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 Home > Sugar Free Menu > Cake Mixes, Baking, Drink, Sweeteners & Mixes > Sugar-Free Chocolate Bits, Drops & Compound > Working with real chocolate
Working with real chocolate
Working With Real Chocolate
Wilbur Chocolate has been manufacturing superior chocolate
products since 1884. That's more than 100 years of expertise. We want
our customers to understand the product they are working with
and feel comfortable in the "know how" to work with chocolate to
receive the optimum look, feel, and taste from this rich
specialty. Because of this, we have used Wilbur's information for
your benefit.
Chocolate vs. Confectionery
Wilbur offers many product options in dark, milk, and
white chocolate as well as dark, milk, and white confectionery choices.
"But isn't all chocolate the same?" This is the general thought,
however the question cannot be answered with yes. Real chocolate has to
be made with cocoa butter and include a certain percentage of chocolate
liquor in its ingredients. Confectionery or compound products have a
vegetable oil base and may or may not include cocoa powder and/or
chocolate liquor in its ingredient statement. Chocolate products
usually have a lower melting point than confectionery products and the
melting process and working process needs to be done differently
between the two. Also know that each type of product has variations in
the grade of the product.
Our bits are Confectionery or compound products, We also carry
the premium untempered milk chocolate, this product MUST be tempered!
Melting/Tempering Chocolate Coating
Tempering chocolate is the process of heating and cooling that gives
chocolate the proper gloss, hardness, and texture. It is very important.
Use of an automatic tempering
machine such as a Hilliard, or Sinsation machine is handled in the
following way: Put broken pieces of chocolate in the back of the
machine and set the temperature between 88- 90 degrees F. Continue to
replace small amounts of unmelted pieces into the back of the machine
as you dip or mold. Note: always remember to refer to the equipment
manufacturer's instructions also.
Double Boiler/Stove Top Method involves slightly different handling
technique. Using a double boiler, heat the water to 180 degrees, then
remove from the direct heat. The pan containing the broken chocolate
pieces sets on top of the heated water. When the chocolate is melted,
raise the temperature of the chocolate to 118 to 120 degrees F. At that
point, slowly drop the temperature of the chocolate back to 84 degrees
F by adding a chunk of unmelted chocolate. Remove the chunk when the
desired temperature is reached. Once seeded, raise the temperature
again to a working temperature of 88 degrees F by re-warming the water
in the double boiler. A candy thermometer is needed to accurately read
the temperatures. This process must be repeated every time chocolate
needs to be melted, even if some of the melted chocolate remains in the
pan.
Storage and Handling
Store in a cool, dry, odorless
room at temperatures between 62 -70 degrees F. Relative humidity should
be 50% or lower. Room should be well ventilated and the products should
be stored 4 or more inches off the floor and 4 or more inches away from
walls. Do not refrigerate or freeze the product! This will add
condensation and make the chocolate thicken when melted and also
decrease the shelf life of the product. If stored properly, real milk
chocolate coating can have a shelf life of up to a year, and dark
chocolate products a year to 18 months.
WHAT IS BLOOM?
An unwanted, dull grayish white appearance on the surface of
chocolate confectionery products caused by migration and instability of
fat crystals, usually as a result of temperature stress or fluctuation
in storage temperatures. With baking pieces, "bloom” disappears in the
baking process.
There are two types of “Bloom”:
I) Fat Bloom -This is caused by a few different things…
* Incorrect tempering of the chocolate
* Too vigorous cooling of the chocolate
* Storage temperature is too warm
The “Bloom” appears on the surface of the chocolate pieces and consists
of minute crystals of cocoa butter, giving the chocolate a greasy
texture on it's surface.
Tempered Vs. Untempered Chocolate
Properly Tempered Chocolate
Characteristics
· Shiny/Glossy Surface
· Even color
· Good Snap
· Smooth Texture
· Good Contraction
· No Bloom
Improperly Tempered Chocolate
Characteristics
· Dull Finish
· Fat Bloom (white or grey spots/streaks)
· Soft Uneven Texture
· Poor Contraction
· Poor Snap
Additional Tempering Tips
Key Points:
1) Chocolate from the melter must be supplied at 40 degrees C (105 deg.
F).
2) Chocolate must then be cooled to 28 degrees C (83 degrees F).
3) Chocolate is then warmed slowly to melt unstable crystals and favor
development of stable crystals for depositing, moulding, or enrobing
operations.
What can negatively affect this process?:
*Too high a percentage of lecithin, milk fat, or soft cocoa butter (low
melt pt.)
*Temperature of inclusions such as rice, almonds, rework, etc., is
either too high or too low.
* Temperature of a mould being used is too high or too low.
* Inadequate cooling process storage temperature after cooling process
is too high.
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