Air contains water, which we know of as “water vapor.” Condensation transforms the vapor (or gas) in the air into physical water.<\/p>\n
In a high humidity environment, water vapor gets absorbed into porous surfaces such as cloth, wood, and yes, baked goods like cookies. This makes these objects damp. On non-porous surfaces, you’ll see thin traces of puddled water.<\/p>\n
Sugar cookies as well as Royal Icing soak up the results of condensation. Unfortunately, the best sugar cookies are crisp, a condition that can only be achieved in low humidity. Even if you bake and ice your cookies in an environment with an ideal humidity, shipping and serving environments whose humidity and\/or heat is high can ultimately change cookie and icing textures.<\/p>\n
Example<\/em><\/strong>: Baked products (bread, cookies, pastry) sold outside at many farmer’s markets tend to be moister than when sold in a climate-controlled bakery.<\/p>\n If you froze your cookies and find that they become moist or wet when defrosting at room temperature, it is because condensation (water) forms when humid (wet), atmospheric air contacts a cold surface. As air cools against your frozen package, it releases its moisture which appears on and in your package as water drops or puddles.<\/p>\n Always defrost frozen cookies with lids off in your refrigerator (which, if working correctly, has low humidity inside). Check periodically to make sure that moisture isn’t forming on or in your package as it defrosts. If it is, wipe it off!<\/p>\n Hopefully, your kitchen’s atmospheric air is not humid when you remove your cookies from refrigeration. If it is, a similar problem occurs, with your cookies quickly soaking up the newly released moisture. (See more information in the “Solutions” sections at the end of this article.)<\/em><\/p>\n The photo below shows what high humidity can do to Royal Icing:<\/p>\n The darker the colors, the more evidence of how moisture condensation from high humidity can be seen. In the above photo, notice the areas where the dark green bled into the pink. The bleeding does not appear as much between compatible pastel colors, but it still exists, as seen below:<\/p>\n Under all circumstances, invest in an inexpensive humidity gauge<\/a> and consult it before you start baking, decorating, storing, or defrosting cookies.<\/p>\n Ideally, you’ll protect your iced cookies and serve fresh products within a day or so of completion. If, however, you must store your cookies for days or weeks, but your atmosphere is not perfect, try these solutions:<\/p>\n Note<\/strong><\/em>: Make sure your refrigerator and freezer work properly as equipment with poor sealing or clogged draining can have interior high humidity which causes the condition known as “sweating<\/a>.”<\/p>\n For further protection, include food-safe silicon packets, such as available in this assortment sold on Amazon<\/a> and other online retailers, which absorb moisture. Do not, however, put these directly against the cookies.<\/p>\n Silicon must not be eaten or mistaken for food, so obviously take care when storing treats if children are around. “Food Safe<\/a>” silicon packages might answer your need, but still keep all packets out of the hands of kids. If, however, you have taken precautions, but are still concerned, paste a Mr. Yuck<\/a> or other poison-alert sticker on each one, like seen below:<\/p>\n It is easier to ship chewy cookies, than crispy. For general advice about shipping, read “5 Mistakes to Avoid When Packing & Shipping Cookies<\/a> by Maggie Battista,” first published on TheKitchen.com, December 2016.<\/p>\n If your package is very delicate and important, consult online information on “packaging food for mailing<\/a>.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Questions? Comments? Additions? Corrections? Write to Karen Little at\u00a0Karen@Littleviews.com<\/a><\/p>\n Written for Littleviews-Crafts.com by Karen Little, publisher, on May 12, 2019. All rights reserved, but feel free to re-publish this article after contacting Karen so she knows where to find it.<\/p>\nCondensation on Frozen and Refrigerated Cookies<\/span><\/h3>\n
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