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Post by motogman on Mar 22, 2007 20:28:04 GMT -5
I just came across this site and it appears to be an excellent source. Some of you are really into your chocolate....
My foggy question is related to the tempered chocolate coating that I am putting on truffles and candy bars. After a week or so it gets a light white fog or frost tint. It doesn't taste bad but is mostly cosmetic (I think).
I do not temper (in an official way) the chocolate when I coat. I melt over a double boiler to just melted, and I freeze the item to be coated before I dip them.
Any advice on what to do to limit this effect would be appreicated as well as a explaination on the chocolate chemistry that causes this.
BTW I usually use about half semi sweet/ half bitter sweet chocolate and I think the batch where I have witnessed this was Giardelli.
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Post by sugaralchemy on Mar 22, 2007 21:56:38 GMT -5
You need to look into tempering. There are many approaches around the forum, including a handy one called "turbo tempering" I developed. The method you use is a personal choice; each has pros and cons.
Done properly, they all achieve the same goal: seeding your chocolate with a particular desirable type of fat crystal, which causes the entire product to harden with these crystals. The result is a smooth, glossy chocolate that does not "bloom" - that is what you're seeing.
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Post by motogman on Mar 23, 2007 7:02:41 GMT -5
After submitting the question I purused the site in more detail. I learned that I have a lot to learn.
ALthough my chocolates taste great - they loose there visual appeal fairly quickly - a good reason to consume them quickly?
I will look into tempering. It has always sounded like a lot of extra work and more tools and fuss required.
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Post by Alan on Mar 23, 2007 9:14:48 GMT -5
After submitting the question I purused the site in more detail. I learned that I have a lot to learn. ALthough my chocolates taste great - they loose there visual appeal fairly quickly - a good reason to consume them quickly? I will look into tempering. It has always sounded like a lot of extra work and more tools and fuss required. For your application, just use the seed method. Melt your chocolate, and then when it is around 100 F add some already tempered chocolate pieces and stir until the temperature is down around 90 F. If all the chocolate melts before then, just add more. When you reach 90F remove the remaining chunks, stir well, and then get to work. Good luck.
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Post by motogman on Mar 25, 2007 19:06:47 GMT -5
Thanks. This sounds easier and I will try it. Not that I am lazy but my chocolate fixation is a past time that I fit in as I can and any efficiency lets me share it all the more - and I find that is a good and appreciated thing.
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Post by sugaralchemy on Mar 25, 2007 21:05:34 GMT -5
If you're really lazy... some people use 'coating' products that do not require tempering. By using a lauric (fractionated) palm oil, or another hydrogenated vegetable oil, in place of cocoa butter, one is able to produce a chocolate-like product that does not require tempering to avoid bloom/etc. In fact, it absolutely *loves* to be rapidly chilled! Of course, mentioning this is absolute blasphemy on a chocolate board...
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