Firstly one needs to understand the questions "how is chocolate made" and "what is chocolate". It is made from the cocao bean, that is dried, roasted and ground. The grinding produces cocoa liquor, from this two distinct items are extracted:
- A fat that is called 'cocoa butter'
- A solid that is called 'cocoa mass' and which is refined to make cocoa powder
Depending on what is then added to the cocoa mass the different varieties of chocolate are produced. Each has a different chemical make-up, the differences are not solely in the taste. Be sure, therefore, to use the kind the recipe calls for, as different varieties will react differently to heat and moisture
Cocoa
Chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine powder.
Alkalised cocoa powder (also known as Dutch processed cocoa), has been treated with an alkali during processing to produce a more mellow, less harsh-tasting, but darkly coloured cocoa.
It can pick up moisture and odours from other products, so store in a cool, dry place, in an airtight container. Depending on its production it may or may not have other ingredients added - sugar, etc.
Unsweetened Chocolate
Simply the cooled and hardened version of chocolate liquor. It is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes as by itself it does not taste very nice.
Bitter / Dark / Plain Chocolate
Cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar. Normally contains approximately 35% cocoa liquor
Semi-sweet Chocolate
It has approx. 15% chocolate liquor, with extra cocoa butter and sugar added. Sweet cooking chocolate is basically the same with more sugar for taste
Milk Chocolate
Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder and sugar and vanilla added. Normally contains approximately 15 % cocoa liquor
White Chocolate
In reality (and, in many countries, legally) not really chocolate at all, as it contains no cocoa solids, which leaves it the smooth ivory or beige colour. White chocolate is primarily cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla.
White 'chocolate' is the most fragile form of all the chocolates. Pay close attention to it while heating or melting it. It must be achieved slowly or it will burn and seize very easily.
Couverture
Couverture is a special kind of 'cooking' chocolate used by professional chefs. A couverture is simply a chocolate with a relatively higher cocoa butter content (a minimum of 32%, often as much as 39%). This high cocoa butter content contributes fluidity, smoothness, strength and ease of handling. In most cases, these chocolates also contain a high cocoa solid content which heightens the flavour
The formula on couverture packaging may look like this: 70/30/38. This means that there is 70% cocoa solids, 30% sugar, and 38% total fat content.
70/30/38 : describes and extra bitter couverture and indicates 70 percent cocoa
solids and only 30 percent sugar
60/40/38 : describes a bitter couverture, which is the most frequently used
50/50/38 : describes semi-sweet
36/42/38 : describes milk chocolate couverture
There are two other main types: tempered and un-tempered.
Decorator's Chocolate or Confectioner's Chocolate
This is not really chocolate at all, but a sort of chocolate flavoured candy used for things such as covering strawberries. It was created to melt easily and harden quickly, but it is not really chocolate. If you want quick and easy, use decorator's chocolate . . . if you want the real thing, use real chocolate and patience
Working with Chocolate
Storing
- Chocolate does not like moisture or too low a temperatures, it should be stored in a cool dark place and NEVER in a refrigerator
- Cooking chocolate stored in the refrigerator is likely to seize (see below) when melted
- Eating chocolate stored in the refrigerator is likely to form 'sugar bloom'. This is the white powdery residue one sometimes sees on the surface - this basically means the chocolate has sweated. Moisture has been 'squeezed' out of the chocolate due to the low temperature and then as it comes back up to room temperature it solidifies. It will do you no harm, but does affect the flavour
Eating
- Chocolate is always best eaten at, at least room temperature; this is because the taste molecules require this temperature to develop
- If a bar of chocolate or chocolate product is refrigerated and eaten the chocolate flavour will be severely diminished and only when allowed to linger in the mouth will the full flavour be experienced.
- Try this . . .
- Place some chocolate in the refrigerator overnight and leave some out
- Eat a piece of the chilled chocolate first, bite it, chew and swallow
- Now try another piece, but gently suck on it and allow it to slowly melt in the mouth
- Now try the un-refrigerator piece
- You should or will notice a remarkable difference in flavours
Utensils
- Ensure all utensils being used are free from any grease and moisture. It is always best to thoroughly rinse them off under hot running water and then wipe them with a paper kitchen towel or a fresh tea towel.
Chocolate has a very strange peculiarity to it; unlike most things that dilute when you add a liquid, a drop of water in melted / melting chocolate will cause it to 'cease', meaning it will revert back to a solid. When this happens it is totally useless for cooking (perfectly okay to give to the kids to eat while they are watching the Teletubbies though!) - Use only metal bowls, spoons etc when melting, etc. Plastic and wood can retain fat and moisture (see above)
Melting
Chocolate can be successfully melted in a microwave if GREAT care is taken. As there are so many variables with this method I do not recommend trying it.
Besides working with chocolate should be a labour of love, it should be achieved slowly, it should be done so one can see what is happening, smell the beautiful aromas as it melts and be able to taste it, allowing it to slowly linger on the palate!
- Place just a couple of centimetres of water into a saucepan; the chocolate will melt via the heat from the steam that is caused
- Do not allow the water to boil, if boiling water is allowed to come into contact with the base of the bowl, the delicate chocolate will burn and seize (see above)
- Having insured that the bowl, etc is clean (as above) place the bowl over the saucepan. This should have a tight a fit as possible so as not to allow steam to escape that could condense back into the chocolate and seize it
- Place the chocolate into the bowl (with clean, dry hands) and allow to melt as slowly as possible, stirring often to ensure the un-melted chocolate combines with the melted to form a smooth and even melt
- Once fully melted, remove the pan from the heat and use as required. If you are not ready to use it straight away, the heat from the water will keep it nicely melted for at least 20 minutes. If it solidifies slightly in this time, place the pan back over a low heat, DO NOT be tempted to try and heat it back up quickly
Tempering
Because cocoa butter exhibits what is called polymorphous or unstable crystal formation the mass must be 'tempered' to produce the desired properties: smoothness, gloss and melts only when it is eaten and not handled.
Chocolate is normally in temper when it leaves the manufacturer, but may go out of temper if improperly stored - manifested by the appearance of chocolate bloom and will require re-tempering
Chocolate as far as I am aware, contains five types of crystals, which all melt at different temperatures. Tempering basically heats the chocolate above the first which melts at approximately 18°C, cools it to 27°C and then re-heats it to the next crystal level, with a melting temperature of approximately 37°C. (body temperature) thus 'destroying' the lower level crystals.
So, if you have ever melted and used chocolate to cover sweets / candies or to make decorations and found the final result to be dull and lacking sheen, it is because of a lack of tempering. To temper follow the following procedure:
- Place just a couple of centimetres of water into a saucepan - the chocolate will melt via the heat from the steam that is caused
- Do not allow the water to boil, if boiling water is allowed to come into contact with the base of the bowl, the delicate chocolate will burn and seize (see above)
- Having insured that the bowl, etc is clean (as above) place the bowl over the saucepan. This should have a tight a fit as possible so as not to allow steam to escape that could condense back into the chocolate and seize it
- Place two-thirds of the required chocolate into the bowl (with clean, dry hands) and allow to melt as slowly as possible, stirring often to ensure the un-melted chocolate combines with the melted to form a smooth and even melt. Heat to 40°C
- Add the remaining chocolate, stir in to melt and cool to 27°C
- Re-heat to 32°C for dark, 30°C for milk and 28°C for white
- Keep at this temperature by removing and re-placing the bowl from the heat as required
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