Pectin
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Is it apple pectin for pate de fruit you are looking for?
Forum Activity for @Kerry
Pectin
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi everyone.
I feel like I haven't participated in the forums for ages...
I have a quick question. I am looking into pectin, but there are a few varieties available and I am not sure the one I should get, as I need to get a small amount to test some recipes.
I found a lot of options on Amazon.com - and that's the issue: too many options.
What brand do you use? And where do you get it from, if not from Amazon.com
Thank you all!
Andre
updated by @Andre Costa: 04/11/25 09:27:36
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Ben -
It's possible to put a digital thermometer in the chocolate and attach it to a device that will turn the power on and off. However, you will only be measuring the temperature at one point, so I don't know how useful it will be.
:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 09/13/15 00:25:47
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Sorry to hear it didn't work for you. I've been using it for a couple months now and haven't had any problems with it. I haven't left chocolate in it overnight, though. Generally, I'll put a pan of chocolate in it in the morning for tempering a few hours later.
I wonder if there's a way to have the power cut when the chocolate reaches a certain temp and then turned back on if it drops.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
While I haven't attempted to temper in it, I have been using it for the past couple months as a chocolate melter, and can say that it works great. I stick to the lowest 2 1/2 settings and have had no issues with scorching. At level 2 1/2, the bottom of the warmer (where the heating element is) got over 180, but the bottom of the pan of chocolate never went above 140.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
I have tried it, and it didn't work for me. It didn't work for melting either. I left it overnight on the lowest setting and by morning the chocolate and cocoa butter had completely separated (way too hot)
That's for the webrestaurantstore.com melter, not the dessertshouse.com one.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Just wondering if anyone has tried tempering chocolate in the food warmer mentioned in this discussion.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Good point, Brad. I haven't yet, but I'll test it and post my results. I could use water with this as well, but wanted to avoid that if possible.
One other data point: on its lowest setting, it warmed the pan of water to 100F and held it there. It took a few hours to reach that temp.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Ben;
Did you check the temperature that the bottom/sides of the pan get while heating the contents? It's one thing to heat water and see that it's holding the temperature at around 140. HOWEVER.... Chocolate burns VERY easily. Did you take the temperature of the walls of your food warmer while it was getting the contents to the "stand by" temperature? If the walls go higher than 180 F, you're going to have some burnt chocolate on your hands.
It is this exact reason that almost everychocolate melter on the market uses eitherwarm water, or a gentle, non direct heat source and not the heating elements used in food warmers.
Just food for thought....
Brad.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
No problem George! While I haven't tested it for tempering, I actually believe it would work (assuming the temp range they gave me is accurate). It seems to hold a steady temperature, so you should be able to temper with it just like you would with a mol d'art.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Thank you Ben for checking this out. I placed an order yesterday for one. Even if it won't work for tempering in it I will be able to use it to keep melted chocolate on hand to refill the chocovision.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
So, I tested the food warmer using a hotel pan of cool water. I started by setting the warmer to 4. This brought the water up to 140 and held it pretty consistently for an hour or so. The next day, I set it to 3 and it held it right at 130 for several hours.
So, it looks like it can hold temp pretty well and can go low enough to be used to melt chocolate. I haven't had a chance to actually melt chocolate with it, but it looks like a viable alternative to more expensive melters.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Please let us know how it works. It'd be a good option if it works.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
I ordered one last night around 7:30 and it's already on the truck for delivery today.
This one can be operated wet or dry, so moisture shouldn't be a problem. Dry operation, like most of the 'true' chocolate melters, was one of the characteristics I was looking for. Most of the food warmers that I found required water.
I don't have any chocolate needing melting today, but I'll try to do some tests with water in the pan to see how well it works.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Then it should be good to go. Keeping the temp low will also reduce any moisture that might get into the chocolate. (Or, make sure you have tight lids.)
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Panasonic Inverter Technology Microwave, 2.5 cubic feet.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
APW replied and said that the linked food warmer's temperature range is 70-180 F. So, it looks like it should work well for chocolate melting.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
I realize you don't need a stable temp.
The question is: "How long will it take for any given approach to melting chocolate take to melt X weight to desired temp?" This melter might be real fast - too fast, in fact in that it will melt far more chocolate than you need far more quickly than you need to a temperature much higher than you need.
If so, then whatever money you're saving on the equipment you're losing in increased energy costs.
Or maybe not. There could be ways to much more closely monitor the equipment, but it won't be "set and forget" especially at the beginning.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Thanks Clay. Definitely good points. I've got an email in to them. I'll post their reply when I get it. I'm mostly looking for something to pre-melt chocolate to load into my tempering machine--not really hold it at temp once melted.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
To everyone looking to shave a few bucks off a purchase, capital acquisition costs are only a small part of the total cost picture, or total cost of operation (TCO).
Operating a piece of equipment can cost more than buying it.
