Hi all 

I wonder if anyone can help me i am making a competition piece and im doing a stain glass window which i will then pipe the design on to the piece of icemolt once its set.

The competition is in april and ive never worked with isomalt before

The first time i tried it was ok but slightly yellow so i left it on the side and it became misty i then tried again and the same thing again but worse there was crystalised sugar on top

So i have a few questions :

How can i make my isomalt very clear? i read somewhere i should use corn syrup and it will help make it clearer 

How should i store my piece ?

How long does it last ? When should i make the piece ? (its for april 22-24)

If you have any other tips tricks or advice that would be helpful please do share :) 

Thank you in advance 

Jack 

Fun!! This week is sugar work and techniques with my classes.

Isomalt can be made as far ahead as you prefer as long as you can seal it up in an airtight container with a desiccant packet inside to suck up any humidity that might be trapped inside.  Humidity and heat are the enemy of sugar so keep your workspace at room temp and as dry as possible.  

As far as a recipe, I have them use a 3:2:1 recipe of isomalt, water, and corn syrup (or glucose).  For example, it would be

500g isomalt

250g water

125g  corn syrup or glucose

Place ingredients in a heavy bottom steel pot.  Medium heat until boiling.  You can stir up until it boils, but after that I leave it alone to prevent crystallization.  I never fool with the wet brush on the sides of the pot since I am usually doing other things while it gets up to temp.  As long as you are not shaking the pot or using really high heat then there shouldn't be any sugar on the sides anyway.  Heat until 290°F and add your coloring and stir in thoroughly.  Then pour into your molds or you can pull it and/or use it for blown sugar pieces.

With this technique you should not end up with any crystallization or air bubbles and should be nice and clear if not using color.  Check online and youtube, there are a few videos on sugar showpieces and techniques.  Hope some of that helped.  

Hope some of this helps.  Let me know if you have any questions.