How to store mastic figurines for decorating cakes

Often, mastic, which can be called sugar paste, is used to prepare confectionery products. It has very good ductility and is therefore easy to deform. Thanks to this property, you can sculpt any figure from it, make flowers with beautiful petals, or simply roll it out in a thin layer and cover a pastry or cake with it. Of course, there are times when the exact amount of mastic cannot be calculated. For example, if you need to produce a large batch of products that have decorative parts of different shapes and quantities. In this case, the question arises - where and how to store mastic if there is excess left? We will consider this and other questions further.

Storing store-bought mastic

Nowadays, it is not difficult to buy all the semi-finished products for making confectionery products in the store. If you don’t have the time or desire to make mastic yourself, you can purchase it. But when buying ready-made sugar paste, you need to take into account that manufacturers add preservatives to it to increase shelf life. Also, such products contain a number of stabilizers and flavorings, which generally makes the paste unhealthy if consumed too often.

Storing industrially made mastic will not create problems if you follow certain rules.

• When removing the required amount of paste from the package, you need to reduce the contact of the entire mass with air to a minimum. Remove part of the paste only with a clean spatula.
• Do not expose the mastic to moisture or high temperatures. Excessive moisture makes it too liquid, and heat leads to drying out and loss of plasticity.
• Leftover pasta can be wrapped in foil or edible wax paper to prevent it from sticking to the package.

Mastic in an airtight container can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month and will retain all its properties. Pieces in foil - only for a week.

Storage of purchased product

Decorating a cake is a very painstaking job. Usually the baked goods are made first, and only then they start decorating them. Therefore, it is important to know how the mastic is stored correctly and what its shelf life is.

Every manufacturer of such products is interested in having a long shelf life. For this purpose, preservatives and stabilizers are added to the finished mastic. These substances are not very healthy, and therefore, when choosing a product in a store, you should read its composition.

Storing mastic will not cause any trouble if you follow simple rules:

• Store-bought product should only be stored in its packaging. During operation, take the mass with a spatula. The remaining mastic must be immediately covered so that it does not come into contact with air.
• If there are pieces left after decorating, simply wrap them in foil so that they do not stick.
• The main task when storing pasta is to avoid heat and moisture. Due to the heat, the mass will quickly dry out and lose its elasticity. High humidity will cause the paste to become runny.
• In an airtight package, the product can be stored well for a month. Wrapped leftover mastic should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

If the paste loses its elasticity after storage, you need to add a little pure lemon juice to it. You can even mix mastic with juice in a 1:1 ratio.

How long can you store homemade mastic?

This paste contains only natural products and, of course, the shelf life of homemade pasta will be shorter than that of store-bought pasta. But it can be used to safely decorate desserts intended for children's parties and people who have allergic reactions to artificial additives.

Proper storage will allow homemade pasta to stay fresh longer. It is also important to let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 day immediately after preparing it.

The container with the paste is covered with a film with holes, so it will not absorb so much powder.

If the mastic turns out to be too liquid, you can thicken it without adding powdered sugar. Place it in a warm place for 2 hours so that excess moisture evaporates. It is advisable to consume such a product immediately and not store it for a long time.

You can store homemade mastic for up to 3 weeks.

Main varieties

Pastry paste can be prepared using various ingredients, which affects its consistency, pliability and shelf life. Most often, specialists use mastic from:

• Milk and/or condensed milk, into which powdered sugar is additionally poured, and the result is a plastic dough with a pleasant taste. A special feature of this variety is its rather long drying time.
• Gelatin with the addition of powdered sugar, water and lemon juice. The resulting mass dries quickly and becomes hard, so it is recommended for the manufacture of large elements that are not intended to be eaten.
• Chocolate is one of the most delicious and flexible variations, for the production of which you will also need butter, powdered sugar and a little marshmallow. It has an average drying time, which makes it possible to make various elements from it, as well as use it for covering cakes.
• Marshmallow is the most popular option, allowing you to quickly and easily get a good plastic mixture. Powdered sugar is also added to the melted marshmallow and the larger its volume, the denser the final mixture will be.

