Cold Dishes and Food Carving

Author: Zhang Renqing / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
(1) Thoroughly clean the mold. Place the rubber inner mold on one side of the fiberglass hard mold, then fix the other side with the plastic outer mold. Ensure all screw holes align accurately. Note: For the Little Swan mold, place the rubber inner mold on one wing hard mold first, then fit the goose tail hard mold, and finally place the other wing hard mold.
(2) Thread the non-spring screws through the hard mold screw holes and tighten them with a wrench at the opening of the soft inner mold. Spring screws should be screwed into the seamless edge mold screw holes and tightened by hand. Note: Water expands when freezing, so these screws only need to be hand-tightened to leave space for expansion. All screws that need to pass through both the soft and hard molds should be non-spring screws and tightened with a wrench.
(3) Place the mold on an iron stand. Pour water into the mold until it reaches the level of the mold's side markings, but do not fill it to the brim. If you want to color the ice sculpture, add a few drops of food coloring at this time. Note: Avoid using sugar-containing dyes or solutions, as they may affect the freezing effect.
(4) If any water leakage is detected at this stage, check whether the openings are secured with spring screws and make the necessary corrections.
(5) Cover the mold with an insulating lid and place a heavy object on top to press it down, then allow it to cool.
(6) Place the mold in a low-temperature cold storage to freeze. The freezing time depends on the cold storage temperature and the frequency of door openings. To shorten the freezing time, use ice water, but avoid mixing ice and water, as this will result in irregular stripes in the ice sculpture.
(7) Storage time in the cold storage. Under normal conditions, lukewarm water takes about 48 hours to freeze, while ice water freezes in 24 hours. Do not open the insulating lid during this time.
(8) Once the ice sculpture is frozen, remove it from the cold storage. Small pieces should be placed in room temperature for 10–15 minutes, while larger pieces need 30–40 minutes.
(9) Demolding. Before demolding, use a spatula to level the bottom of the mold. Carefully invert the mold to position the ice sculpture correctly, avoiding collisions or using sharp hard objects, as this may cause cracks. Open all screws, remove the hard mold, and the soft inner mold may still be attached to the ice sculpture. Allow it to sit for another 10 minutes, then carefully detach the soft inner mold. If it is difficult, it means the mold was left in the cold storage for insufficient time—wait longer and try again.
(10) After demolding, use a small knife to smooth the edges, and the ice sculpture is complete. Note:
(1) For the best effect or longer display time, place the mold back in the cold storage to further solidify (12 hours for optimal results).
(2) Alternatively, you can carve the formed ice block directly with tools.
Remarks: Proper maintenance of the mold ensures long-term use. For temporarily inactive soft and hard molds, apply talcum powder, rethread the screws, and store them in a dark place. Avoid exposing the mold to sunlight, as ultraviolet rays can cause permanent damage.
P138-139