Quick Tip: No pre-bottomer? Try this!

 

No pre-bottomer? No problem! With RCI Chocolate Boot Camp course taking place this week, we’re sharing a quick and easy solution, demonstrated by one of our instructors, Joe Sofia with Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, for candy makers who do not have a pre-bottomer on their enrober.

This handy tip uses chocolate wafers as the pre-bottom for, in this case, moulded peanut butter meltaways. Joe explained, "When you pop the meltaways out of the mould, they are ready for full enrobing since the wafer will adhere to the meltaway." Joe also added that it's important to apply the chocolate wafer while the center is still liquid so the two stick together.

For this demonstration, a 22-millimeter silicon dome mould from Truffly Made was a perfect fit when using a standard chocolate wafer as the base.

If you’re interested in more insider tips like this, consider attending RCI’s Truffles + More course August 12-14, 2024 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Save the date and stay tuned for more details coming soon at retailconfectioners.org/events.

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5 Questions About Colored Cocoa Butter Answered

Using colored cocoa butter is a great way to add detail and pops of color to your chocolate confections. This week Tomric System's Chef Brian Donaghy shares the basics of using colored cocoa butter and answers five common questions that he gets asked all the time.

Since Chef Brian first learned how to use colored cocoa butter with chocolate confections in a master class taught by Norman Love of Norman Love Confections in 2002, colored cocoa butter products have improved and the techniques have exploded exponentially. The process, however, is still fundamentally the same: (1) an emulsion of fat- soluble color and cocoa butter is applied to the inside of a mould (2) the cocoa butter is allowed to partially crystallize (3) tempered chocolate is placed in the mould and the chocolate and cocoa butter crystallize together, so when the chocolate piece is unmoulded it has shine and color. The process is fairly simple, but requires a process.

What equipment do you use? “I use an Iwata Smart Jet airbrush compressor set to around 50 psi and Badger 250 airbrushes and I use separate airbrushes for each color. A laser thermometer is another “essential” tool for this process.”

How do you temper cocoa butter? “I melt my cocoa butters to 93° F/ 33.9°C and then seed them with cocoa butter "silk" from my EZ Temperer.”

How do you achieve an even layer of colored cocoa butter?

“Prior to spraying in the mould, I always spray away from the mould first—this ensures that the cocoa butter is spraying correctly.”

What’s an easy method for taking your airbrush technique to the next level? “I have taken to masking my moulds so that the color does not coat the entire mould—this makes for an interesting effect.”

How do you make colors pop against chocolate? “Spray white colored cocoa butter last to ensure that we can see the colors in dark chocolate. For some colors, like red, I will spray black last, because it creates a beautiful finish.”

Whether you’re interested in using colored cocoa butter for the first time or you’ve already perfected your techniques, we hope this post helps inspire you to take your decorating skills to the next level.

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Throwback Tip #128: Quickstart Seeding Process for $30 or Less

If you temper chocolate in small-batch tempering machines, save yourself the headache this holiday season with this week’s quick and easy tip.

Are you using chocolate wafers as seed for your tempering unit? Before putting them in the feed of the tempering machine, quickly (don’t overheat!) use a heat gun on them to form one large clump or block of wafers. By doing this, you will help keep the wafers from sneaking through the blade and over-tempering your chocolate.

See? Quick and easy!

Want more game-changing tips like this?

Register now for RCI’s Truffles+More course February 20-22, 2019 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois (just outside Chicago). Visit retailconfectioners.org/events to stay up-to-date with all RCI’s educational offerings in the coming year.

RCI's Tip of the Week 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. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

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

Tip #278: Make Your Strawberries Last Longer

Since strawberries soak up water like a sponge, which can lead to moldy or mushy berries, it is important to be mindful of how you wash your strawberries before coating them in chocolate.

If you don’t plan on using your strawberries right away, experts agree it is best to store them in the refrigerator and wash them no more than a couple hours before using them. If you hull your strawberries before coating them, wait to do so until after they are washed. Cut strawberries will absorb even more water, making them more susceptible to mold, while also diluting their flavor. Below are two member-recommended methods for washing strawberries to make them last, we suggest experimenting to find which method works best for you.

