Using Cheap Ps In Bc...

Baking By JaeRodriguez Updated 28 Mar 2010 , 11:42am by Lita829

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JaeRodriguez Posted 25 Mar 2010 , 11:31pm
post #1 of 35

I just wanted to say that I made a huge batch of Indydebi's BC with BiLo brand PS because it was on sale and I really thought "no biggie, I'm sure it won't affect the taste." BOY was I wrong! I made a half batch after the big batch with name brand PS just to make sure I wasn't crazy thinking the larger batch was gross and I wasn't crazy. I'm so upset I thought I was saving money by getting the off brand and now I'm debating throwing out the big batch and remaking with the good stuff. I had no clue that it was important but not only is the big batch gritty it just has a chemical tastes to it, it's horrible compared to how amazing the half batch with the name brand stuff is. GRRRR! Who knew!

34 replies
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mamawrobin Posted 25 Mar 2010 , 11:33pm
post #2 of 35

I've never used that brand but I do use a no name brand that I've found to taste just as good. Sorry this happened to you. I hate wasting ingredients.

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dalis4joe Posted 25 Mar 2010 , 11:40pm
post #3 of 35

I use a not well known brand and the taste is the same... but...

It Is Sooooooo Muchhhhh HARDER TO SIFT!!!! gggrrrrr I dislike that very very much....
most times if DH is home.... HE HAS TO DO IT.... hehehe

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havingfun Posted 25 Mar 2010 , 11:55pm
post #4 of 35

I never thought about ps tasting different between brands. Just sugar and cornstarch right? I always buy mine at Aldi's. Never had a problem, and don't sift.

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dalis4joe Posted 25 Mar 2010 , 11:57pm
post #5 of 35

I'm scared NOT to sift... I heard you might get lumps... or was it for fondant only???? please let me know... cause I will be very happy if I don't have to sift when making buttercream! lol

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madgeowens Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 12:06am
post #6 of 35

I tellyou ..I use 10x all the time......does not matter, I was never sifting.............no more man.........I finally got what looked like rice in my fondant..........yepper, made a believer outta me....I will always sift from now on..........this is the week of learning for me big time lol

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mamawrobin Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 12:06am
post #7 of 35

I always sift. Always. Just a habit I can't break icon_lol.gif

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havingfun Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 12:09am
post #8 of 35

dalis4joe, I usually make Buttercream Dream or Indydebi's, and I don't sift. Now, with that said, I bet this is where the different brands would come into play because of the amount of cornstarch added. I just made 4 batches of Buttercream Dream today, and I really get my butter and shortening creamed along with my flavorings (love to mix up different flavors) and then I just dump all the ps in the KA, put a towel over the mixer, start on stir and add @5 TBLS of milk. I leave it on stir, you can hear come together, take the towel off, and just let it go slow and easy until it is all mixed up. Now with Indydebi's you get to whip the fire out of it, that is a good icing when you are mad at somebody!! icon_lol.gif Mixer noise drowns out everything! When you sift, do you have lots of lumps in the sugar?

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JaeRodriguez Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 12:31am
post #9 of 35

I always sift as well and the store brand was harder to sift, and I'm like you guys I had NO clue the PS would taste different but UGH it does! I had my mom taste it though and not taste the half batch and she thought it was fine so I'm just going to use it on the cake anyway but I'm sure if she would have tasted the half batch she would have thought the big one was not so good! icon_razz.gif Oh well, live and learn I guess? BTW I have used a different generic brand and I didn't notice a difference in taste I think it was from Sam's, just the BiLo brand is not working for whatever reason...

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newbaker55 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:00am
post #10 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by madgeowens

I tellyou ..I use 10x all the time......does not matter, I was never sifting.............no more man.........I finally got what looked like rice in my fondant..........yepper, made a believer outta me....I will always sift from now on..........this is the week of learning for me big time lol




I second that!! Made my first-ever batch of MMF last weekend. The directions specifically state that sifting the PS is non-negotiable. Of course, I had to be hard-headed and test the waters! Little tumors all over my otherwise perfect product. No way was I wasting it, so I spent WAY TOO LONG squishing each little clump until they were gone. I finally won the war, but the battle was costly icon_lol.gif

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JaeRodriguez Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:05am
post #11 of 35

haha that's good to know too, the one time I tried to make MMF I failed horribly but if I attempt ever again- sifting is a must!

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saapena Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:10am
post #12 of 35

I buy powdered sugar at Costco and have never had a problem. I usually always sift when making BC and always sift when making fondant.

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jjsweetdesign Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:18am
post #13 of 35

I only use Shurfine brand ps, I have used Walmart's "Great Value" brand, and it definately does not taste as good. I don't sift when I do Indydebi's bc, like said before, you just beat the heck out of it! Always sift when doing mmf!

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chrissypie Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:20am
post #14 of 35

If anyone has a BJ's Wholesale by them,. they sell Domino PS, 4 lb. bags for around $3.00. I have used cheaper brands before but found my BC was gritty, even with sifting. Won't use anything but brand name now.

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AnotherCreation Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:23am
post #15 of 35

I have had the same problem with the Bi-lo brand....YUCK!!!!!! I do however use the walmart brand with no problems. Also for what its worth I don't sift the ps in my buttercream and have no problems. I always sift the ps with my fondant it does make a difference.

