If you love sugar craft, and want to create amazing, mouthwatering cakes, then you need to get your hands on a pack or two of Tylose powder.
This magical edible ingredient is easy to use, and should in fact be part of every avid baker’s arsenal.
Tylose powder allows you to create drooly-worth cake creations, starting from your kid’s favorite novelty characters to fondant flower bouquets, and much more.
If you’re wondering how Tylose powder works, it basically serves as a binding agent with fondant to make gum paste.
It can also be combined with powdered sugar to be used as a paste to create edible flowers or to make cakes, and myriad other baked items.
On the downside, Tylose Powder is often times unavailable in certain areas, but read on to find out a few Tylose Powder substitutes that work just as well.
What is Tylose Powder?
If you haven’t heard of Tylose Powder, here’s a quick lowdown.
Also dubbed as Tylopur powder or CMC, Tylose is in fact a brand name for CMC (Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), and is regarded as the chemical version of natural Gum Tragacanth powder.
Gum Tragacanth is extracted from dried sap of a plant species in the Middle East, and apart from making cakes and fondants is also used in denture adhesives, and even vaginal creams and jellies.
CMC gum serves as a thickener agent and/or ingredient in many applications in the food service industry.
Tylose is an alternative product of gum tragacanth, and is less expensive, whiter in color, and holds up well in humidity.
What is Tylose Powder Made Of?
First things first – many consumers ask is Tylose Powder vegetarian?
According to industry experts, Tylose Powder is gluten free, kosher and vegan.
But it’s worth noting that some Tylose Powder products are prepared and packaged using machines that may have come in contact with eggs, dairy, wheat and gluten products.
Tylose Powder is derived from purified cellulose, and is made from Sodium Carboxylmonocellulose.
It is considered as a safe food additive, and doesn’t offer any nutritional value or health benefits.
What is Tylose Powder Used For?
Tylose Powder is truly a versatile product, in that it has a plethora of different uses.
For starters, Tylose Powder can be used to make gum paste, flower paste and also edible glue.
It is an important ingredient for transforming sugar paste into modelling paste.
This hardening agent can also be used by combining it with fondant to make it dry faster and more pliable.
You can also use Tylose Powder by adding it to water in small quantities to make edible glue.
Another great way to use Tylose Powder is to make edible paints for cookies and cakes.
Where to Buy Tylose Powder?
Tylose Powder is widely available in local specialty stores, and online confectionary shops and marketplaces.
If you can’t find Tylose Powder at your local cake decorator store, you buy it online at the Amazon.
Tylose Powder is also sold under several different brands.
With regards to quantity, Tylose Powder is typically available in a 55 gram container, which is good enough to make three pounds of finished gum paste.
Tylose Powder Substitute
Tylose Powder is an award worthy product, due to which is often unavailable both in brick and mortar stores and online.
So, if you can’t find Tylose Powder, there’s no need to break a sweat just yet, because there are several Tylose Powder substitutes to choose from. ‘
CMC Tylose Powder Food Glue
CMC Tylose Powder is the closest you can get to a Tyler Powder substitute, and is used in professional pastry making.
Further, it is made with sugar cane paste and gum paste, resulting in modelling clay.
One of the noteworthy features of the CMC Tylose Powder substitute is it sticks to everything quickly, often times in minutes.
It may contain traces of gluten, nuts and eggs, is easy to use, and can be stored up to 15 days in the refrigerator.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Quick sticking
- Can be stored for up to 15 days
Cons:
- May contain traces of eggs, gluten and soya
Tylo CMC Powder
Tylo CMC Powder allows you to harden your almond or sugar pastes, and even make your very own, unique decorative elements.
If you want to harden your dough, you simply need to add one teaspoon of CMC Powder to 250 grams of dough.
But if you want to make edible sugar dough, you need to add one dose of CMC powder to 30 doses of water.
Regardless of what you’re using the Tylo CMC Powder for, it is highly recommended that you refrigerate it overnight before use.
The only ingredient in the Tylo CMC Tylose Powder substitute is carboxymethylcellulose.
Pros:
- Can be used to harden sugar pastes
- Contains just one ingredient
Cons:
- Only available in one size
Rainbow Dust Tylo Powder
Another great Tylose Powder substitute brought to you by Rainbow Dust, the Tylo Powder is an excellent choice for any tasks where firming finish is needed such as adding it to sugar paste to make it firmer in order to use it in cake decorations.
Tylo Powder can also be used to make glue by adding a small amount and mixing with water.
For best results, this Tylose Powder substitute should be allowed to rest overnight to produce an almost instant glue.
Pros:
- Great choice to make cake décor
- Can be used in any tasks where firmer finish is needed
Cons:
- Does not come in a bigger package
How Much Tylose Powder Substitute to Use?
There are few things to keep in mind when using Tylose Powder, most importantly how much to use.
It is best to use roughly half cup of Tylose Powder substitute with 250 grams of sugar paste, and knead well before use.
After you feel the sugar paste getting firm, you can probably use it right away. However, most Tylose Powder substitute manufacturers recommend letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Adding too much Tylose Powder can cause the sugar paste to dry out, after which it will be deemed as no good.
Also, ensure that you wrap the sugar paste well, in a film and then store it in an airtight container, as it tends to harden quickly.
If you’re going to be making edible glue with the Tylose Powder substitute, you should add one-part substitute to 30 parts water.
Then set it in an airtight container, and allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
It may come as lumpy initially, but will clear off after being in the refrigerator overnight.
Conclusion
Tylose powder is an extremely useful and versatile item to have in any cake maker’s cabinet.
This binding agent can be used along with fondant to make gum paste or you can combine it with powdered sugar to be used as a paste for edible flowers.
Tylose Powder however is often unavailable, but you can always replace it with any other Tylose Powder substitutes on this list to achieve the same results.
Tylose Powder is basically the same as CMC, and is a chemical version of Gum Tragacanth.
References:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-use-tylose-powder/
https://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/832458/substitute-for-tylose-powder-any-suggestions
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