How to Prevent Your Tips from Clogging and What to Do if it Happens – Top 10 tips
We’ve all been there… Having fun decorating with royal icing until the piping tip clogs up. A zen experience becomes a frustrating one. (Okay zen might be going a bit too far, but I find decorating an enjoyable and relaxing experience).
Anyways, how can you avoid icing clogging in your piping tip?
You can use squeeze bottles
I should mention that the clogging usually happens with smaller tips anyways. For example tips #000
I should also mention that I’ve spoken to a few people who use parchment cones (Peggy Porschen for example), who say that the clogging generally doesn’t happen with them. I’m not a huge fan of the parchment cone though (in fact I think I’m still afraid of them), so I’m going to have to stick with piping tips.
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So, here are my top 6 tips for avoiding clogging in piping tips.
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How to Prevent Royal Icing from Clogging Your Piping Tips
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1. Use a sieve
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2. If your royal icing has meringue powder
3. It’s best to use fresh icing. The longer it sits, the more time it has to separate.
The water and icing sugar separate; meaning that you can be left with a somewhat dry layer of icing sugar and a watery layer. You’ll have to mix it up again to use it, and it’s difficult to make sure it’s perfectly smooth.
If you do end up keeping your icing for a few days or more, I’d recommend putting it back in your mixer quickly before you use it, to try and ensure all ‘lumps’ are out.
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4. Gently paddle the icing with a spatula to ensure or double-check that all lumps or bumps are gone. This can easily be done with smaller batches of icing you’re coloring. If you’ve followed the previous steps there are usually none.
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5. Use a nylon to ’sift’ the icing. Yes, a clean, never-been-used-before stocking or nylon!
I’d heard of the tip from my talented cookie decorator friend, TracyLH, before and saw it demonstrated at a piping class I took at the Bonnie Gordon School. Jenny Maw, our instructor showed us how:
a) Begin by putting the icing into the nylon, but don’t push it down all the way to the end (or the foot). Keep it about mid-way. Hold on to the nylon by the ‘foot’ and the ‘opening’. Here’s what that looks like:
b) Put the ‘nylon ball of icing’ into the opening of your piping bag, close the opening by squeezing your hand shut over it, and pull on the nylon so that the icing squeezes through the nylon and into the bag.
Voila! Ready to go!
Now, I don’t do this for all my icing – it would take way too long! It’s great for the tiny tips; #000
Here’s an example of royal icing lacework I made there.
Last but not least:
6. Rest your decorating tips in a damp cloth or damp paper towel between uses to prevent the icing in the tip from crusting over. Alternatively, use coupler covers, or, if using squeeze bottles, remember to seal the opening with the lid.
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What To Do If Your Piping Tip Has Clogged
Okay, so it’s happened – you’re piping tip is clogged. What should you do to fix the problem? Here are 4 quick tips:
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One more quick note; avoid trying to just squeeze and force the icing out. The piping bag can pop, especially if you’re using a disposable bag.
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I hope you liked these! Let me know what you think or drop me a line sharing some of your own tips in the comment section. Would love to hear from you!
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Happy piping!
xo,
Marian
Thank you so much for the mention, my friend! This is one of my top “must do’s” when working with small tips. I probably pulled out half of my hair before trying this stocking idea. LOL
Thankk-you for letting me know that it isn’t just me!!
I’ve tried everything I could think of, but still got clogged up with a #1 tip. Now I know what to try!
Thank you SOOOO much for the pictures of the “stocking trick”, Marian!!! I’ve read about it numerous times on CC and Flickr, yet I guess I never really understood exactly how it was done. Seeing the visual and how easy it really is makes me want to run to the dollar store and buy their full stock of pantyhose!!!
Thank you for the tips! Your royal icing lacework is beautiful!
thanks SO much for these wonderful tips! i get SO frustrated at times… i’ll be on a roll decorating my cookies and all of a sudden a clog and those small tips sometimes not even a pin can get them out. THANKS!!!
Oh, how fascinating to see the legendary “stocking tip” demonstrated in the flesh! Doesn’t seem so daunting now, to do it inside a piping bag is genius. I’m glad I saw this before ever attempting how I thought it was supposed to be done, LOL!
Wow, I’ve never heard of that stocking trick before. I must say, it’s interesting to say the least. I never leave my icing sit uncovered for more than a minute or two. Even parchment bags and pastry bags with mini tips need to be put in an air-tight container while not being used to prevent the icing from drying out and becoming clumpy. Air is the worst emeny of royal icing before the design process is complete. After it’s complete, I find the icing can never dry fast enough. lol. Just sayin’
What great tips! The nylon…wow!!!
I stick a toothpick in the tip if it gets clogged. Better yet, I bought a bunch of extra couplers, and I always use couplers when I work with royal icing so I can change the tip size on a whim. It’s equally easy to just take the tip off, wash it with warm water, and replace it.
Great tips as always! Thank you!
Beautiful work! Thanks for posting all the helpful tips! My favorite is the nylon stocking : ) I actually learned of that trick when I was 9 yo and taking my first cake decorating class. It sounded so bizarre to me back then as a kid, LOL!
Wow, that trick with the nylon stockings is pretty awesome! I’m going to use that next time I have to pipe very small details.
Also: I’m a fan of using paper cones, but only when I have to pipe fine details. The paper cone is easier to handle when you’re working with a small amount of royal icing, like you would use for piping small details (like a 1 or 0 tip size). Plus, with a cone, you can choose exactly how big you want the piping hole to be.
GREAT tip! I wanted to share another one that I just figured out. I use a Stick blender with the beater end on it to re-mix my icings when they have sat for a bit. It is so convenient easy. Practically no clean up! Stop by my blog for pictures.
http://www.lstonedesigns.blogspot.com
I keep the zen alive by having lots and lots of tips with my couplers – if the tip gets clogged just grab another and carry on!
Ha ha… Thanks for keeping the ‘zen alive’ tips everyone!
Thanks for the tips, really good ideas.
That’s a great tip with the stocking. I usually use hot water when I make the icing. I think this helps dissolve clumps, but I always wind up with on or two.
Another tip is to cover the bowl of icing with a damp towel. This keeps the top moist and keeps the icing in the bowl from getting any crust at all!!
Just my 2 cents!!
Great tips! Tracy’s idea is one of the best in the COOKIE world
Thanks for the photo tutorial on the nylon trick!! Tracy had told me about it and I was doing it wrong and wasting so much icing!!! I just had a DUH moment when I saw the photos!! Thanks for making my life easier!! Your blog is wonderful, by the way!!!!!!
My God you have a great talent. Do you sell these cookies? if you do how do we order them.
Thanks Evelyn! No I don’t sell them, but check out the banner on the right hand side of my blog; Decadent Cookie Favours, for a place you can buy decorated cookies!
Honestly Marian, I just found your website today and I am astounded. You are awesome. I love decorating and find all of your posts enlightening and interesting to say the least. Thank you so much for all of your explanations and tutorials. I am now a fan and will continue to check out what your up to!
You’re Awesome!