Confectionery paste can be made from honey, marshmallows and marzipan, or you can purchase the finished product in the store. It must be remembered that the purchased mass contains various stabilizers and additives necessary for its long-term storage.

Period and storage conditions of mastic

To ensure that the paste retains its properties longer, it is kept in the refrigerator. The bag must be made of paper, because condensation may appear in the plastic container, which will change the properties of the product.

The bag should be sealed so that the paste has as little contact with air as possible.

If there are any leftover pieces from the dessert you made before, you can wrap them in foil and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 weeks.

Another way to properly preserve mastic (homemade and purchased) is to pack it in a container. After which the container is sent to the refrigerator. Provided the lid is tightly closed, the paste will keep for up to two weeks.

The remaining parts of the sweet paste after cooking should be combined into one compact piece, then wrapped in cling film. Then they all put it in a bag and put it in the refrigerator. It is advisable to keep leftover paste out of the freezer and use it within a week.

To prevent the paste from absorbing excess water, it is kept separate from sources of moisture. These include vegetables and berries with a high moisture content. Also, there should be no containers with liquids nearby that are not covered with a lid.

• When it is necessary to apply the mastic, the container is removed from the refrigerator and kept at room temperature.
• It should take several hours (9 to 12) for the paste to become soft again.
• In order for it to quickly regain its elasticity, it is mixed well.
• Once the paste has been removed from the refrigerator, it can be stored for up to 3 days if the container is tightly closed.
• It is advisable to choose a dark, dry room for storage.

General storage table

How long does homemade mastic last?

You can prepare sugar mastic at home using many recipes. However, water remains an unchanged ingredient in any composition. The shelf life of the resulting mass directly depends on its quantity. Additionally, the recipes include gelatin and starch. In addition to the fact that these components give the mastic the necessary ductility and stickiness, they serve as good thickeners.

As a result, in order for homemade mastic to be stored as long as possible and not change its properties, the main rule remains the correct ratio of components.

Factors that contribute to careful storage of the finished mass:

1. The first thing to do after the mastic is mixed is to give it a rest. For best results, leave the paste in the refrigerator for a day. You can use any container. Cover it with cling film, making about six holes (up to 1 cm in diameter) for ventilation. Well-seasoned mastic will absorb less powdered sugar when modeling;
2. If the mastic turns out wetter than the recipe required, dry it near a heat source for no more than 2 hours. Then use immediately. The shelf life of such a mass will be significantly reduced;
3. The question of whether the paste needs to be kept in the refrigerator deserves special attention. Essentially, there is no such need. Especially when you plan to use it in the near future. It is enough to use an airtight container;
4. When liquid food coloring is used, mastic reacts in a peculiar way. If you store paste colored with them for a long enough time, the color fades. Therefore, for coloring it is better to use gel analogues;
5. Form. It is important not only to properly package a finished substance that is subject to long-term storage, but also to give it a special shape. Torn, uneven pieces of sugar paste will be much more difficult to bring into a condition suitable for modeling. Therefore, it is recommended to roll it into balls or ovals of the correct shape and only then send it into packaging.

Is it possible to store mastic frozen?

Many housewives are interested in the question of whether mastic can be stored in the freezer. Yes, this is possible, but subject to certain conditions.

1. Form a small lump from the paste and cut it into pieces.
2. Each resulting piece is wrapped in film or foil and then placed in the freezer.
3. You can also use baking paper or just a food-grade plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.
4. In this form, the paste can be stored for 3 to 4 months.

You cannot defrost mastic quickly. From the freezer it is moved to the top shelf of the refrigerator for up to a day. Then placed at room temperature until completely softened. Once the paste has become soft, stir it.

How and where to store the product at home

To preserve mastic, regardless of whether you bought it or made it at home, you need:

• Pack the product in a container with an airtight lid and put it in the refrigerator; this way it will keep for 2 weeks.
• After consumption, combine the pieces, shape them into a ball or oval, wrap tightly in film, then in a plastic bag and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator; they need to be used within a week.
• Keep away from vegetables and open containers with liquids.
• When you need to use the mastic again, remove it from the refrigerator in advance and keep it at room temperature for 10-12 hours to soften; then mix thoroughly, this will restore its elasticity.
• The product can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

After finding out how long mastic can be stored in the refrigerator, you need to understand whether it can be frozen. Experts assure that confectionery paste can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. How to do it:

1. Divide the lump into small portions.
2. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, plastic bag, foil, parchment, or place in a container with an airtight lid.
3. Place in the freezer.

