3 Tips to Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Last Longer

 

If you sell chocolate-covered strawberries for the holidays, more specifically Valentine’s Day, and have found yourself working from sunrise to sunset to keep up with demand, these tips are for you! Keep reading for three pro tips to maximize your efforts and extend the shelf-life of these delicate fruit confections.

1. Clear communication

Although this first step will not affect the longevity of your strawberries, it will help you better prepare for the holiday. Requiring advanced orders for chocolate-covered strawberries helps create expectations for your production needs. Clear communication to your customer base is key to ensure their expectations are met too. 

2. Gently clean and air dry

The way you clean your berries could be contributing to unwanted mold. Follow these step-by-step instructions to minimize moisture and bacteria.

1. Start by wiping away dirt with a clean towel and discard unwanted mushy or moldy berries.
2. Gently submerge berries in a solution of cold water and non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar (use approximately 3 tablespoons for every one gallon of water) for five minutes. The acidity of the vinegar will kill spores and bacteria on the fresh berries.
3. Next, place the strawberries in a colander to drain excess water before air drying berries in a single layer on top of a dry towel.
4. Once the strawberries are dry, they can be placed in their original containers, which have since been cleaned and dried as well, until they are ready to dip.

3. Chilled storage

To keep chocolate-covered strawberries overnight, place dipped strawberries on containers, which are on top of gel ice packs and they can store for up to 48 hours. Avoid refrigeration which can create problems as chocolate-covered strawberries return to room temp.

These simple tips can significantly improve the way you prepare for Valentine’s Day. Now with all that extra time saved up, you may be able to devote more of it to other areas of your business or spend it with family and, hopefully, get more sleep on the morning of Valentine’s Day!

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Have a Smashing Valentine’s Day with Smash Hearts

Photo credits: Simply Chocolate, Graham’s Chocolates, Morkes Chocolates

There’s little reason to cry over a broken heart when it’s made of yummy chocolate!

 

Despite the irony, smash hearts aren’t reserved exclusively for soon-to-be exes. In fact, they make for fun, interactive gifts that make friends and family members really feel the love! Read on for inspiration before for adding these trendy smash hearts to your product line, including simple solutions for transforming your existing chocolate moulds and ideas for filling your smash hearts.

Photo credit: Morkes Chocolate

Smash Hearts with a Chocolate Hammer

Already have a mould for chocolate heart-shaped boxes? Simply add a wooden mallet to transform them into “Smash Hearts” this Valentine’s Day. Better yet, we love how RCI member Morkes Chocolates includes a solid chocolate hammer (more commonly used for Father’s Day) in their set of two smash hearts.

 

Photo credit: Wilton

No Large Smash Heart Mould? No problem!

If you don’t have a large heart-shaped chocolate mould, Wilton suggests making a hollow chocolate shell with a hear-shaped cake pan. Use colored coating chocolates to achieve the fun tie-dye look pictured. Arrange Valentine treats in the shape of a heart in the base of a large bakery box before placing the chocolate shell on top. Click here for step-by-step directions from Wilton.

Photo credit: ProFlowers

Don't Go Breaking My (Tiny) Heart

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to chocolate smash hearts. Don’t think for a minute that smashable chocolate hearts have to be big. Make use of even your smallest heart-shaped moulds to make smashable treats available at different price points. ProFlowers sells sets of 4 breakable chocolate hearts filled with M&M’s^® Minis and mini chocolate chips.

 

Photo credit: Hungry Happenings

Something to Talk About Conversation Hearts

If your customers love these classic candies, they will go “CRAZY 4 U” with these breakable conversation hearts filled to the brim with (you guessed it) loads of candy conversation hearts!

 

Photo credit: Graham’s Chocolates

What to fill smash hearts with?

While the items needed will vary based on the size of your smash heart, here’s some ideas to spark your creativity. Chocolate-covered strawberries are always a popular option for Valentine’s Day, but should be reserved for larger smash hearts so the delicate berries aren’t smashed in the process. Other confections that work well inside just about any size smash heart include foil-wrapped chocolate hearts, conversation hearts and other Valentine-themed gummies and hard candies, chocolate-covered sandwich cookies and Jordan almonds. The addition of colored sanding sugar or sprinkles create an exciting burst of color when the chocolate heart is smashed.

 

Have smashing success helping your customers celebrate Valentine’s Day by adding your own spin on smash hearts!

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Valentine’s Day Inspiration: Sweet Heat

If you are a fan of Red Hots^® and Atomic FireBalls, then you’ll love this week’s Valentine’s Day inspiration from RCI member Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections.

What started as a nod to these classic hot candies has become a popular Valentine’s Day treat among Wilbur’s of Maine’s customers and the limited availability of a once-a-year batch adds to its appeal. A batch of cooked creams serves as the base, which is enhanced with hot cinnamon flavor from LorAnn Oils. The sweet and spicy concoction is piped into rubber heart-shaped moulds and dipped in chocolate. The result is a sweet center followed by a red-hot burn that candy lovers and heat seekers will adore. 

In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, it is known as a Cinnamon Heart Cream at Wilbur's of Maine, but any remaining stock is rebranded as an “Atomic Fireball Cream” after the holiday. So, if you are looking to add a new and exciting treat to your product line for Valentine’s Day, add a little sweet heat to your classic cooked creams. If cooked creams aren’t your bag, add hot cinnamon flavor (and a little red dye) to your kettle corn recipe or even caramels for a red-hot punch!

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

4 Tips to Stop Sea Salt Caramels from Sweating

Suffer from sweaty sea salt caramels? You're not alone. Many candy makers have faced this common issue and shared possible solutions in the RCI member forum, The Candy Dish.

When making sea salt caramels, finishing with high-quality sea salt is best. However, even with quality salt, storing salted caramels in a cool room with 50% humidity can still cause the salt to sweat or become clear on the caramel. Here are four RCI member tips to prevent similar problems when storing sea salt caramels:

1.     Some salts are harder than others. Use a harder and more dense salt, such as pink Himalayan sea salt, which is less likely to absorb moisture.

2.     Store sea salt caramels at room temperature, rather than reducing the temperature.

3.     Dehumidify your storage area to at least 40%.

4.     Shrink wrap the boxes or cases to completely enclose the product before storing.

Nobody likes a sweaty sea salt caramel! Give these tips a try to keep your sea salt caramels dry.

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.