Damp cloth method: Since strawberries are often prewashed, some experts suggest wiping strawberries with a damp cloth instead of submerging them in water to keep the moisture content low. Keep in mind as much as strawberries like to soak up water, they are equally adept at soaking up other things like pesticides. If you choose this method, consider sourcing strawberries from local farms that don’t use pesticides or are certified organic.

Vinegar solution method: If you prefer a more thorough cleaning, RCI member, Luisa Chocolatier, recommends washing strawberries in a solution of cold water and non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar (use approximately 3 tablespoons for every one gallon of water). After, first, wiping away any dirt with a clean towel and discarding unwanted mushy or moldy berries, gently submerge berries in the vinegar solution for five minutes. Next, place the strawberries in a colander to drain excess water before placing in a single layer on top of a dry towel to air dry. 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.

Since excess water will prevent chocolate from sticking to strawberries and also cause chocolate to have a dull appearance, both methods emphasize the importance of drying strawberries before dipping them into chocolate. Try one of these methods and let us know which works best for you!

RCI's Tip of the Week 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. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

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

Throwback Tip #11: Make Less Mess with Moulds

Is shaking out excess chocolate from your moulds leaving your work place a mess? Sure, you have parchment paper to catch the chocolate as it falls, but it probably still lands in other undesired places. Dennis Witzel with Linnea's Candy Supplies says a small or medium plastic storage bin can take care of this problem for less than $10. Simply set the tub on your work table and set your mould upside down on edges of the tub, so gravity can drain the chocolate. Be sure the bin has a wide enough opening at the top allowing your mould to easily fit into it. When you are ready to shake the excess chocolate from your mould, place the mould into the tub so as you shake it, all of the chocolate that flies out will land in the tub—not on you, the floor or the table.      

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Throwback Tip #230: Refresh Your FSMA Knowledge

It has been seven years since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law, which also means if you manufacture food and operate with less than $1 million in sales, September 17, 2018 is the deadline to comply with the FDA's regulations. This week's tip offers a refresher on FSMA and its requirements in an excerpt from an article written by Michael Koch of Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy for RCI's Kettle Talk magazine.

Click here for further clarification on compliance dates.

WHAT IS FSMA?

FSMA was designed to shift the focus on food safety from responding to contamination issues to a more proactive approach of preventing contamination before it happens. Through the passing of this law the FDA has gained more leverage in its ability monitor and control the safety of our food supply chain.

In September of 2015 the FDA published its "Preventive Controls for Human Food" guidelines. As part of FSMA, it outlines the mandatory requirements being placed on all food manufacturers to have and implement a written food safety plan.

Before putting a plan together, first, identify the individual or individuals in your organization that are going to administer your program. FSMA requires that your plan be written and managed by a qualified individual. Currently the only way to verify that an individual is qualified is to have your food safety administrator attend a certification course.

IDENTIFY HAZARDS

Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) is a documented food safety program that you need to develop and implement for your facility. The first step toward developing a HARPC is to conduct a hazard analysis for every food product you handle in your facility—this is not limited to the items that you manufacture. The second step is to put in place preventive controls for each food product to ensure it will not become contaminated and unfit for human consumption.

VERIFY PLAN’S EFFECTIVENESS

Verifying the effectiveness of your plan ensures preventive controls are consistently implemented and sufficient. Verification includes evaluating the accuracy of process monitoring, calibrating instruments, such as thermometers, and reviewing records to verify monitoring and corrective actions are completed. Product testing and environmental monitoring by a certified third party are also reliable verification methods.

CREATE RECALL PROCEDURES

Your plan must contain details on your recall procedures. If a contaminated product is shipped, you must be able to identify where the product has gone and have the ability to perform a recall. A recall plan should include the procedures for identifying the contaminated product. Having important contact information in the plan will help move the process forward. Contacts should include the local health department, local FDA office, news media and anyone else that you may deem important to the process.