To proceed, defrost gradually: first place on the refrigerator shelf overnight, then leave at room temperature until warm. Knead well before use.

To speed up heating, you can place the mastic mass in the microwave or hot oven for a few minutes. Just make sure it doesn't start to melt.

Storing mastic figurines

The decoration of the cake and its important part is the decor. You can make anything from sweet paste, but the shelf life of the cake itself and the parts that will decorate it sometimes do not coincide. Therefore, experienced confectioners know where and how to store mastic figures.

Flowers and figures are placed in a cardboard box so that they do not touch each other. It is important that the figures dry. Only after this they will be able to remain suitable for consumption for 2 - 3 months. If these are small flowers or figures, they can be kept at room temperature until consumed. And when the parts are large, they are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, away from the freezer.

Mastic figures can last up to 2 - 3 months. This is very convenient because you can make them in advance, and only then use them to decorate fresh cakes.

Note! If the storage temperature exceeds +10 - +12°C, the parts may lose their shape and simply “float”.

Why is confectionery mastic so popular?

Cake decorations can be made from many products - from butter to natural fruits and berries. But mastic has a unique property - it is plastic and retains its shape perfectly for a long time. Regular refined sugar and its adhesive properties are to blame for this. Beautiful and “long-lasting” decorations made from mastic are valued not only as sweets, but also as souvenirs - under quite normal conditions they can be stored for years.

Mastic can serve as a kind of “blanket” for the cake, which is used quite often. This is how craftsmen give the desserts the necessary shape, creating lawns, paths, etc. on the surface of the treat.

You can sculpt from sweet paste, like from plasticine or sculptural clay. Several types of mastic are used for different purposes, each of which has its own properties:

• sugar - a type of mastic for covering cake layers and forming a platform,
• floral - as the name suggests, it is used to create edible flowers and plants,
• Mexican - best suited for sculpting sculptural elements.

The composition of the mastic also varies: based on milk, gelatin, chocolate, marshmallow or marshmallow. The point here is both the taste of the product and its physical properties - how pliable it is, whether a glossy sheen is needed, and so on.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with What can be prepared using a blender: main functions and recommendations for use

Since, thanks to food coloring, any color of the mastic substance is now available, the variety of sculptures is very wide. Troika's confectioners make fabulous flowers and plants, figures of animals and people, imitations of buildings and even cars.

If you ordered just such a cake and want to preserve the memory of it not only in photos and videos, then know that figures made from sugar paste are stored even in the open air. This is quite reasonable, because mastic not only tastes sweet, but is also beautiful in itself - the material is even, smooth, and what a variety of bright colors!

How to store a mastic cake

The cake, which contains mastic, can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. There is no need to cover the cake. Select a separate shelf for the cake, on which there are no perishable fruits and place the dessert there. A cake that contains mastic or is completely covered with it is served only after it has reached room temperature. It can be cut in such a way that the paste does not crumble under the knife.

Note! The shelf life of a cake directly depends on its ingredients. Read more about the shelf life of cakes in this article.

Mastic confectionery products should be removed from the refrigerator and served only before consumption. After they have been at room temperature for several hours, no one can vouch for their quality.

Important Tips

To work with marshmallow mixture, you need to know not only its expiration date and recipe, but also some tricks that professionals use:

• For preparation, it is better to use the finest powder, which will make the mixture plastic.
• The cake to be covered must be dry, because otherwise, all the covering on it will simply dissolve and turn into an unappetizing porridge.
• To connect several parts of a decorative element or flowers, use egg white, but never water.
• Prolonged exposure to air causes the paste to crumble, so the work must be done quickly.
• Cooled and difficult to roll out sugar dough can be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds - this will restore its plasticity and softness.