If one piece of equipment is less energy efficient than another, then it may make more sense to buy the more expensive piece of equipment as it will be cheaper in the long run
Ben - the unit you're looking at is a food warmer. It wants to hold food above 150F. That's real high for chocolate. I'd contact the company (or the web site) and ask them what the bottom end of the range on the thermostat is. Even is 150F is okay, you'll pay more to keep it at that temp than at 120F - and it will cost more in the long run, even if you saved a few bucks up front.
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
I don't have any experience with that melter, but have been thinking about getting this food warmer to use as a chocolate melter:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/apw-wyott-w-3v-12-x-20-countertop-food-warmer-120v/135W3V%20%20%20%20%20%20120.html
Has anyone used one of these? How did it work?
DessertsHouse.com Chocolate Melter
Posted in: Opinion
Does anyone have any experience with these melters? They seem to be a great price at less than $500 for an 18kg chocolate melter.
I just want to make sure I'm not throwing money at a melter that won't hold a stable temp.
Thanks!
updated by @George Trejo: 04/19/15 22:29:56
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Have you tried making your bark thin and sprinkling the inclusions onto it? Like mendiants, very large mendiants.
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Take the bloomed bark, warm it back up to melt out the chocolate, sieve it to get out the inclusions, and use the chocolate you've collected. Just watch for any needed changes in temper if you get enough oils from nuts or other sources.
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Do you temper the chocolate before you make the ganache? I've learned that ganache needs to be made with tempered chocolate to get the proper consistency.
Thanks
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
You can make chocolate caramels, nuts, fruit and all. Also make a ganache filling.
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
In the machine? or only by hand?
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
It depends on a few things- if there's only a small amount that bloomed, I will usually chop it up and use it as samples. I don't think people can tell when it's chopped into pieces, and it doesn't really affect the flavor. If it's a large amount, I will melt it down and re-temper (by hand, not in the machine). This doesn't work for everything- for example, dried fruit can burn during the melting process. But for most of my barks, it's been fine.
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
So, I have a question related to this, what do you do with the bark after it has bloomed? You do you re-temper it with all the ingredients in it or do you use it for sampling (which I have seen at some shops I visited while doing research for opening my shop) I have some bark that bloomed and I don't know what to do with it. I can't bring myself to sample it because of the look of it and I don't know if it will work trying to temper it manually. Any ideas or thoughts?
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I have this problem sometimes when the ingredients I am adding to the choc are too cold, I would warm the ingredients you are adding slightly like you say.
Making bark with a tempering machine
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi friends,I just got my first tempering machine- a Chocovision X3210 (the 10lb one). I want to use it to make my barks, which involve adding different ingredients (nuts, pretzels, etc) to the tempered chocolate. Recently I've had some issues with this- the chocolate will be perfectly tempered, I'll throw in the ingredients, stir, pour out onto sheets, and spread, and then when it sets it gets streaky and bloomed. It doesn't happen every time, but it happens enough. I started to add the ingredients at the end of the tempering process but before the chocolate is totally tempered and that seems to work better. But my question is, how can I do this with a tempering machine? I don't want to put anything but chocolate into the machine, of course. Should I warm up the ingredients slightly so they're not at room temp? Should I take the chocolate out of the machine a few degrees shy of being tempered? Any help would be appreciated!
updated by @Chocolate Luv: 04/11/25 09:27:36
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
From what I have learned, a tarea of cacao land where my wife is born produces 1-3 quintales (100 pounds) per year with most producing 1. 30,000 pounds (300 quintales) of dry cacao beans will get you $1,650,000 pesos or about US$43,000. Sanchez, unfermented was getting RD$5,500 per quintal in July and may be a little higher today due to rise of cacao on the international market. After you pay for your labor, transportation (vehicle and mule) and the capacity to dry, my guess is you end up with about US$25,000. These are raw numbers and feel free to pick at them. I am sure additional costs are not included. So net profit. You sure will not live high on the hog managing 300 tareas. Most farmers have less and some have more. All have other forms of income or ways to provide for the family.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
You are right. Let me correct my numbers. I looked up the new Dominican minimum wage and they vary and the rural worker 10 hours a day is listed around 200 pesos a day. I know that the average worker gets 2000 pesos a week for a 5 day week. A Dominican will not work for $200 pesos a day and is the reason why Haitians are taking over much of the manual labor force. Thank you correcting me.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
Thomas,
i was addressing the worker...worker, not farm owner.
I don't ubderstand your math. If the worker receives US$5.25 per day, it seems difficult to arrive at
US$210 per month. 210/5.25=40 days per month? Do day labors work every day...7 days per week?
normal work weeks are 5.5 days that would earn US$ 28.87 per week or US$115.00 per month.
Workers in Brazil work 44hr weeks, holidays and Sundays are 2X normal salary and night service is 1.5
times normal salary.
Is the US$25000 gross or net profit?
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
Cacao plantations are generally considered sustainable environmentally speaking if chemicals are not used? The areas in the DR will cacao are very forested and allow for complimentary crops to be grown for personal consumption. Plantanos, bananas yucca, and other root vegetables, citrus mango and zapote to name a few are found scattered all over the place with and around the cacao.