FSMA covers a much greater spectrum of the food chain and more details than covered in this brief post. The realm of information and procedures that you are responsible for also cover such things as your supply chain management, good manufacturing practices, corrective actions and etc. The FSMA is no small task and it is designed to protect the consumer from obtaining contaminated products.

In order to operate a successful candy making business, it is essential that you are knowledgeable on federal regulations and take the proper action to ensure you are in compliance with FSMA guidelines. Click here for more resources and updates.          

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #254: Secret Enrobing Tools and Techniques Unveiled

In honor of RCI’s upcoming Chocolate Boot Camp® course, taking place February 19-22 in Waterbury, Connecticut. We’re unveiling two simple, yet highly effective tools and techniques that are sure to improve your enrobed centers.

Stringing

It may surprise you to learn that stringing or marking a coated center offers more benefit than simply identifying the center. Whether you string by hand, a fork or an automatic decorating machine, those stringing marks can hide small imperfections on the surface (such as air bubbles) and give the product a more glossy appearance. The three dimensional quality of the markings create more angles for light to reflect, much like the facets of a diamond.

TRY IT: Next time you are coating centers, mark one piece and leave the next piece smooth. The chocolate temper will be the same on both, but the strung piece will have a better shine once cooled.

Detailer Rods

Even a small adjustment to the detailer rod can make a big
difference to your finished product.

Detailer rods, located after each wire belt, affect the bottom and bottom edges of the centers. When used properly, the rod is close to the wire belt and slightly below the level between the wire and cooling belts. If adjusted too low, this will result in tails (pictured on the far left) or bases (center photo). When set too high, it will remove too much chocolate, leaving thin bottoms (as seen in the photo on far right. Should the detailer be set too far away from the wire belt it can also scrape bottoms and deposit lines of chocolate onto the cooling belt. Even a small adjustment to the detailer will make a big difference in your finished chocolates.

RCI Members: Login at retailconfectioners.org to access more secrets to enrobing in the 2016 first quarter issue of Kettle Talk magazine, written by Jim Bourne, of Hilliard’s Chocolate System.

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

Throwback Tip #28: Taste Test Your Products for Flavor Consistency

Are you tempted to eat your chocolates as you walk by the packaging line? We have two great reasons to embrace the role of a frequent taste tester of your products without the guilt: quality and consistency. As the owner or manager of a candy store, you want to have complete confidence the products you are selling are not only delicious, but the same level of quality and flavor each time.

When a customer purchases a box of toffee, they expect to purchase the exact same product every time. Therefore, it’s extremely important to regularly taste your candies to ensure they meet your standards for quality and flavor.

Routine Taste Testing

If you have a quality control manager, consider adding a consistent taste testing program to their routine. The frequency for taste testing may vary depending on how often you produce a particular product, but at least weekly would be the minimum recommendation.

You’ve taken the time to achieve a great flavor, so take the time to ensure it’s consistently the same great flavor your customers expect.

RCI's Tip of the Week 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. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

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

Throwback Tip #133: 3 Ways to Extend the Shelf Life of Your Truffles

Today is National Truffle Day! Often considered the highest expression of a quality confection and often commands the highest price when purchasing, there’s no question why these little morsels are good cause for celebration.

A decadent truffle made with high-quality ingredients is a welcome surprise to chocolate lovers around the world, however, the surprise appearance of mold could ruin your sweet reputation. Keep reading for three ways to extend the shelf life of your truffles.

Reduce Water Activity

The high moisture of cream is often the cause of microbial growth in truffles. While cream arrives pasteurized, it is usually scalded to 190°F to ensure there’s no yeast and mold.

Reducing water activity will reduce the microbial growth and can be accomplished by:

• Replacing a portion of the cream with corn syrup
• Adding invertase (an enzyme derived from yeast)
• Increasing fat percentage
• Increasing chocolate solids

Use of Preservatives (including natural preservative options)

Preservatives can also control microbial growth. Potassium sorbate is one of the most effective options, however it is not usually considered natural. Natural preservatives might include cultured dextrose. Other preservatives can include reducing the pH of the ganache or the addition of alcohol. Legal and flavor considerations, however, must be addressed before using these methods.

