Homemade Piping Gel...
Decorating By tcturtleshell Updated 30 Apr 2005 , 11:23am by blessBeckysbaking
Ok before anyone says this has already been discussed.... 
I have searched & haven't found this on CC..... 
I did find a recipe of piping gel on baking911.com
What I'm wanting to know IS... Has anyone ever made their own piping gel? I hate paying the price for it in the stores. It's nearly $3 a bowl. So I want to make my own. Anyone made it? ~Thanks~
I have made some TC, but I haven't used it as yet.
The recipe came from the Karen's Kitchen website from a week or so ago. I've never even seen the store kind, but this looks okay and wasn't too hard to make (definitely cheaper). Here's the recipe:
Piping Gel is a multi-purpose transparent gel that adds shimmering accents, colorful highlights, and sparkle to cakes.
Ingredients
2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups light corn syrup
Directions
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small saucepan and let set for about 5 minutes. Heat on low until the gelatin has become clear/dissolved - Do not boil. Add syrup and heat thoroughly. Cool and store, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.
Add 1/2 teaspoon piping gel to one cup of thin consistency buttercream icing to produce smoother writing and printing and pointed leaf tips.
Janice
Yes...I have made my own with the recipe from this site.It was alot thinner than I expected and more runny.I used it to make a pond in the middle of a cake.After digging out the cake for a dugout I iced the inside with Buttercream,I filled it!! but by the next day the gel had seeped into the middle of the cake leaving a gooey mess!!Thank God the cake was for my Dad's birthday and no one really cared.Next time I will pay the money and use Wiltons as I know it doesn't do that!!
hmmmmmmm thanks for that story kiddiekakes...
I'm gonna try it & see what happens. I guess you could always put more gelatin in it to make it thicker or would you need to put more syrup?? Oh, boy I'm confusing myself LOL!!
Janice.... that's the same recipe I found. I have plenty of corn syrup so I will try it..
That's right Diane. I'm sure it will be the same with any other recipe. You'll have to try it & try something different until you get it the way you like. Let me know how your's turns out!
I'm heading to the commissary right now to grocery shop & get some gelatin~ I'll make it tonight cause I need it tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works!
well I'll be looking to see how it works so please let me know if you have to adjust the recipe and how if so thanks
Hi, if you make the recipe, don't try to stir this while it heats up to the boiling point. The first batch I made, I stirred it too much, and it never did get "clear" stayed sort of foamy, and I finally just threw it out. I'm not sure it is meant to be used all by itself, maybe should be mixed with at least a little icing to help keep it together. Hope somebody makes it and uses it soon and keeps us posted!
Janice
Hi, if you make the recipe, don't try to stir this while it heats up to the boiling point. The first batch I made, I stirred it too much, and it never did get "clear" stayed sort of foamy, and I finally just threw it out. I'm not sure it is meant to be used all by itself, maybe should be mixed with at least a little icing to help keep it together. Hope somebody makes it and uses it soon and keeps us posted!
Janice
I didn't have it when I needed it, and now that I have it I haven't needed it!
Ok..... I made the piping gel today....
First off I think it needed a little more water to dissolve the gelatin. I still had powder after the water absorbed the gelatin.
The recipe said "do not boil" so I didn't boil... Nothing happened! I turned the burner up to about 3. I was afraid if it boiled since it didn't say what it would do...
I used the 2 cups karo, I think it only needs 1 cup karo. The gelatin went to the middle of the pan & the karo surrounded it. It would not mix together.
SO... The gelatin turned into a big glob! Never mixing with the karo.
I finally turned the heat off & let it cool. I used the karo that was on the outside of the gelatin in my icing!! It was just as good as piping gel! I'll just put a little of the karo in my icing next time I need to do some writing. It doesn't alter the taste of the buttercream at all.
SO.... I give homemade piping gel the 
HEY JANICE & DIANE.... Just wanted to keep this current so you two would see it!!!!
Thanks TC...guess I'd better find a reason to try mine soon and see if or how it works out. As I said, it looks good, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be good! Your first batch evidently did about like mine, it was a mess! It sure was hard not to stir the second batch, but eventually it absorbed the liquid and got clear! Go figure!
I'll keep you posted when I use the stuff.
By the way, I didn't actually have 2 whole cups of corn syrup so I added enough of my homemade apricot glaze to make the difference. Janice
What a good idea using apricot glaze! Maybe I'll try making another batch tomorrow. I still have karo. I always have karo around! I'll use your tip of not stirring it... I did buy 2 boxes of gelatin. Those things are $1.03 for 4 packets in a box. If it does't work I'll just buy piping gel. I can get it under $3 on the base.
Hey TC! I must have been posting here while you up on the Wilton thread.
I think you are right about not using the whole 2 cups of caro syrup...even after I added the glaze, I didn't use 2 cups. I plan to work on my Mother's Day cake this weekend, I'll get a chance to try the gel then. Wish I had seen the real stuff so I'd have a comparison.
Yeah, I agree, if we don't figure out the secret to making this gel work, it will be just as economical to buy it ready made! Janice
still lookin in good luck thank for letting me learn from your efforts
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