Covering the cake with fondant

Now you will really need a mastic iron. It's better if you have two of them. This thing is very convenient for leveling the mastic on the cake, smoothing it out, the surface of the cake immediately takes on a different look. Let's start from the top.

Then the sides. It’s great to work here with two irons, this way you can make the top edge of the cake sharper. I managed one, but my edges are rounded, despite all my efforts.

The important thing is the bottom edge. Using an iron, we press the hanging edges of the mastic to the backing, as if thinning the mastic.

Using a pizza cutter (another good helper when working with mastic cakes!), cut the mastic in a circle, but not close to the bottom edge, but leaving at least 5 mm.

Press the mastic onto the substrate again. The photo even shows that the mastic becomes thinner in this place.

We cut off the excess mastic with a knife, now flush with the bottom edge of the cake.

Once again we control the ironing and remove any remaining starch from the substrate with a paper towel. Ugh! They tightened it up! The cake is ready for further decoration!

Types of mastics

There are many types of mastics, and each has its own characteristics.

• Sugar. It is based on powdered sugar and gelatin. A mass that is difficult to mix and achieve the correct consistency, but of all types it is the most resistant to moisture.

• Marshmallow based mastic. How long do flowers made from mastic last and what is the shelf life of mastic-covered flowers in the refrigerator? No more than a week, while marshmallow mastic can last for several months in the freezer.
• Floral. Suitable for small parts and decorations, holds its shape well. It uses stabilizers and dyes. How long is it stored? Thanks to stabilizers, the cake coating lasts longer - a month to a month and a half.
• Mexican or modeling. I always keep the recipe on hand. Ready-made mastic is short-lived - the figures are prepared in the morning and this cake mastic can be stored for no more than 3 days. Ideal for covering wedding cakes that need to retain their shape.

Let's do some mastic!

When you decide that the cake is already smooth enough, put it in the freezer for at least half an hour! You can have more (it depends on the filling)! At this time we can do the mastic ourselves. But not in the sense of cooking. Homemade mastic should be made in advance and allowed to sit at least overnight. I mean, knead it, add dyes if necessary, and roll it out. This time I made the mastic for the covering myself (and for the figures I had a purchased one) according to the recipe of Inna Sapegina, a very talented artist and pastry chef-decorator. True, I changed the proportions a little, perhaps it was because of my powdered sugar or it was a matter of measuring spoons. It’s easy to prepare: 5 tsp. powder gelatin pour 3 tbsp. l. cold water, add 125 ml of glucose to the same saucepan (I used caramel molasses, and Inna herself usually uses liquid honey), put in a water bath, bring to homogeneity. Next, sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl (I use “Slavic Meal”), the author advises taking 1 kg, but I put less - 600 grams, otherwise my mastic turns out too hard. So, I pour out the powder, make a dent in the middle, pour in the liquid obtained in a water bath and knead first with a spoon, and then with my hands, like dough. You don’t have to pour out all the powder at once, but add it in parts; it is important to get the consistency: the mastic should be viscous and sticky enough. You may think that there is not enough powder, but this is a deceptive feeling. Wrap it in film and leave it overnight at room temperature. The mastic will harden and be ready for use. If you put more powder than necessary, it will be very difficult for you to roll it out, and it will tear when pressed. So, here is our mastic. I added just a tiny bit of yellow Americolor gel dye, taking into account the future decor.

Sprinkle the table with starch, sparingly, and roll out the mastic with a rolling pin into a large layer about 3 mm thick.

The mastic layer should be much larger than the cake! I repeat because this is a very important point! We wrap it around a rolling pin.

Let's get our cake. Remove the parchment. Now he will no longer help us, but hinder us.

Using a rolling pin, carefully transfer the mastic onto the cake. We kind of unwind a layer of mastic over the cake and lower it onto it.

How long can sugar paste figurines be stored?

The shelf life depends on your goals.

1. If the figures are needed to decorate a cake that you are preparing (or bought, but do not plan to eat right away), then the plastic mass can retain its properties as a product for up to two weeks. It must be remembered that glucose is a nutrient medium, which means microbiological processes can develop in it. From here we draw a simple conclusion: the storage rules are the same as for other food products - in the refrigerator, under cling film, a bag or a plastic cake dome.