Reduce Storage Temperature

A rule of thumb is that reducing the temperature by 18°F (10°C) will double the shelf life. Freezing truffles can substantially increase their shelf life, however, this must be done properly. Click here to view previous blog post on freezing truffles.

A truffle’s short shelf-life is a major challenge for many confectioners. With these tips from RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp you can effectively extend the shelf-life of your truffles and avoid any unwanted surprises.

Get solutions to your problem candies from fellow confectioners and industry suppliers at RCI's Annual Convention & Industry Expo next month! Register online now and join us in Chicagoland June 12-16, 2017!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 224: Troubleshooting: Hazy Chocolate Moulds

Are you a little hazy on what’s causing the buildup of a film on the surface of your chocolate moulds? You’re not alone. Learn what causes this common problem and get preventative tips on how to avoid it in this excerpt from RCI’s Mechanics of Chocolate Moulding course.

We all know the temperature of chocolate and, even, your workspace is important, but did you know the temperature of your moulds could also be affecting the quality of your chocolate?

Cold moulds can cause chocolate to stick to the surface of a mould because the chocolate has not had time to grow the proper crystals and shrink free of the surface. Moulds should be 75-80° F before coming into contact with chocolate. And, bonus, the solution to this problem is easy, because moulds within this temperature range will self clean. Repeated deposits will remove the buildup from the surface of the moulds.

Although cooking spray can work wonders for baking pans, never coat chocolate moulds with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. This may appear to help prevent buildup; but it will create early bloom on the surface of a moulded piece because of the incompatibility of the vegetable oil and the cocoa butter in chocolate. Compound coatings made with lauric fats, such as palm kernel oil, are even more susceptible to bloom than chocolate, if incompatible fats are mixed with them.

Now that you know your chocolate moulds like to be kept at a cozy 75-80° F, how do you check the temperature of a mould? An infrared thermometer "gun" will do the trick and can be found at any of your local home improvement stores. Click here to view best-selling infrared thermometers on Amazon. Prices range from $16 to $130.

Happy Moulding!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 217: Get the Crunch Without the Cracks

Randy Hofberger of R&D Candy Consultants, LLC, is an active member of RCI and the lead instructor for RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp^®. This week’s post is an excerpt from his article “Crunch Without the Cracks,” which offers eight tips to reduce cracking in chocolate-covered pretzels, cookies and crackers.

Texture is so very important in our foods and is a large part of the eating experience. Many of our most popular confections have a crunchy texture and using baked goods such as cookies, crackers and pretzels is one way to provide this. When coated with chocolate, however, there is a chance the finished product will crack, making it less appealing to consumers.

What cause these fissures to develop? While it may seem that there are little micro earthquakes occurring on your pretzels or gremlins attacking the chocolate-covered cookies, one of the main culprits can be moisture entering these dry baked goods and causing them to expand. To prevent moisture from coming in contact with the finished product, one of the most obvious solutions is to use packaging with a good moisture barrier. While this will solve many of the cracking problems, there are other factors that can cause cracking. Also, this will not help any of your products that are open to the atmosphere in your display cabinets.

Other suggestions to reduce cracking in chocolate covered pretzels, cookies and crackers include the following:

