After making my modeling chocolate I put it in the fridge....yikes is it hard lol....do I have to re melt this and stir and wrap it again or just chuck the darn stuff....help

dont know for sure, but i would probably say leave it to sit out at room temp for a bit and see how that goes? if not maybe a quick zap in the microwave?

Since candy clay has to "cure" for 24 hours anyway...make some more (in case all else fails) and like the OP suggested, leave out (well wrapped) to come up to temp.

Microwave is fine as long as you do it for SECONDS at a time, or low power. Really, just a couple seconds and check it, then a few more if needed. If it gets too soft, reworking on a cold surface is also good - if you don't have marble or granite you can just put a platter or large plate (ceramic) in the fridge and work the modeling chocolate on that.

Microwave will work as chocolatecraftkits says, but in addition to checking it after (really!) 2 seconds, try to knead it. It will soften in the middle first. So, zap for 2 seconds, try to cut it in half or pull it apart, put the whole thing back in for 2 seconds, open it up again. As soon as you feel any soft part, take that chunk and knead it together with a hard part. Just keep working it in small sections -- about the size of a tennis ball. It softens and becomes pliable as you knead it. You can keep working in the hard parts and incorporating them into the workable part. HTH

it really doesn't take very long to come up to room temperature either, and as you work with it, the heat from your hands will soften it. I have really hot hands and I have to work quickly with modeling chocolate or I have a soft, droopy glob. But as mentioned the microwave works well, just for very short bursts and if you can put it on half power.

if you can wait for it to come to room temp, that is better (IMHO) than microwaving...it is too easy to get too warm greasy MC when microwaving.

knead small bit, just what you need.
don't overknead or it will get soft and grainy (if that happens just set it aside and wait for it to cool).

diane

There is a recent thread somewhere that says its actually the way its supposed to work..you make it, refrigerate it overnight...its hard as a rock...but then you knead it well and after you do that, then supposedly its done and workable.

I have yet to try that...I got as far as the "Rock hard" stage and didn't know what to do next but recently that thread gave me hope!

After the "rock hard" stage....does it actually become soft enough to cover a cake with? Does is get just as hard, again, after the cake is covered?

I've never covered a cake with it, but it does harden up, not rock hard though.

modeling chocolate performs better (i don't know the science though, lol) if allowed to age for 24 hours. i age in the fridge and then let come to room temp, then knead. when it comes out of the fridge it's rock hard. after kneading it is very soft and can be rolled out just like fondant.

when applied over buttercream MC usually stays pliable and easily chewable. however it is not as soft as when you are kneading it in your warm hands.

pretty much anything you can do with fondant, you can do with MC. the exception is on flowers, you cannot get the thin fine edges/use ball tool very easily. however, it works great in flower mold presses and you get thin edges (that is what i am in the kitchen doing this afternoon).

diane

I've actually taken it rock hard out of the fridge (I was in a time crunch) and shredded it with a box grater like you would cheese, and then kneaded it all back together. If you have time though, just let it come to room temp.

love that idea, KHalstead, about the grater

After taking my MC out of the fridge, I take a kitchen knife, cut the larger piece up into smaller pieces and knead each a bit and then put them all together and knead again. It's pretty quick.

Rae

well i nuked it and then kneaded it............now what hahaha.......not sure what to do with it....I was going to make a shoe, but decided not......i have been wanting to knead some mc into mmf to see what happens...........and then I made the show don't know results for a couple days........will let yu know hehe........thanks for all the tips/I thought I read you were to refrigerate it, but them I thought I also reas never to refrigerate it, so I was completely mixed up..........it really does knead smooth

Do you have to refrigerate it? I tried to make some white candy clay using the Merkens type stuff before and it just got really crumbly and wouldn't stay together. I threw it away and had no flowers... Someone said the melts may have been old?

don't refrigerate it....leave it at room temp....

what about the crumbling...wouldn't come together. Stale?

I made some recently using Wilton's melts that had been in the pantry for over a year...no crumbling. Maybe nuked 'em too long??? Not enough Karo??? Did you use liquid food coloring instead of gel or candy coloring???

I don't know how old they were from the cake supply store I bought them from. I use a double boiler. I didnt' add any color. Guess it will be a mystery. White Merkens....

More than likely, when using the double boiler, steam got into the melts and seized them up. They're ruined by water getting into them during the melting process. I'm sure they were fine before the steam got them.

I melt my melts in the microwave--50% power for 30 seconds, stir, repeat, until melted.

HTH
Rae