Have you ever wanted to keep the sugar flowers of your cherished wedding or celebration cake as a special memento? Follow these simple steps to keep your sugar flowers looking beautiful for months or even years.
1. Wipe off any excess buttercream / fondant / cake / icing from your sugar flowers.
These materials are highly perishable and contain moisture, so if they are left on your sugar flowers, they will cause mold or bacteria to form on your sugar flowers over time. Use a very soft cloth or tissue to wipe off every last bit of buttercream or frostings from your flowers, so that your flowers have the best chance of lasting for a very long time.
Note: Haute Cakes' sugar flowers are made with a special gum paste recipe that is humidity-resistant & lasts longer than normal sugar flowers. It is therefore possible to put your sugar flowers in the fridge or freezer & it may prolong the life of your sugar flowers. However most of our clients prefer to have our sugar flowers displayed as decor in their house & not in the fridge! So it's up to you - even without being kept in the fridge, your sugar flowers will last for a long time if you follow the instructions in this post. I would not recommend putting your sugar flowers in the fridge, unless they are still part of the cake decoration.
2. Place your sugar flowers in a cool & dry spot in your home, and out of direct sunlight.
Enjoy the beauty of your sugar flowers for longer by arranging them in your favourite vase & place them in a cool & dry spot in your home, and out of direct sunlight. While your Haute Cakes sugar flowers are humidity-resistant, it is not possible to predict every scenario or environment that the sugar flowers have been exposed to - therefore it is recommended to keep your sugar flowers in a spot in your home that is cool & dry, to give your sugar flowers the best chance to last as long as they can.
It is important to keep your sugar flowers out of direct sunlight, because they have been coloured with food-safe colour dust & other food colourings, which will fade if they are placed in the sun. There are other paints or colourings which are used to colour other types of handmade flowers (e.g. flowers made out of cold porcelain), but those paints or colourings are not food safe.
There is a lower risk of breakage when arranging sugar flowers made with Haute Cakes' special gum paste recipe - the flowers are slightly flexible & less fragile than 'traditional' sugar flowers, which are more brittle & sensitive to moisture. Having said that, you should still exercise care when arranging your sugar flowers together, because almost anything can break if you handle it in a very rough manner. There are many unpredictable factors that influence how long your sugar flowers will last, such as the weather (e.g. exposure on a particularly humid day), the exact environment in your home, or how the sugar flowers were handled.
3. If you really want your sugar flowers to last longer, place them in a covered container with a small porous sachet of silicon beads as well.
There are many ways to keep your sugar flowers in containers, either displayed or in storage. One of my favourite ways to display sugar flowers in an airtight container is to keep them in a glass cloche (which is a jar or base with a glass cover - see pic below), that has been sealed with clear adhesive to keep the air out. I usually arrange the flowers in a small vase or jar, filled with foam or styrofoam to keep them upright. If the cloche is the right size, you may not even need a jar.
You can also place a small porous sachet of silicon beads in the container to protect them from moisture even more. Remember that after your flowers have touched non-edible materials, they should not be eaten. If you are keeping your sugar flowers in a tupperware or laying them flat, it is recommended to wrap them in bubble wrap first so that the weight of the flowers does not warp the shape of the petals.
If any of the above sounds too difficult or complicated for you, we are also happy to arrange & pack your sugar flowers properly for you for an additional packing fee.
Special Note: How to save your sugar flowers!
If your sugar flowers do get exposed to too much moisture or humidity, or are out of shape, fret not as there are a few ways you can save them:
1. If you haven't done so, you can place your sugar flowers with a porous sachet filled with food-safe silicon beads - this will absorb the excess moisture in the box & help to dry out your flowers. You should also wrap your flowers with some bubble wrap to cushion the petals from getting knocked around & breaking.
2. Place them over a food dehydrator, which is a machine that will dry out the petals. This is the fastest method to remove the humidity & dry out your sugar flowers. If you don't have a food dehydrator, you can also place them in the oven at a very low temperature (40 - 50 degrees Celsius). Note that the more you dry out your sugar flowers, the more brittle they will become, so monitor the condition of your sugar flowers carefully when you are drying them out.
3. Place them under strong air-conditioning & in a dry area, away from any humidity. The flowers should dry out, although note that with this method it is harder to control air humidity in Singapore’s climate.
4. Place them in a room with a dehumidifier, which is a machine that removes humidity from the air.
5. If your petals are out of shape, it is possible to reshape them by steaming them carefully - try to target only the area or petal(s) that is out of shape. When the steam has softened that area slightly, it is possible to reshape the flower. Do this very carefully, especially if your flower petal is very thin. After you have reshaped the petals, you can re-dry the flower again using small pieces of tissue or sponge to prop up your petals in the desired shapes.
6. This is not technically a way to save your sugar flowers, but some of you might find this useful - if you really feel like you can't save your flower or reshape it, but you still want to keep your flower, why not mix it up with other things? You could display your flower with dried flowers, for example, and use the dried flowers to hide the imperfect or broken parts of your sugar flowers. Where there is a will there is a way, I always say!
Enjoy your sugar flowers for as long as you can! I hope that your sugar flowers will bring some beauty into your home & life, just as real life flowers do!
Do you have any questions about how to take care of your sugar flowers or make them last longer? Leave a comment below or email me & I will try my best to help you!