As the name suggests, ‘tempering’ refers to the process of heating and then cooling a piece of metal in order to make it more durable. When it comes to sweets, this is precisely how it works.
Cocoa butter is necessary to understand tempering. Chocolate is made from the fat found within cocoa beans, known as cocoa butter. Additionally, cocoa butter may be found in a variety of crystal forms. There are really six crystal forms of cocoa butter which can be used.
What’s the use of tempering chocolate if we don’t need to?
After learning about the science of tempering, we need to understand why chocolate is tempered. What happens if we don’t temper the chocolate, and more importantly, why. There are a few drawbacks to not tempering your chocolate, which we’ve outlined here. Now, it is important to pick the right confectionery equipment.
Chocolate that hasn’t been tempered-
- Sometimes it seems to produce white streaks, stains, and markings that are difficult to remove.
- Is covered with a dreary coating
- Tastes dry and crumbly.
- It Easily disintegrates without a snaking sound (it can bend or crumble in your hands instead)
- Because it becomes trapped or splits, it’s difficult to extract from a chocolate mold.
- It’s much too easy and fast to melt
Chocolate that has been cooled and hardened-
- High-gloss finish
- Has a pleasantly creamy texture.
When the temperature rises, it doesn’t break down-
Chocolate’s texture and mouthfeel and how it appears to the eye will be much improved by tempering. On the other hand, Un-tempered chocolate works well in applications where the final product’s texture and look aren’t critical.
What are the signs that chocolate has been properly tempered?
Smear a tiny bit of chocolate onto a piece of baking paper to see whether it has been properly tempered. In five minutes, return to the chocolate bar. If it’s tempered, the chocolate should be shiny and easily peel off the paper.
What happens if the tempered chocolate reverts to its original state of brittleness?
Despite its immaculate tempering, even the best chocolate may go bad at any time. If you keep your chocolate out in the cold for an extended period of time, the crystals will get unstable and this will happen. Because chocolate may be tempered several times but one will need to possess proper confectionery equipment along with the tempering machine.
What happens if anyone accidentally burns the chocolate?
Unfortunately, burnt chocolate cannot be salvaged. Burning chocolate alters the flavor and texture. You should discard burned chocolate and start again if it has been cooked too much.
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