Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Lana, if you're planning to order some organic corn syrup in large quantities, I'd definitely recommend trying a sample first. You just never know...
Forum Activity for @John DePaula
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Lana, if you're planning to order some organic corn syrup in large quantities, I'd definitely recommend trying a sample first. You just never know...
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Marroquin is a great company. BUT...you have to buy a pallet. 2000lbs of corn syrup is a lot of corn syrup.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Sarah:Try Marroquin Organic Commodity Services out of Santa Cruz, CA. They sell a number of different organic corn sweeteners .:: Clay
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
So, I do not use corn syrup in my ganaches or toffees but I do use a little in caramels. I have looked for other options-- steen's cane syrup (too distinct a flavor), rice syrup (meh!) and honey (too sweet). I would like another option but I like my recipes- the flavor, the texture. Anybody substitute something eles and if, so what?Also, I'd love a source for Organic corn syrup. I had one-- no more.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Clay,Have you tried concentrated coconut nectar? Its almost like a honey but a lot better it has a low GI and healthier than a lot of sweetener. It is 100% coconut nectar. However it is expensive. Here in the Philippines it is being retailed at 8 usd per kg.Jun
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
The majority of my truffles do not use corn syrup. The most basic truffle is simply chocolate, cream and butter. Since I sell my truffles direct to the public at either the farmer's market or craft shows, I tell them that they have a limited shelf life and need to be eaten within the next 2 weeks. Most of the time, people laugh and say that they will be gone by the end of the day. I don't use it, because I don't see the need for it, most of the time. One of the recipes that has corn syrup, I'm actually using as a sweetener because the flavor is lime and I didn't think the white chocolate had enough sweetness to counter the lime juice.Now, I do use corn syrup in the other confections I make, such as caramels and marshmallows.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/27/high-fructose-corn-syrup-mercury guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 January 2009 16.10 GMTUS researchers find traces of toxic mercury in high-fructose corn syrup Mercury linked to learning disabilities and heart disease Study published in peer-reviewed journal Environmental HealthA swig of soda or bite of a candy bar might be sweet, but a new study suggests that food made with corn syrup also could be delivering tiny doses of toxic mercury.For the first time, researchers say they have detected traces of the silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods. The study was published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health.Eating high-mercury fish is the chief source of exposure for most people. The new study raises concerns about a previously unknown dietary source of mercury, which has been linked to learning disabilities in children and heart disease in adults.The source of the metal appears to be caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, which manufacturers of corn syrup use to help convert corn kernels into the food additive.A handful of plants across the US still make the soda and acid by mixing a briny solution in electrified vats of mercury. Some of the toxic metal ends up in the final product, according to industry documents cited in the study.Corn syrup manufacturers insisted their products are mercury-free. But the study noted that at least one maker of caustic soda that has used the mercury-based technology listed the corn syrup industry as a client."This seems like an avoidable source of mercury that we didn't know was out there," said David Wallinga, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a Minnesota-based advocacy group.The researchers cautioned that their study was limited. Only 20 samples were analyzed; mercury was detected in nine.Still, the impact of the findings could be significant. High-fructose corn syrup has become such a staple in processed foods that the average American consumes about 12 teaspoons of it daily, according to federal estimates. Teenagers and young children tend to eat more of it than adults.There is no established safe dose for elemental mercury, the type discovered in corn syrup. But the US Environmental Protection Agency says an average-sized woman should limit her exposure to 5.5 micrograms a day of methylmercury, the kind found in fish.If that same woman regularly ate corn syrup contaminated at the highest level detected in the study - 0.57 micrograms per gram - the researchers estimated that she could end up consuming an amount of mercury that is five times higher than the EPA's safe dose.One former EPA scientist who reviewed the paper said more study is needed to establish the risk, if any, posed by contaminated corn syrup. She urged the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a review of food made with the sweetener."For the most part, previous studies haven't found mercury in foods other than fish," said Kathryn Mahaffey, a former EPA scientist who co-wrote a landmark report to Congress on the perils of mercury contamination. "Is this an outlier or something we didn't know about before?"In response to a 2005 Chicago Tribune series about mercury hazards, then-senator Barack Obama introduced legislation that would force chlorine plants to phase out its use or shut down. One plant in Wisconsin later vowed to switch to a mercury-free process by this year, leaving four others - in Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia - that still use the older technology.The new study's lead author, Renee Dufault, began her research while investigating the Wisconsin plant for the FDA in the mid-2000s. But her results weren't published until now, a year after she retired from the agency.An FDA spokesman said he still was waiting for a response to the study. Industry representatives, meanwhile, said the study was outdated."It is important that Americans are provided accurate, science-based information," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement. "They should know that high-fructose corn syrup is safe."In another statement, the Chlorine Institute said: "It is conceivable that measurable mercury content can be found in high-fructose corn syrup regardless of how it is processed."
