I entered a post yesterday about my gumpaste not harding, CakeBaker was the only one to respond (thank you CB).
Please, I know there are plently of ya'll out there that have some insight on this matter, help me out!
Read my original post:
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I think I'm having a brain fart, lol. I made the buds for my roses like I always do, the day before. I checked them out this morning before leaving to work and the buds are still pliable. I colored the gumpaste to the desired color & added a little tylose powder. . . What am I doing wrong? I'm in Miami, I know it's hot/humid as heck, but the ac is running & I had them drying under the ceiling fan most of the day and they're still not hardening. H E L P

Thanks in advance
Please, please, please help with a cherry on top!
If you don't like cherries, then whatever you want on top
Thank you

I have yet to work with gumpaste, so I am not sure I can help you..But I have a few suggestions from doing lots of reading post here.

Even though the air conditioning is on that doesn't really help with the moisture in the air(please correct me if I am wrong folks) I made BC roses this week and they still wanted to melt and not hold up. I blamed it on the humidity. (needed something to blame it on LOL)

I read here somewhere that you can put items like that in a dehydrator. I tried it with MMF roses and it worked like a charm. It cuts your drying time from days to hours. Just use your lowest setting on the food dehydrator.

I hope someone with more experience is around soon to help you.
Kimberly

Cakebaker also suggested the Food Dehydrator. . . I don't have one.
She also sugguested in the oven with only the oven light on, but I read somewhere else not to do that, I'm so confused
I have the bud, attached to wire & inserted in a huge piece of styrofoam.
I left them in my bedroom on top of the bed with the ceiling fan on high.
Hopefully I'll have better news when I get home this eveing.
Thanks for the suggestions NEWTODECORATING

Also, should I add more tyloose powder to the rest of my already dyed gumpaste??? I don't want my roses to wilt while I'm dying them. . .
If so, how much should I add?

Any and all help is GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I've never experienced this before. . .darn humidity!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhh!

well, the humidity is unbearable lately, so i can imagine how bad it is in miami, Try the oven, no heat, just the light on, they should dry overnight, maybe alittle bit longer, bu at this point it worth a try.

I am bumping this back to the top in hopes to get some better help for her.
Hopefully someone will be on this pm with more info.

I'm not sure everyone's ignoring your question...I am thinking we just don't have a good answer. I use fondant after I has a gumpaste umbrella failed to harden for me. I put my fondant figures in the TV cabinet to dry It's big enough for fairly big things and the heat from the TV being on helps keep it warm and dry in there I guess. I find they dry a little quicker and it helps keep the dust off them. (It has glass doors) I wonder if a hairdryer on cool would help? I don't know what else will help sorry.

Many thanks to all that have replied, I truly appreciate all your responses.
I checked my buds last night, they were a little firmer, but still soft overall. . .ahhh! I put them in them in the oven with the light on this morning. My Mom's going to watch out for them I told her if she does any laundry, to put them on top of the dryer and close the door to the laundry room in hopes that the extra warmth will dry them, I'll see when I get home from work. Let's keep our fingers crossed
Thanks again for the advice, have a beautiful Thursday! Ahhh, the weekend is almost here. . .

1. gumpaste does not like humidity when it is drying. It could take days to dry depending upon the thickness of the pieces.

2. make sure that the colouring does not add too much "liquid" to the gumpaste and skew the recipe. Then it may not dry properly

3. most of the heat-applied drying is applicable - surrounding heat not directed "hot" or it could scorch.

4. try placing the items in an airtight container with some sachets of silica gel crystals.

Once dried hard, the decoration should stand up to a reasonable amount of humidity - but not excessive.

Thanks so much Auzzi

I made them last Sunday and as of this morning, they're still not hard like I'm use to them being. Since this has never happened to me before, I'm dumbfounded! I don't know if the coloring paste added too much "wetness" to the gumpaste, thus making it harder to dry . . .
What I am worried about is when I start making my roses, I don't want them to wilt, ahhhhh! I think I might add some more tyloose powder to my already colored batch of gumpaste & hope my roses hold up!
It's my weekend project, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I'd try the oven method or maybe a heat light -

Good Luck!

Debbie

I haven't tried gumpaste flowers yet... That's in the very near future for me to try though...
I made some MMF roses and this is the 2nd day for them...and the leaves are still a little bendy...
But it's be hot and very humid here too..
I hope you resolve your situation real soon...
Happy gumpasting,
cakegal

When it is excessively humid, powdered sugar absorbs moisture from the environment - so it is "loaded" before you start.

Colouring pastes add to the moisture content.

From what you have said, they are not going to dry because the recipe is "soggy" not because it is humid..

Try again, but if you add more tylose this skews the recipe again. Tylose is a hardener, and since your recipe is not acting normally, there is no guessing what it will do. It may dry more quicker than you expect or wish.

I would suggest starting completely again.......

Thank you for your reply Auzzi, I'm going to try your suggestion tonight when I get home from work Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Just my opinion but I would not put them on top of the dryer. Although the dryer is drying, it's moist heat and would only make matters worse. Wish I could give you a better solution, I'm having the same trouble here in NC. Tried to make an umbrella and it never hardened. I tried my toaster oven on the lowest setting and it only made the umbrella sticky, I had to throw it away. IF you find something that works, please let us know! Good luck!