Realistic chocolate plug-ins, excellent starry sky chocolates, and traditional handmade chocolates are inseparable from the tempering process. Successful chocolate tempering will not only be more dazzling in appearance but also more distinctive in taste.
So how to temper the chocolate, and what tools are needed for tempering?
Catalog of this issue
- Melting of chocolate
- Tempering of chocolate
- Seeding method
- Water-proof temperature regulation method
- Marble temperature control method
1 Melting of the chocolate
The melting of chocolate converts solid chocolate into liquid by water-proof heating, steam heating, microwave heating, and other methods.
Water-proof melting method:
- If the button chocolate is placed directly in the container, the slab chocolate must be cut into chocolate chips and then placed in the container.
- Pour 1/3 of the water into the pot and place the container with the chocolate pool filled with water (the container with the chocolate cannot touch the bank’s bottom).
Then heat it on the induction cooker (the water temperature reaches. Turn off the heat immediately at 60 degrees) and keep stirring until the chocolate is completely melted.
Tips:
- The hot water temperature should control between 50 and 60 degrees as far as possible. If the temperature is too low, the chocolate will not melt quickly, and if the temperature is too high, it is easy to break the tissue in the chocolate.
- The container containing the chocolate should be wiped clean with kitchen paper, and be careful not to let water enter the chocolate when it is melted. Otherwise, it will affect the operation and taste of the chocolate.
Microwave melting method:
Put the chocolate to be melted into a microwave-heated container, heat it with 500 watts for 1 minute, take it out, stir it with a spatula a few times, then put it in the microwave and continue heating for 30 seconds; repeat the above process until the chocolate is completely melted.
2 Melting of the chocolate
When making model chocolates and plug-ins, the temperature adjustment step is essential. Chocolate temperature control has a temperature control curve chart “melting and heating-cooling and cooling-heating up again.” It seems a simple process, but it is not easy to operate. Only accurate temperature measurement and patient operation mentality can call up the ideal temperature.
Tempering is the key to making model chocolates and chocolate decorations. If the chocolate is melted into other shapes, the chocolate will lose its original quality if the temperature is not adjusted. To make the finished product have a crispy taste that melts in the mouth and the appearance is shiny, the chocolate must temper correctly. A component of chocolate-cocoa butter determines the key to tempering.
Cocoa butter has the characteristics of complex odd seconds. If there is no external force, the cocoa butter cannot restore to its original state after melting, and the stable crystal structure will break up. In addition, when the chocolate is molded into other shapes, oil spots will appear (the hoarfrost on the surface of the chocolate is the crystallization of cocoa butter).
This kind of oil spot will make the chocolate lose its original noble appearance, and many small particles will appear when it melts, which directly affects the taste of the chocolate.
To solve this problem, we need to adjust the temperature to transform the cocoa butter into a stable and easy-to-store crystal shape.
In general, the purpose of temperature adjustment is not only for the shiny appearance but also for its unique taste and deliciousness.
Three seeding method
Ready to work:
Prepare 400g of chocolate, of which 300g is placed in a container (melted and heated), and 100 is placed in a container (seeds)
Steps:
- Melt 300g of chocolate and heat it (black chocolate: 45-50 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 40-45 degrees).
- Melt the warmed chocolate and take out 100g for use.
- Pour the seeded 100g chocolate into the remaining melted 200g chocolate and stir to cool it down to (black chocolate: 27-28 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 26-27 degrees).
- Pour the excess 100g chocolate (melted) slowly into the cooled chocolate, and continue to stir until the chocolate in the container heats up to (black chocolate: 30～31 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 29～30 degrees ).
To complete the temperature adjustment. (Ps: When pouring melted chocolate, we can use a slow and continuous stirring method to let the whole chocolate rise to the temperature we need. If we run it at once, the temperature will likely be higher than what we want).
4 Water-proof temperature regulation method
Ready to work:
Prepare 400g chocolate, water-proof melting tool and a basin of ice water with a few ice cubes
Operating procedures:
- Melt 400g chocolate in water and heat it (black chocolate: 45-50 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 40-45 degrees).
- Cool the melted chocolate with ice water and continue stirring until the temperature drops to 35 degrees. Take it out and stir to cool the chocolate naturally (black chocolate: 27-28 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 26-27 degrees).
- After cooling down, continue to heat it over water to (Black Qiao: 30～31 degrees, White/Niu Qiao: 29～30 degrees), take it out, and stir evenly to complete temperature adjustment.
5 Marble temperature regulation method
- Melt the chocolate and heat it (black chocolate: 45-50 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 40-45 degrees).
- Pour out 2/3 of the chocolate on the marble countertop, quickly scrape and cut it with a chocolate tempering knife to cool it down to (black: 27-28 degrees, white/cow: 26-27 degrees).
- Shovel the cooled chocolate back into the container, slowly add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate until the temperature of the whole chocolate in the basin rises to (black chocolate: 30～31 degrees, white/cow chocolate: 29～30 degrees ) To complete the temperature adjustment.
Ps: When pouring 1/3 of the chocolate, we can use a slow and continuous stirring method to let the whole chocolate heat up to the temperature we need. If we pour it at once, the temperature will likely be higher than what we want).
