Storing Icing

I refrigerate if the icing is going to be held overnight primarily because I often work with raw egg whites rather than with a meringue-powder base. I always cover the icing surface flush with plastic to prevent a crust and then cover the bowl with foil for day-long or overnight storage. If I make the icing with meringue powder, then I don't need to refrigerate it.

I try to use all of my icing the day I color it, however. I find that if I sit the icing in the fridge overnight, the colors don't set as solidly the next day (more speckled and mottled, sometimes). Perhaps this is because the icing picks up some moisture from the fridge? Not sure. 

I was wondering why I was getting speckles every now and then.  I thought it was the food coloring.  Thanks Julia.

I store my icing in the refrigerator in tupperware containers often.  I find that it will separate and needs to be thoroughly mixed again if more than 24 hours has elapsed.  Sometimes I will need to add more powdered sugar or thick icing to regain the original consistency.  Personally, I haven't had any trouble with spotting or mottling of colors but I live in the desert and it is very dry here.  I have used icing that has been stored 2 weeks with no issues.  Also, I use meringue powder base.

I store my icing at room temperature and it stays fresh for a few weeks. It does separate though, so it needs to be stirred before use. 

Once my icing is colored, it goes into bags and bottles. It usually separates within 24 hours, so I have to put it back in a bowl and stir. I find it is as good as new, I haven't had trouble with it not setting or looking strange. 

Thank you all for the replies.  I too use a meringue powder based royal icing.  I will try not to leave any icing in the bags overnight anymore since it needs to be stirred up again the next day. 

Have any of you tried putting your leftover icing in the freezer for future use?

Yes, I have some in the freezer now.  What I do is squeeze the leftovers into plastic ziplocs and flatten them out and seal.  Then I thaw them in the fridge the day I want to use and I sort of use them as a "starter".  They don't seem to separate once frozen, but I never seem to have enough for another project.  I add more "thick base" to correct any consistency issues.  It seems "thinner" out of the freezer.  Jaci at Ali's Sweet Tooth is, I think, the one who got me saving my icing in the freezer.  I had been tossing quite a bit! I almost always start with a fresh batch of the really thick stuff and add the thawed to it.  I have not ever frozen the thick base stuff...I rarely have that left over.  Admittedly, I don't always save...sometimes I'm tired and I toss.

I've never had it in my freezer for longer than 3 weeks so I don't really know how long it can stay.  I don't sell my cookies - I bake for my friends and family - so, my answers tend to be my home baking experiences.  I'll give Jaci a shout and ask her to comment on her experience.

Thank you Debbie. Yeah, I have been freezing my royal for almost two years now. I leave mine in my piping bags. I find it easier to store and you can use it thawed straight from the bag. I remove the tip and add a little saran wrap. I know this uses a lot of your couplers, but they are more affordable than buying containers and take up less space. The other plus being that no air gets to your icing so no crusty bits form.
This is also an amazing way to get really deep colors without a ton of food coloring. Each time it thaws, it deepens. I use Americolor MP and I swear that stuff does not seperate. After three or so thaws, it can break down, so I add a little thick, fresh royal to it and use again. It has cut my waste down to none and use a fourth of the food coloring I once did. It's a huge time and money saver and worth trying.
I hope this helps.;o)

PS, I also use my hand mixer often to save my wrist and found it's a great way to bring new life to your thawed icing. I add a little fresh and whip for a minutes or so and it's back to perfect.

A shout out to Jaci over at Ali's Sweet Tooth! She inspired me to "save my wrist" by using a hand mixer to blend my colors...WOW!!! It sure works great!! I also freeze my leftover icing, but I've not done it in my bags...sounds like a great idea, Jaci...one worth trying since your other suggestions all work!! Thanks for sharing your expertise!!

I am going to assume your hand mixer doesn't add additional air bubbles other wise you wouldn't be doing it.  What a great idea.  

Thanks for sharing.

I freeze my icing also, but usually in recylced clear gelato containers from the grocery store after eating the gelato.  My curiosity now is this.  I use saran wrap squares and place my icing on it and fold diagonal then pick up and twist the ends.  This way I can drop the icing into a bag and when I am done pull it out and have way less clean up of my bags and just throw the saran wrap away if the bag was empty.  What I am wondering now is, can I just freeze my saran wrap bags in a plastic container with a lid on.  Going to test this next time I freeze icing and see what happens, that way my couplers get freed up and cleaned for the next go round.

I also freeze icing(especially red and black).  I use canning/freezer jars(wide mouth) with plastic screw lids.  I store in the freezer door.  Just thaw &stir and I'm set to go.

Hi, I'm a real newbie in cookies decorating and in this post you answered my question perfectly. I bought pasteurized egg whites but it's a 1 lt. package and of course the day before yesterday I didn't use the whole package ... so instead of tossing it away, I was wondering if I could do some royal icing and stuff it in the freezer for further use.... and apparently I can!!! This helps me a lot in saving some money (it doesn't hurt) and also a lot of time later. I have a little baby boy and time is always little with him! Thanks a lot to everyone.... and thanks to Julia! Your videos on youtube have been really really really helpful.... I was able to correct a lot of mistakes I used to do and I learnt a lot on different tecniques!! You're amazing!

Thanks so much, Jenny! Glad you found this post and my YouTube videos helpful!

Yesterday I used my pasteurized egg whites and made 2 big containers of royal icing. I made a thick consistency (almost glue) royal icing and put it in the freezer. I'm planning to use it in a couple of weeks or so.

I'll let you how is a thick consistency after it thaws.

I have on more question... I don't know if I understand correctly from Ali's Sweet Tooth, but is it possible to freeze again icing you have already frozen and thawed?

Thanks again

A quick note, the saran wrap trick worked(sorry it took so long to post), the icing didn't separate and was able to be dropped right into the bag. This helps me a lot since I only make cookies as a hobby (for now) and when I have small amounts left I put them in my all colors bowl to make black from the next time.  I also use a hand mixer to add color of more thick icing to the my icing, but I remove one of the beaters and use a 4 cup measuring cup with a handle that I can hold onto when I need smaller amounts.  It does add air to the icing if I beat it too fast or too long, but if I let it sit for a little bit and tap the cup on a kitchen towel on the counter, I can remove a lot of the excess bubbles before I place the icing in my bottles or saran wrap packs. It also helps thicken the icing back up if it is too thin.

Yesterday I used my freezed icing. It has actually thinned a bit. After thawed, it was a perfect outlining consistency. I stirred it a little bit by hand and it worked perfectly.