During storage, it is important to limit the access of moisture to the product, as liquid can damage the shape of the miniature sculpture. The saying “not sugar, it won’t melt” does not apply to mastic - it is sugar and can literally melt from moisture. That is why, when storing sweet decorations separately from the dessert itself, it is best to further protect them - pack the mastic in separate paper bags and then in plastic bags.

In addition, fresh mastic should not dry out. You should not leave it in the open air if dessert has not yet appeared on the holiday table. An airtight container is good for temporary storage. If the cake is very large, then use a clean pan, bowl or ordinary basin as a dome.

2. A fundamentally different option is storing decor in open spaces. Wonderfully beautiful flowers made from sweet paste, cartoon figures and even real sculptural portraits can easily stand on a shelf at room temperature. This will already be a source of memories and simply an original interior object. But for this purpose, the mastic figures will need to be thoroughly dried.

This is done quite simply: put the product in a cardboard box and put it in a dry place, protected from sources of sunlight and heating devices. In its natural environment, the mastic will dry out in a few hours, which will add strength to it. To be safe, you can keep the product in the box for a couple of days.

Then feel free to place the beauty in a transparent vase, on a saucer, stand - anywhere. Our homes are decorated with dried flower ikebana, porcelain figurines and other decor, so why can’t a sweet piece of art be prominently displayed?

However, you should remember the shelf life of mastic as a food product. Taking it off the shelf after a month or more to enjoy it is dangerous. Warn your children about this, because little sweet tooths endlessly strive to swallow the “candy,” but in this case this is a bad option. In addition, house dust may settle on the decor.

• If sweet edible mastic is prepared for decorating cakes, then limit the access of air and moisture. Store the mixture or finished product in a paper bag, then wrap it in plastic or place it in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.
• If the cake has fulfilled its function, and you decide to keep the sculptural decorations and flowers as a keepsake, then first keep them in a cardboard box at room temperature (4-6 hours), and then put them on a shelf.

We wish you beautiful and delicious holidays! Troika confectioners are always happy to make your celebration sweet and original!

However, you should remember the shelf life of mastic as a food product. Taking it off the shelf after a month or more to enjoy it is dangerous. Warn your children about this, because little sweet tooths endlessly strive to swallow the “candy,” but in this case this is a bad option. In addition, house dust may settle on the decor.

Results

Mastic is a great way to decorate a confectionery product so that its appearance will be remembered for a long time by everyone present. A photo can only capture the beauty of the cake, but the memory will preserve the wonderful taste of the dessert prepared with mastic for a long time. I would like to think that this article will help you understand how and how long you can store mastic and will help novice confectioners give a sweet holiday to adults and children.

If the mastic turns out to be too liquid, you can thicken it without adding powdered sugar. Place it in a warm place for 2 hours so that excess moisture evaporates. It is advisable to consume such a product immediately and not store it for a long time.

https://prohranenie.ru/produkty/muchnye-i-konditerskie-izdeliya/mastika.htmlhttps://www.baby.ru/blogs/post/414460585-381561948/https://troika-cond.ru/news/ figurki-iz-mastiki-krasota-kotoruju-mozhno-hranithttps://kakxranit.ru/produkti/kak-xranit-mastiku.html

What is mastic and what types does it come in?

Confectionery mastic is used to cover cakes, make flowers and all kinds of figures. There are several types of material:

• for applying to the surface of baked goods - sugar;
• for making jewelry and floral elements - floral;
• for creating figures - Mexican.

Novice confectioners can purchase paste in specialized stores for use at home. Experienced craftsmen share numerous recipes for making the product.

Mastic can be prepared at home based on:

Dairy

To prepare the paste, you need condensed or powdered milk. For kneading, instead of flour, use sugar, crushed into powder. The result is a soft and plastic mass that is pleasant to the taste.

• It has a long drying time. This quality is indispensable when you need to cover a cake, make figures and flowers.
• Milk paste has a drawback: if you put a little less powder in it, then the layer on the cake will turn into porridge.