How to Temper Chocolate (Step 2 – Finish)
October 8, 2009
When you buy chocolate in the store, it is already tempered. (At least it should be!) Basically this means it is in a stable solid form at room temperature.
If you want to get down to the business of eating the chocolate straight out of the package, no problem, just break off a chunk and go to it! But, if you want to use the chocolate for any other purpose you may have to re-temper.
This is the final part in my series of tempering chocolate. The first article was about the importance of tempering chocolate. The last article was about melting the chocolate to get ready for tempering.
Now this post explains the actual tempering process.
There are several methods of tempering but I prefer one method over the others – I prefer the SEED METHOD.
Solidifying chocolate is all about the crystals, and the secret to success depends on time and temperature. The seed method is my favorite way to cheat in the process. 🙂
Seeding releases already stable crystals into melted chocolate, thus building upon existing structures that will begin the tempering process. It is a faster method than starting from scratch, which attempts to create crystals where none exist.
Here is the step by step process for tempering chocolate using the seed method.
- Chop about 1 lb. of the chocolate into small pieces but set aside a chunk a little smaller than the size of the palm of your hand.
- Melt the chocolate by one of the methods presented in the melting the chocolate article.
- Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and drop in the saved chunk of chocolate. Stir until the chocolate temperature drops to between 89° F to 91° F for dark chocolate or 87° to 89° F for milk chocolate.**Here is where arm strength and patience come in handy. The temperature will drop slowly, which is a necessary part of this process. Stirring constantly will help distribute the growing crystals evenly throughout the mixture and form them into consistent sizes and shapes.
- Remove the remaining piece of solid chocolate (seed chocolate) if there is any left. Set it aside. (No, don't eat it! You still might need it.)
- Test the temper by smearing a small amount (say a teaspoon) of the chocolate on wax paper and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It should harden to be smooth, shiny, and dry to the touch. If you see any dull areas, wet areas, or streaks in the hardened chocolate that indicates poor crystal development or lack of thorough mixing and stirring. If the results are not satisfactory, repeat the process by reheating the chocolate. Use any leftover seed chocolate to begin again.
Assuming your test looks good, your chocolate is well tempered.
So now what? What can you do with a bowl of tempered chocolate? Yes, I know you're thinking you can eat it. But wait, you've gone through the hard work, let's enhance something!
How about chocolate-dipped strawberries, or chocolate covered pretzels, or homemade chocolate candies. Get the picture? Once you've got a good temper you can coat anything. Then let it harden at room temperature for a beautiful finish and great snap.
OK, stop drooling and start tempering! You can comment below to tell me how it goes.
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Once you have a bowl of chocolate tempered and you are testing to make sure it is correct, the bowl of melted chocolate starts cooling. The same happens when I’m working with the tempered chocolate for an extended period of time, like dipping caramels one by one. What is the most effective way to keep the bowl of chocolate in temper while either waiting on the test piece or working with it.
I actually mix 50% dark and 50% milk chocolate when I am tempering the chocolate. How do I do seeding for this?
please tell me is it must to use a rubber spatula while tempering chocolate by the seeded technique? is it ok if i use a steel utensil? I shall be really grateful if you send a reply through email.
It is OK to use a steel utensil, however I much prefer a rubber spatula. The problem with steel is that it has more impact on temperature than rubber. It’s more likely to be too warm or too cold and therefore impact the crystal development.
I usually dip my brownies in ganache (made with heavy cream), but I wanted to make a kosher chocolate dip for a friend’s wedding without the cream. I was told to try paramount crystals to thin out my chocolate for easy dipping. Have you ever used them? If yes, have any tips?
Paramount crystals are small bits of partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil. You can use it to thin out confectionery coatings and chocolate. It is more compatible with a confectionery coating because the vegetable oils are similar. Use smaller amounts when adding it to cocoa butter based chocolate coatings.
In addition to thinning down a coating, it will harden up the coating faster and put a shine on it. If you add too much to real chocolate, it will hinder the tempering process.
I have used these before, but only in a confectionery coating. I don’t thin out a chocolate coating instead I have learned to buy a coating that is already made for the job I want it to do and it comes appropriately matched in viscosity.
I understand that in a pinch the crytals work well so go ahead and use them.
Some people swear that the crystals will reverse seizing. That does not always work, especially in real chocolate.
Hi there, I made 70% dark chocolate coated dried fruit and nut clusters on Saturday evening, today is Tuesday and it has developed a streaky light brown bubbly coating. Why? what am I doing wrong? I tried to tempur it, not sure if I got it right, the chocolate dried quite matt and not very shiny. Please help it is driving me Nuts
Sarah
The streaks of light brown probably indicate a temperature variation in the coating. Different types of crystals form at different temperatures. The cocoa butter solidifies into different sizes and shapes. When the light bounces off the crystals we see them as lighter or darker, as matte or shiny, depending on the type of crystal formed. What we want to see is all UNIFORM crystals. That means stirring the coating during tempering to ensure that the temperature is uniform and the size and shape is consistent. If you take a temperature reading along the edges of the bowl and it is different the temperature reading in the middle of the bowl, you must keep mixing and stirring until it is all the same temp. Don’t stir so much that air bubbles get trapped. It isn’t so much the speed at which you stir as it is more the thoroughness and length of time.
Tip: 70% coating has a lot of cocoa butter content and will need more time and agitation to reach proper temperature than other lower percentage coatings.
Don’t throw away your clusters – temper some more coating and re-dip them.
Enjoy!
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When I temper chocolate it is hit or miss that it would come out correctly. I even bought a very expensive chocolate tempering machine to help. Still some of the chocolate would come out with streaks and NOT ONE would maintain the shine once the tempered chocolate dried. What is the secret to keep the chocolate shiny?
Hi Roxanne,
Would you tell me more about your particular application? Are you putting the chocolate over some kind of center? Are you pouring it into molds? Is it milk chocolate or dark chocolate? How are you cooling the chocolate when finished? With some specifics I can help you better diagnose the problem.
Bryn
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