Gum Tragacanth

A natural product that was used all the time in modelling paste. It went “out of favour” so to speak due to the instability in the Middle East years ago (and still!) which made/makes availability extremely limited, and the cost… Expensive!

Gum Arabic

Another natural product that you might see around – more used in food production processes but can be substituted.

CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose)

A chemically created product – created as an alternative to Gum Tragacanth. It is cheaper and more readily available. It is sold under MANY brand names such as Cellogen, Tylose, Tylopur etc. Just like coffee, Nescafe, Moccona, Pablo, it’s still all coffee!

Common Questions:

Are all the different CMC’s the same ?
All these products are slightly “different” and you may find you prefer to use different one’s for different uses, or you might like one for all the things you like to do, it might mean experimenting!
There are different grades of CMC so if you find it too gritty you might need to source it from a different shop.

Is the artificial CMC better than Gum Tragacanth?
CMC will produce a product that is whiter than when gum tragacanth is used – although CMC can sometimes have a gritty texture – for fine petals some people still prefer to use Gum Tragacanth.
However most decorators now prefer CMC over Gum Tragacanth for 3 reasons:-

• It is much cheaper
• It can handle humidity better
• It dries quicker

What is the price of Gum Tragacanth?
Check prices and shop around prices have ranged previously from $18 for 100 grams at one supplier to $30 for 70 grams at another, sometimes it’s the market and sometimes it just pays to shop around!

What is the price of CMC?
It should be cheaper than Gum Tragacanth. Some suppliers include:

Bakery Sugarcraft has CMC Tylose available – 150grams for $8
Cake Decorating Central has CMC Blended – 62.5grams for $8

What is the ratio of CMC to fondant for modelling?
1 teaspoon per 500grams of ready made fondant – just flatten fondant slightly – make a dip in the middle, add CMC powder and knead in well until combined.
People with ‘warm’ hands may need to increase the amount of CMC to 2 teaspoons.
Also in times/areas of high humidity – an increase in the amount of CMC – will assist with possible problems.

How do you make CMC Glue? (for sticking things to cakes and joining)
1 teaspoon of CMC (Tylose or other)
3 teaspoons of hot water

Put into a clean herb/spice container. Shake. You will not get rid of all the lumps – but don’t worry. Miagically they will disappear by next day. Keep in the refrigerator. It lasts for ages. One member usually makes a new batch every year.

If you make a large batch, then decant small amounts so that you don’t contaminate the larger batch by dipping and re-dipping.

Do you add anything else other than the CMC (or Gum Tragacanth) to fondant to make flower paste or modelling paste?
People do use just the CMC and the fondant for modelling but to get finer details and also for flowers you will find a Paste that combines a few extra ingredients much easier to work with.

What things can assist with humidity when using flowerpaste or modelling?

• Increasing the amount of CMC (slightly) in the mixture.
• Using a de-humidifier such as Closet Camel (those tubs you buy from the supermarket to remove the damp from the air in your cupboards).
• Silica gel satchets – found in packaging boxes – see your local electronics store.
• Kitty Litter (although some cake friends have expressed concern that as this has a CAT attracting component – might not be best to leave around with your kitties!)
• Fat-Soak may be a more suitable product (available at BBQ stores or Bunnings) similar composition to Kitty Litter without the cat attracting qualities.

Specific information sourced by Pam
Questions and responses sourced by forum members contributions