EntriesWhen demonstrating I am often asked to explain the difference between the gums we cake decorators use. When making modeling paste I prefer to use gum tragacanth rather than its synthetic substitute CMC basically because gum tragacanth gives me a firmer paste and I find it easier to work with.
The proportions I use in the UK are 1tsp to 250g sugarpaste. Knead the gum into your sugarpaste and leave overnight to take effect (you’ll be able to start feeling the difference after a couple of hours)
The following information is from Wikipedia and confirms what I have always believed:
“Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus including….. Astragalus tragacanthus. Some of these species are known collectively under the common names “goat’s thorn” and “locoweed”. The gum is sometimes called “shiraz gum, “gum elect” or “gum dragon”. The name derives from tragos and akantha, which means in Greek “goat” and “thorn”, respectively.
Iran is the biggest producer of the best quality of this gum.
Gum tragacanth is a viscous, odorless, tasteless, water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides obtained from sap which is drained from the root of the plant and dried. The gum also seeps from the plant in twisted ribbons or flakes which can also be powdered.
Gum tragacanth is less common in products than other gums, such as gum arabic or guar gum, largely because most tragacanth is grown in Middle Eastern countries which have shaky trade relations with countries where the gum is to be used. Commercial cultivation of tragacanth plants has generally not proved economically worthwhile in the west, since other gums can be used for similar purposes.”
CMC or Carboxymethyl cellulose, E466, Tylose – all the same thing
“Is synthesized by the alkali catalyzed reaction of cellulose with chloroacetic acid”
The beauty of using CMC in cake decorating is that it is more or less instant, so great for last minute requirements and class situations, however as stated above I do prefer to work with the real thing!!
Whilst at the Australian cake decorators seminar in Sydney a couple of weeks ago I learnt of a third product that is used in Australia. It is called ‘clear gel’ or ‘clear set gel’. It is basically Agar Agar a seaweed derivative and is used in much the same way as the above. I have been given a small packet to try, so I’ll let you know how I get on!!
Tags: Agar agar, Clear gel, Clear set gel, CMC, Gum tragacanth, Tylose
12 Comments
When making gum paste from sugar paste at what stage do you add colour? At the same time as kneading in the gum tragacanth or CMC or the next day after leaving for a over night? Many thanks.
Hi Lucinda
I find it easier to colour the paste before adding the gum, however if your sugarpaste is sticky you may find it easier to colour after you have added the gum – experiment and see how you get on.
Hope this helps
Lindy
Hi Lindy,
been using recipes from your books and i love them, however im having a bit of trouble with modeling paste, i make the sugerpaste recipe and thats all good til i add the gum trag. after a while i find it gets extremly stiff and i just cant work it to get it pliable enough no matter how much i knead it, any ideas where im going wrong?
Cheers
Denise
Hi Denise
Modelling paste does stiffen up after it has been left for a while. You have a few options to bring it back to life, try adding white vegetable fat and a touch of water – the fat fat stops the paste becoming sticky and the water will really soften the paste and bring back the stretch. Another option, may be combined with the first, is to pop the paste into a microwave for about 10 sections and knead, this should work even if the paste has gone rock solid!
If you think that you have over done the gum then simply knead in some more sugarpaste to re-address the balance.
Hope this is useful
Lindy
Hello Linda,
I’m from Singapore. I thoroughly enjoyed trying out ideas from your book, “Storybook Cakes”. I found this useful information on the storage of fondant covered cakes and modelling-paste models in your book. The modelling-paste models, you said, could be kept forever. However, you had recommended the use of gum tragacanth with sugarpaste.
I have 2 questions:
1. Can the modelling-paste made with Tylose keep for just as long?
2. I notice an expiry date on the ready-made sugarpaste I bought. Will this mean that the modelling-paste made from this sugarpaste cannot be kept after the expiry date?
Please advise. Thank you,
Angelina
Hello Angelina,
You can make modeling paste with Tylose and it will keep just a long. If you go over the expiry date the modeling paste will still keep but you should not eat it. Alternatively you can freeze your sugarpaste/modelling paste.
Jane
Hi Lindy,
Can you please let us know how you got on with the Agar Agar? Agar agar powder is easy to find here in my country whereas Gum Trag or CMC are not sold. I’d like to know how you use it to make modelling paste.
Thanks for your advice!
Hi Lindy,
Thank you so much for your prompt response to my earlier queries. However, I’m not very sure about what you meant by “the modelling paste will still keep but you should not eat it”.
Would appreciate it very much if you could clarify this.
Thank you,
Angelina
Hi just wondering how long Gum Trag lasts my pot has no use by date on it, i’m just getting bk into decorating cakes again and my gum trag is a couple of years old.
Thanxs for any feed bk Anne x
Hi Anne
I’m sure it should be fine, the ones we are currently stocking have a 3 year shelf life!
Hello Angelina,
Sugarpaste has an expiry date so if you are keeping the modelling paste decorations you would not want to eat them if you have kept them past the expiry date.
Hope this makes sense!
Jane
The Agar Agar powder is added to sugarpaste to make the modelling paste. Lindy found that it did not make very strong modelling paste. You don’t mention which country you are from but you may be able to import the CMC/Gum Trag.
Jane
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