From a cultural perspective. I find the cacao regions to generally be better off economically, are organized, have good schools and access to health care. Those that own a decent amount of land travel to the US when they want and are often leaders in their communities. They tend to take care of each other and everyone does their part. I would argue that cacao areas that I am associated with in the Dominican Republic are sustainable. The income provided to these areas by cacao production is their base.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
The minimum wage in the Dominican Republic is listed at RD$4,900. That is inaccurate information. In May of 2011 it was raised and the campo worker minimum wage is about RD$200/day, about US$5.25. That comes out to about RD$8000 a month or about US$210. They way it works in the area I work is that people are available as day labors for the busy times. Each cacao producer generally have their trusted employees who work full-time on aspects of running a farm and harvesting other products. These trusted employees almost become part of the family and are often related in some manner. My guess is that a 300 tarea cacao farm (60 acres) will bring about US25,000 a year in profits with a land value of US$70,000-100,000. It is a lot of work and then you need to have fermentation and dryers if you do not sell it wet.
So who are we talking about getting the fair price for their labor and investment, the farmer/worker or the worker/employee?
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
i agree with jim,
sustainable should be for the workers, sustainable should be as well for the land/nature.
we notice that more and more people knows about fair trade and also understand that fair trade doesn't always mean "sustainable".
I think that the world of chocolate is ready for a new change: too many organization requiring money for a "stamp", too many different ones.
If anyone comes up with a fair priced -sustainable for the worker and for the land- "stamp" it would be very good. but only one, not one for germany, one for Usa one for Asia ect... just one, world wide that is sustainable for the farmers.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
Clay, I am reluctant to use the term sustainability when referring to cacau. I am more prone to apply the word to cacao workers. Far too long we have wrung our hands and searched for way to obtain cocoa beans that meet some imaginary standard. It is not the trees that suffer from abusive producers and governments, ITS THE WORKER!!!! Take a look at the salaries for selected cocoa producing countries. Does this look sustainable to you?
The Harkin-Engel Protocol made a watered down attempt to protect children that were working in cocoa plantations, but, I hear very little mention of the thousands of adult workers who are working for pennies a day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country
Benin 30,000 CFA francs (46) per month
Bolivia 647 Bolivian bolivianos (66) per month
Brazil R$ 545.00 about US$ 348.39 per month, paid 13 times a year one monthpaid vacation plus 8.5% retirement deposit
Burkina Faso 30,684 CFA francs (47) a month in the formal sector; does notapply to subsistence agriculture 182,000
Chile Chilean pesos (258) per month for workers aged 1865 ;
Columbia 535,000 Colombian pesos (207) a month (2011);
Costa Rica 131,907 Costa Rican colones (186) a month
Ivory Coast it varies by occupation, with the lowest set to 36,607 CFA franc (56)
Dominican Republic 4,900 Dominican pesos (91)
Ghana Ghanaian cedis (1.95) a dayGuatemala Guatemalan quetzales (4.78) per day for agricultural work
Indonesia 1,410,000 rupiah (116) per month in Papua; as low as 675,000rupiah per month in West Java
Madagascar 70,025 Malagasy ariary (25) per month for nonagriculturalworkers; 71,000 ariary per month for agricultural workers[9]
Mexico 54.47 pesos (3.49) in Zone C (all other states)
Nigeria 18,000 naira (81) per month, nationally (with a 13 month year as the lawmandates an extra month's pay for the Christmas holiday)
Peru 550 Peruvian nuevos soles (139) per month[52]
Sao Tome 650,000 So Tom and Prncipe dobras (27) per month for civil servants
Is this Fair Trade? Is this good for natural habitat? Is this good for the rain forest? Is this organic? It;s time we look past the glitzy organizations with certified backgrounds and insist that the actual producers are treated in a SUSTAINABLE manner.
Jim Lucas
Jim Lucas
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
Good question. Being back in my hometown in Gascony, watching the October sun set on the yellow-leafed vines that were harvested last month, and that were already planted around here by the Romans 2000 years ago, I guess the obvious notion of sustainable cocoa ought to be: a cultivation of cocoa that could be sustained for many centuries, while nurturing the local community, its people and its culture.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
While UTZ may be less well known (to some) than FLO, RA, and others, the question is really about your feelings about the definition of sustainable.
What does "Sustainable" mean to you, when it comes to cocoa?
Posted in: Opinion
We see a lot of UTZ cacao in Vietnam (in fact most of our current chocolate line comes from UTZ cacao), but because the certification is either unknown or associated to huge industrial actors (Mars, Cargill...) we haven't bothered indicating that our chocolate is 'UTZ certified'; having said that, if the certification is done reasonably, which I haven't checked in detail, to exclude obviously non environmentally-friendly or exploitative practices, I say why not, because what we see on the ground is UTZ farmers getting a premium without the well-known (on this forum at least) drawbacks of the costly, cumbersome Fair Trade or Organic certification process, which are just beyond the reach of any individual Vietnamese farmer.