dry and form enough to dust and tape. I tend to dry between 35 and 50 degrees depending on what I’m trying to achieve. The higher end for a quick 10 min blast is ideal for petals you want to hold their shape but not entirely dry… leaving some flexibility to shape as you add them. The lower end for items you’re going to leave in for longer until completely dry such as centres etc.
I wouldn’t be without my dehydrator. It’s used for every wedding cake order. I’ve even been known to dry iced cake boards in it if they fit. I lay flatter items like leaves and petals on the trays…sometimes on bobble foam or in formers. For larger items like complete flower heads I remove the base 3 trays and hang the flowers from the top tray. There are larger versions in the Excalibur range but I’ve found mine sufficient so far. Even for my cascade cakes.” — Michele Farrow, Craftycakehole Find Craftycakehole on Facebook here.
Kate says…
“I purchased a dehydrator a year ago, having got really fed up with sugar flowers going soft due to the high humidity sometimes experienced in glorious Devon! We live in a Victorian house, which also has an issue with damp so the humidity is a double whammy! I had already tried various different flower pastes, and mixes of different brands, some with disastrous results, and for me, squires paste holds up better than anything. But despite having a dehumidifier, I needed a better solution to doing and storing sugar flowers.
I purchased an electriq, which has 6 removable mesh shelves, and sits on top of a filing cabinet. It enables me to dry out completed sugar flowers, either by hanging them upside down on my own flower rack, or by slotting them through the mesh shelves. I am then able to store the flowers in a cardboard box, with dehydrator sachets, and they keep pretty well. Doing this means I can mix flower paste brands, which gives me the benefit of a slightly more flexible paste, or a paste I find easier to roll really thin. I generally set the timer for about 3 hours for a full flower, on a temp of 40 degrees centigrade. I don’t use it all the time – only if I recognise that it’s damper than usual! Equally, if I see that something has started to soften, or if I need something to dry in a hurry, then I will pop it in the dehydrator for a short blast.” — Kate Brown of Cakes by Kate, Plymouth https://amzn.to/3CsYbVO
Cindy says…
“I have one. It’s by Lakeland, but I got it from eBay-unused. I don’t use it all the time, but it is handy at times, a great time saver when you don’t have the time to wait for petals to dry slightly naturally. When I damaged a rose for a cake and had to remake, it cut the drying time to a fraction. Not only the individual petals, but I used 3 egg cups to raise the lid to give me room and a cupcake case to cradle the whole rose I was able to dry it out somewhat between the addition of each layer of petals. It saved the day.” — Cindy Alderman, Thrapston, Northamptonshire https://amzn.to/3ycBaDU
Julie says…
“I use a dehydrator to help speed up the drying process of flower making and have a couple of models. It’s a godsend if you’re on a tight schedule…or like me and just want to get things done. I first heard of the use of dehydrators a good few years back from one of the flower groups on Facebook. The first one I actually got came from a car boot sale. For the price I paid, I wasn’t expecting too much but was pleasantly surprised. It worked great. I like this model even though it is round and maybe not the best shape for storing because you can take out the inserts of each tier and just stack the outside. This is great if you have bigger items to dry or just stack a couple of tiers (maybe help keeping the electric usage down a little bit in this day and age of high electricity prices).
This round model goes from 35 -70 degrees. I find if you have it too high that the sugar items dry too quickly and too brittle and try to keep it about half way. Unless you’re keeping a good eye on it. I live in the north of England, in a area that can suffer with high humidity, so therefore sugar flowers can soften from the wires and droop. The dehydrator helps with drying out petals and leaves again if needs be before they get too soft. The second one I have is this one which is good too but I find I use the round one more.” — Julie Mangan, Cumbria https://amzn.to/3M4Vptc
The small round model that Julie references is no longer available but I have found this brand that is very similar if you were interested in this compact type.
Browse the dehydrators recommended by The Botanical Cake Studio and the Facebook Group members below…
Do you already use a dehydrator for your sugar flowers? If so, do let us know your own tips and recommendations in the comments below. It’s always interesting to hear other people’s experiences.
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The Botanical Cake Studio provides many free resources for all to enjoy and learn from. I (Clare from The Botanical Cake Studio) only recommend products that I genuinely use and love and that I have paid for myself. If something has been offered to me for free, I will disclose this clearly. Some links provided may contain affiliate links which will mean that The Botanical Cake Studio may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you choose to purchase an item using the link. Small commissions such as these can help The Botanical Cake Studio provide more fabulous free content for you so huge thanks if you decide to make a purchase through one of the links.
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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