This is a Pampered Chef flower bread loaf tube (called Valtrompia). I got it at Goodwill for $1.99. I found another flower loaf tube on the same day at another thrift store, only that one had 5 petals (called merely Flower). They were brand new. I tried to sell them twice on ebay without success. Then I saw one being used as a soap mold in my Glorybee catalog, so I gave up on trying to sell them and decided to use this one for soap.
A couple weeks ago I made soap and put half the batch in this tube. I oiled the tube before putting the soap in. It hardened, but I couldn’t get it out. Following a comment tip, I put the whole thing — tube and soap — in the freezer to see if the soap would shrink back enough to push it out. Nope. It needed more time. (Please don’t think this tip doesn’t work, though — it has helped tremendously when I get bars out of my oval molds.)
Last night, I was ready to either scoop the soap out with a spoon or throw the whole thing in the trash. (I really wouldn’t have thrown it away; I hate to waste.) But I was that frustrated. Before doing either, though, I gave it one last push. Oh, my! The soap slid right out! All it needed was time.
I sliced the bars. They are so pretty. (Although not perfect on the edges.) I think I might make these little flower shaped soaps for Christmas gifts. If I did a coffee castile soap and a green tea soap, along with these (plain castile soap), I’d end up with 3 nice earthy colored soaps. I could stack 3 bars of alternating colors and tie them up in a bit of mesh or see-through plastic with a pretty ribbon.
One thing I’d do differently is that I’d use the silicone mold release spray I recently purchased from Glorybee. I have been using that spray in conjunction with the freezer tip, and those 2 things have made getting bars out of my oval molds a complete breeze.
Note: In order to avoid warping a plastic mold, I also let my hot process soap cool off below 180 degrees before filling any plastic mold.
Lovely.
Wardeh, what a wonderful idea and the soap is beautiful! I will keep my eye’s open up here for soap molds that are unusual for you, thanks for showing the soap! Great gift idea..warm and loving hugs from Vermont
They are so pretty, like little sunshines.
Really pretty, Wardeh. I remember many years ago I used vaseline to grease molds. Oils will just turn into part of the saponification process and are not always reliable. I’ve never used the silicon spray, I imagine it works well, though.
I learned that the hard way! Although I did think, since the soap was cooked, that it wouldn’t saponify the oil I used for greasing the tube. Even if I known better, I didn’t have any vaseline or mineral oil on hand. I hope the silicone spray works with the loaf mold.
Wow…you make me want to make soap…
(What am I thinking!?)
So, go ahead! You’ll really, really like it! Love, Wardeh
One reason the freezer trick doesn’t always work the first time is that there’s still quite a bit of water in the soap wen it’s new. As it cures the moisture content of the soap decreases and it will contract more readily.
Another good release agent for these tubes is paraffin wax. Melt some in a shallow container just large enough to hold the tube laying on it’s side — a rinsed out paper milk carton with one side cut out will work if you don’t have a better option. Take the ends off the tube and rotate it in the wax to coat. It works best if the tube is cool, but not cold. Put the bottom on te tube and let the was set up before you pour the soap.
Note that the wax on the outside of the tube will probably melt while the soap is curing. Make sure it’s not going to make a mess — especially if you tint the wax with soap color. . . .
I use the bread tubes as soap molds also. To get my soap out, I use a cup that is thinner than the mold. I place the plastic cup upside down, place the tube on top of the cup and push down. Works every time. The cup pushes the soap up while I push the bread tube down. They make such nice shapes too.