Hello, im making homemade chocolates for people this christmas. I did a test run and they tasted good, at first, but after literally 2 days (some refrigerated and some not) they went crumbly and white. Can anyone tell me why this happened and if there is anything i can do to stop it happening?? ( they were just normal chocolates, no filling etc.)
Thanks
You shouldn’t need to add preservatives; most chocolate is full of them already, and even if you buy the top-notch stuff (which is not full of preservatives), it shouldn’t perish that quickly. I’m guessing you were sold a batch that had been mishandled at some point.
There are a few things that could cause your chocolate to perish like this. It could have been stored in a place that’s too hot (chocolate should never be stored anywhere where the temperature is likely to exceed 20°C); it could have been heated too quickly when you melted it; it could have gotten too hot when it was melted; it could have cooled too quickly; or it could simply be old stock (or it could be a combination of these things).
The main thing with chocolate is quality. There are many different grades, each for a different purpose (and some is just plain shoddy workmanship). For making home-moulded chocolates, you want the finest grain available. Buy it from a reputable supplier with air-conditioned facilities. Store it in a dark cupboard or fridge. Heat it slowly, work it quickly, and cool it slowly.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:35 am
You shouldn’t need to add preservatives; most chocolate is full of them already, and even if you buy the top-notch stuff (which is not full of preservatives), it shouldn’t perish that quickly. I’m guessing you were sold a batch that had been mishandled at some point.
There are a few things that could cause your chocolate to perish like this. It could have been stored in a place that’s too hot (chocolate should never be stored anywhere where the temperature is likely to exceed 20°C); it could have been heated too quickly when you melted it; it could have gotten too hot when it was melted; it could have cooled too quickly; or it could simply be old stock (or it could be a combination of these things).
The main thing with chocolate is quality. There are many different grades, each for a different purpose (and some is just plain shoddy workmanship). For making home-moulded chocolates, you want the finest grain available. Buy it from a reputable supplier with air-conditioned facilities. Store it in a dark cupboard or fridge. Heat it slowly, work it quickly, and cool it slowly.
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