Hi there,

I'm new to decorating and had a silly question. Has anyone ever used vinegar in their buttercream when practicing only? I would like to discourage myself from getting the icing anywhere near my mouth (those little drips and messes can be tempting). I figure I am FAR less tempted to take even a taste if I practice with buttercream that actually tastes bad. Will it affect my consistency too much? I figure that if you use water or milk with the same results it should work, however I don't know if the acidic nature of vinegar would cause a reaction and mess it up.

P.S. I'm a chemist by trade so I can handle as much or as little advice as you want to give in terms of reactions of acids/bases with sugar and shortening.

Some people deliberately put vinegar in their buttercream! Not to stop anyone from eating it though It's to stop the icing from cracking, and just a very small amount. I've never tried it but I've heard it works.

It's a novel idea you have, I have no idea how it would work, but very creative! Good luck resisting temptation!