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JaeRodriguez Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:33am
post #16 of 35

Well at least I know I'm not alone! I just went down to the kitchen and tasted it again just to make sure it was still yucky... haha it was! :[ I really just don't want to put that stuff on my son's cake! maybe I'll convince my DH to buy some Domino brand and redo it! I have never heard of BJ's Wholesale, I wish I could find it that cheap!

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Kitagrl Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:41am
post #17 of 35

I use Walmart brand 10x and it always seems nice and loose and smooth in the package and I don't sift. I found the Walmart bags to be so much nicer than the Domino bulk bags at Sam's, which to me always seemed more dry and lumpy.

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mamawrobin Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:46am
post #18 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrissypie

If anyone has a BJ's Wholesale by them,. they sell Domino PS, 4 lb. bags for around $3.00. I have used cheaper brands before but found my BC was gritty, even with sifting. Won't use anything but brand name now.




A 4lb. bag of Domino PS for $3.00 is cheap. Wish I could find it around here for that. That is really a great price.

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ChRiStY_71 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:53am
post #19 of 35

I have never had a problem with Kroger brand ps, but I don't love the Walmart Great Value ps. Those are the only two store brands that I have tried. I also have never sifted my sugar for bc...I'll have to give it a try.

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Lita829 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 2:00am
post #20 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrissypie

If anyone has a BJ's Wholesale by them,. they sell Domino PS, 4 lb. bags for around $3.00. I have used cheaper brands before but found my BC was gritty, even with sifting. Won't use anything but brand name now.




Ditto. I only use Dominos PS and get it from BJs. I only use no name for practicing.

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dalis4joe Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 2:59am
post #21 of 35

This is goooooooddd info lol....

I have never gotten lumps on my fondant or buttercream cause I always sift....
BUT
It's 100 times easier and faster to sift DOmino's PS than the brand I got now...
but the taste is THE SAME... I just went upstairs and tasted a bit of Domino PS and of Reg Brand PS and the taste was the same....

I used the reg brand PS for SUgarshack's Buttercream today (sifted of course) and that buttercream tasted incredible (of course I know it's because of the wedding bouquet flavor) but no nasty/bad after taste.....

Anyways.... I guess I (well My Hubby...rather hehehehe) need to keep S_I_F_T_I_N_G (GGGRRRR) PS until the end of time....
Hey maybe we need to invent an electric sifter?!?!?! hey we could be on to something lol

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JaeRodriguez Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 3:02am
post #22 of 35

electric sifter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhh I would pay big money for that! :]] I hate sifting for my scratch cakes too!

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madgeowens Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 5:11am
post #23 of 35

and when I sifted the next time...I had a lot of little judies in the sifter to chuck...and it was domino too...I thought 10x meant sifted ten times...must be an old wives tale....I don't worry about it for bc because I use warm creamer when mixing it....

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akgirl10 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 5:34am
post #24 of 35

I'm pretty sure 10x refers to the particle size of the sugar. I don't think it has anything to do with sifting. I use C&H (is that the name?) from costco with Sugarshack's recipe. I never sift.

On the rare occasion I make fondant, I sift. Sift or be sorry.

Sign me up for an electric sifter. That would be a great KA attachment, sift ingredients into the bowl. I'd certainly buy one.

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AnotherCreation Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 8:52am
post #25 of 35

I'm all for buying the electric sifter!!!!! icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

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newbaker55 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 9:42am
post #26 of 35

dalis4joe, Great minds think alike!

Somebody, (probably a gone-mad caker icon_biggrin.gif) already invented the electric sifter...battery and AC models. Wish I'd had one when I decided to sift for a second batch of fondant last weekend, though. I used the kind with a squeeze handle...developed a right-hand grip that could crush granite and ended up with half a cup PS in the bowl...the rest went everywhere else icon_cry.gif

Now, if some genius could create a 'no-fly' PS, THAT would be amazing!!

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dl5crew Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 10:41am
post #27 of 35

Bi-lo PS may have more corstarch added...? It does have a funky taste to it. The BJ's we had on Woodruff Rd closed down icon_sad.gif
I will be trying Aldi's kind today. I hope that it works out.
I always sift before using ps.

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Ronbob1984 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 12:26pm
post #28 of 35
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JaeRodriguez Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:25pm
post #29 of 35

THank you for the link Ronbob! Only 15 dollars! YAY! Looks like I will be buying one of those babies! icon_razz.gif and dl5 I'm in SC also! I guess I will stick to Domino or maybe try Walmart but I'm not even sure of the price difference there. I actually got the BiLo because it was cheaper and B1G1 but never again!

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Elaine2581 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 1:45pm
post #30 of 35

I usually buy the 2 lb. bag of PS from Aldi for about $1.29 as compared to $1.79 for a name brand. I've used a variety and never found in difference in the taste. When I took the Wilton classes they told us to squeeze the bags and make sure no "puffs" of sugar came out. If it did, the bag probably was not sealed well and would have moisture in it requiring sifting. If I ever buy a box of 4X or 10X for a small project, then I always sift but I never sift when I buy the 2 lb. bags and check them out before I buy. Just my 2 cents worth.

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