Couverture chocolates have been specifically designed to use as a coating, with a minimum of 31% cocoa butter, so they’re easy to temper even if you’re unfamiliar with the process. Brands like Valrhona, Callebaut, Cocoa Barry, and Scharffen Berger are easy to find in gourmet grocery stores or specialty shops.
Q. Why does some chocolate melt faster than others?
Dark chocolate melts the fastest. The main reason is that dark chocolate is in a more natural state. Adding milk, sugar, fats and other ingredients slows its melting because these ingredients have different melting points.
Table of Contents
- Q. Why does some chocolate melt faster than others?
- Q. What makes chocolate melt faster?
- Q. What temperature is too hot for chocolate?
- Q. Why you shouldn’t put chocolate in the fridge?
- Q. Can you fix seized white chocolate?
- Q. Can you add milk to seized chocolate?
- Q. What to do if chocolate seizes up?
- Q. Can I use seized chocolate?
Q. What makes chocolate melt faster?
The reason why chocolate melts is because it contains cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is made of six different crystal forms that becomes liquid when exposed to heat. The more cocoa butter/fat that the chocolate contains, the faster it will melt.
Q. What temperature is too hot for chocolate?
Chocolate is very delicate and can become lumpy or grainy if overheated. Do not let dark chocolate get above 115 degrees F. Milk and white chocolates, which are more heat sensitive, should not be heated above 110 degrees F. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the chocolate’s internal temperature while melting.
Q. Why you shouldn’t put chocolate in the fridge?
Chocolate easily absorbs odors of whatever’s in the refrigerator (Roquefort cheese, lamb curry — you get the idea). Moisture in the fridge can also lead to “sugar bloom,” meaning the sugar rises to the surface and discolors the chocolate (which has no effect on flavor, but doesn’t look too appealing).
Q. Can you fix seized white chocolate?
If your chocolate does seize, add boiling water to it, 1 teaspoon at a time, and stir vigorously after each addition until the chocolate is smooth.
Q. Can you add milk to seized chocolate?
Perhaps the most common problem faced by budding chocolatiers is when chocolate seizes and forms into a dull, clumpy mass. You can also make a chocolate sauce from seized chocolate by whisking in milk or cream.
Q. What to do if chocolate seizes up?
Once chocolate has seized it’s not easy to coax it back to liquid form. Sometimes whisking a tablespoon of warm water into the chocolate works, then add more water a teaspoon at a time until the chocolate is smooth. Or try adding a few drops of vegetable oil or clarified butter (as it’s water content has been removed).
Q. Can I use seized chocolate?
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