1. Have a uniform coating. Unequal coverage will cause different contraction rates and, thus, cracking.
2. Thicker coating is a stronger coating and a better moisture barrier. Coverage should be complete without pin holes, air bubbles or thin spots.
3. Using a chocolate formulated to be softer will be less prone to cracking.
4. Enrobed baked goods will generally have less of a heat load and will require a gentler (less) cooling.  Good cooling tunnel conditions will have little or no air movement at the tunnel entrance and a temperature of approximately 65ºF.  Air velocity may be gradually increased to about 700 CFM until the chocolate is set – at which time velocity may be increased to 1200 CFM. Coldest tunnel temperatures exceed the low 50sºF. Total tunnel time should be a minimum of eight minutes, but 12 minutes is better.
   If your operation requires you to maintain consistent tunnel settings because of various product mixes, increasing the tunnel belt speed will give less total cooling and more line production. 
5. Enrober/tunnel/feeding area relative humidity should not exceed 55%.
6. Pieces to be enrobed should be room temperature or warmer (up to 78ºF).
7. Pretzel and cookie packages can be opened the evening prior to enrobing. This will help them equilibrate to the atmospheric conditions.
8. Rough-surfaced centers reduce cracking and the loss of the chocolate shell, e.g., salted pretzels are better than unsalted pretzels.

 Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

The Best of 2016: Top 5 Tips of the Week

We've curated the most-read tips from 2016, to pinpoint topics that are most important to candy makers. 

From troubleshooting tips to sky-high merchandising inspiration, plus a customer service must-read, the following posts deliver quick and easily executed tips to simply the lives of confectioners, like you!

#5: Stop Sea Salt Caramels from Sweating

Suffer from sweaty sea salt caramels? Take tips from fellow candy makers and RCI members on how to avoid this common problem.

#4: Take Merchandising to New Heights

Get step-by-step instructions for creating this eye-catching truffle tree.

RCI MEMBER BONUS: Click here to login to RCI’s member site and snag three variations of ganache recipes on page 9 of RCI’s Kettle Talk magazine.

#3: Coat Marshmallows in Dextrose 

Nobody likes hard, dried-out marshmallows! Keep your ‘mallows soft and pillowy all year long with this popular tip of the week.

#2: Remind Employees of the Value of Customer Service 

An oldie, but a goodie, this throwback from 2012 covers four customer service basics that are too important not to review with your team on a regular basis.

 #1: Say “Buh-Bye” to Chocolate Bloom

Bloom is easily identified as one of the most common problems facing candy makers. No surprise, this post tops the list with common causes of chocolate bloom, as well as simple solutions.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 205: Hire Smart for the Holidays

The confectionery industry has the special privilege/task of enduring holiday bursts. Hiring a temporary workforce can help your business maintain consistent production levels and product quality. In this excerpt from a Kettle Talk article written by Jan Douglass with Esther Price Candies, Corp., we built upon three practical tips to help you hire smart for the holidays.

#1: Build Relationships with Staffing Agencies

Staffing agencies can be a great resource for filling temporary positions. Building relationships with reputable staffing agencies and other local organizations (e.g., county or state job centers, developmentally disabled adult centers, etc.) can help to source reliable individuals for seasonal work and unforeseen sales bursts. When working with staffing agencies it is important to practice open and honest communication. Start by taking the time to discuss open positions rather than simply providing a job description. If a recommended candidate isn’t a good fit, providing concise feedback on why that was the case will help staffing agencies identify better candidates in the future. These simple steps will ensure the staffing agency feels well equipped to find the right fit, right away.

#2: Training is Key

They may only be with you for a brief time, but a temporary workforce can be vital to keeping with the ebbs and flows of seasonal business and make it less painful when you must reduce your staff at the close of a season. Be aware, however, there can be downsides to a temporary workforce, such as high turnover rates. Increased turnover can result in more training hours, risk of production and packing errors and additional work for human resources. Minimize those risks by having sourcing organizations pre-screen individuals and clearly communicate the job expectations to candidates through digital recordings of the candy making process. Successful training can also lead to the return of seasonal staff year after year.

#3: Stay Current on Labor Laws

Make sure to brush up on federal and state labor laws before hiring for the holidays, as many regulations that apply to full-time employment also apply to part-time and seasonal employment. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Employment and Labor Law Guide is a useful resource when hiring. Be aware of your state’s legal requirements for benefits such as unemployment, social security/medicare and workers’ compensation. Check with your state’s department of labor for exemptions for employers who require temporary staff for periods of 10 weeks or less. You will also want to familiarize yourself on your tax reporting responsibilities according to IRS regulations and state tax laws.

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