Checking your temper is an important step to
ensure you aren’t surprised by unsightly bloom or dull or tacky chocolates.
Chocolates that have a dull appearance may be
over tempered, while rapid bloom or a tacky, greasy surface are indicators that
chocolate is under tempered. Quit guessing and rest assured your chocolate is
always in good temper with these two methods for checking your
temper.
The Blade Test: This method is quick, easy and budget friendly;
however, the results could vary on the temperature of the room.
Simply dip a metal spatula or knife blade into the chocolate and leave a small film on the blade. At room temperature (65-68° F), well-tempered chocolate should be firm, not tacky, after just five minutes.
Simply dip a metal spatula or knife blade into the chocolate and leave a small film on the blade. At room temperature (65-68° F), well-tempered chocolate should be firm, not tacky, after just five minutes.
Tempermeter: Although more costly, this method will most
accurately measure the degree of tempering, indicating the quality and quantity
of stable crystals that have been formed.
Tempermeters produce a temperature-versus-time curve, resulting from uniform cooling of a chocolate sample over a specified period of time.
Tempermeters produce a temperature-versus-time curve, resulting from uniform cooling of a chocolate sample over a specified period of time.
It may be easy to assume your chocolate is
well tempered and ready to move into the assembly line, however, skipping this
step could result in a costly mistake.
Choose a testing method that works best for
you and put a plan in place to ensure your chocolate is being checked on a
regular basis. Many of our candy maker members have a system in place to verify
their chocolate’s temper every hour.
Next week: Check your chocolate knowledge and stay tuned for details on RCI’s 2019 Chocolate Boot Camp®!
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