Always make sure to use clean utensils and bowls when working with royal icing.
The damp dishcloth helps keep the icing soft and prevents it from forming a hard crust.
Laying the plastic wrap flat against the icing helps keep it from coming into contact with the air.
If you are using plastic wrap, try to use a container that has an air-tight lid to help your royal icing last longer.
Put a piece of masking tape on the container with the “prepared on” date, to remind you of how long the icing is good for.
If you used meringue powder instead of eggs, you could also store the royal icing at room temperature rather than in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to label the storage container with the “prepared on” date so you remember how long it’ll be good for.
If you used the mixing bowl that goes with your stand mixer, all you have to do is pop that bowl into place, and you’re ready to go! Otherwise, you will need to use a clean spatula or spoon to transfer your icing into a clean mixing bowl.
If your icing is in a piping bag, simply squeeze it out into your resealable bag.
If you have them, use the reinforced resealable bags that have multiple closures for maximum airtight security.
Some people even wrap their first plastic bag in aluminum foil before placing it into the second bag.
Make sure to label the bag with the “prepared on” date, so you remember when it needs to be used by.
If you can, take your icing out of the freezer the night before you need to use it so it can thaw thoroughly overnight. If it is unusually warm in your kitchen, place the icing in the fridge to thaw rather than on the counter.
You could snip off a corner of the resealable bag and squeeze the icing into the mixing bowl if you don’t want to scoop it out with a spatula.
