i've been saving my unused colored gumpaste to mix together to make black like i've read many times, but when i went to finally do it, it was rock hard.

i kept it in the wilton bag it came in but the zipper thing was broke, so i put it all in a ziploc baggie and it was still hard. any suggestions on what i should do next time?

thanks all.

Wrap it in plastic wrap or press and seal, then store in a ziplock.

I do what Texas_Rose does - wrap tighttighttight before putting into a ziploc. Even when I have tiny, marble-sized pieces.

If it still hardens up after being tightly wrapped, try nuking it in the micro before using. It may surprise you and actually soften back up - saw this tip on Flickr and I'm pretty sure it was for gp, not just fondant.

i'll try the microwaving. i just did that for some fondant i made a few weeks ago and it worked like a charm, but it wasn't nearly as hard as the GP... still workable.

thanks for the tips!

Oh yes, try microwaving it like ceshell suggested. Keep kneading it until pliable.

There is a tutorial on that on the tutorial thread. Go to the website links on the bottom and check out "sugarteachers" or something like that. Check the tutorials and its there.