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Lana.Thank you for the explanation. That's quite helpful.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Clay,I agree with 100% with you. I believe that anything in excess is bad for you.My point is, if you look at almost any product made in the USA, you are bound to find corn syrup in it.So, even though I expect people to eat chocolate (or anything else, for that matter) in moderation, I was wondering if I can get the same results in my chocolate-making without being another product manufacturer that includes corn syrup in my products. So, if there is an alternative, I would love to know what it is and to experiment with it.I believe that's a very reasonable question.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Well I'm no doctor but I don't subscribe to the notion that corn syrup is bad for you. Unless you put it in just about every single item on the grocery shelves, which is exactly what we do in the U.S. :-(For the average person, the key to good health is to have lots of variety in your diet and conscientiously stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Moderation in all things.What does Michael Pollan say? "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."There's a place for chocolate bonbons in ones' diet but it shouldn't be a major food group.Just my opinion. :-)
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Water is bad for your health if you drink too much of it.The amount of corn syrup you're talking about in a single piece is fractions of a gram. In that amount is it better or worse (considered solely from a health perspective) than refined white sugar?Probably not.You're over thinking this. There are far more important things to worry about when it comes to chocolate.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I guess my major concern is whether corn syrup can be bad for one's health. I hear different things from different people.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Oh my gosh, you certainly don't want to omit it. Doing so would drastically alter the balance of the recipe and reduce the shelf-life as well.Typically, you can substitute glucose roughly 1:1. You can try substituting other sweeteners, but you'll have to rebalance the level of sweetness. Honey, for example, can be used but it shifts the flavor profile in a direction that may not be desirable since honey is not very neutral.
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
So basically if a recipe asks for corn syrup, I can simply disregard the ingredient? Or should I replace it with something else - it does add sweetness, correct?
Corn Syrup
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I thought I've seen a thread called "How do you make your truffles" (or something similar), but I could not find it.I am very new to bonbon and truffle making (got yet to get started), but during a class I took at ICE in NYC, we were told that although their recipes called for corn syrup, we could make the ganaches without it.Do you use corn syrup? Why (or why not)? I would like a better understanding on this ingredient.Thanks,Andre CostaChocolatier-to-be
updated by @Andre Costa: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Mindy,
I agree with many of the posts thatsuggestyoudon'ttake offense to the term "re-melter." Actually a true chocolatier should wear the badge with pride as long as he/she is using the best and purest possible chocolate available to them. For all we know, that person that "belittled" the term uses toll house chocolate chips! Just do what you do best, with passion and love for the trade!... everything else will come to you due to your hard work!
Andremember, not everyone can roast cacao on a dime! or for that matter, do it right!
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I'm amazed that people are still replying to this after 3 years. Jim, your response is the best one yet. Thank you.
According to their FaceBook Company Overview, the original company in question still uses the term 're-melters'. I know for a fact they have lost business with a few of us re-melters for use of this term and way of thinking.
That's okay though, with today's market, there's plenty more to engage business with.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Jim is on the money. Do whatever you do with passion and integrity. I melt, re-melt, flavor, grind, blend... I also happen to make movies, make a good dad, and try to make a good living.Just tell the damn truth, and be who you are, respect yourself, and your competitors. Make Chocolate, and make it your own.P
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I feel compelled to ad my 2 cents here as I have had to explain to non-industry folks at chocolate tastings I have conducted the difference between a chocolate producer and a chocolatier/confectioner. We all know the difference, but we also know that creativity and craftsmanship may be expressed in many forms. While M & M/Mars is a volume producer of mass-market commericial finished goods, they also roast a lot of beans. Conversely, the good folks at See's Candies have never roasted a bean and they are driven to quality as much as the next guy.
It is paramount the we educate the consumer on their options and teach them to differentiate so that they can make decisions based on knowledge and not solely advertising, negative or otherwise. The information must be conveyed thoughtfully, objectively and accurately. I do not condone 'bashing' as a form of education. We are not the Chocolate Police but it is not inconceivable that a little respectful policing is in the best interest of the industry.
Roast, melt...whatever you do, do it with integrity, passion and creativity and advocate for an open and collegial environment for all to thrive and succeed.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Ok, this discussion is getting pretty old......let's wrap it up and close it out. Bean to Bar producers orcreative pastry chefs crafting chocolate confections from wonderful chocolates--- we are all artisans making beautiful products for other to enjoy---- let's move on and get some more productive discussions going!!
Andy Johnson
Belle Fleur Chocolates
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I have been making chocolate "at origin" from tree-to-bar in Costa Rica for about 3 years...the last 1.5 years really starting to produce a viable amount to support our family. Our challenge has been defining our chocolate as something better than the "rustic" chocolate that is not tempered or conched.
I just wanted to agree with Dirke on his two cents. Whatever you do, do it well and if you buy chocolate to use for your truffles or bars then give the "chocolate maker" some credit. Since we are also cacao producers, we are very aware of each stage of the chocolate process....not to say we are experts. But each player is important and those who are doing it all...know that everyone deserved all the credit and "Value added" to making chocolate.
I understand the bean-to-bar chocolate makers difficulty selling to "re-melters"...we have had several chocolateers, and pastry chefs who want to use our chocolate for their products because it is from Costa Rica and is superior in quality. However...we cannot produce that kind of volume and need to make the maximum value added. I only will wholesale to people who are going to give credit and pay fair value all the way to the producers.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Really has it comes to terms that define what we do? I am a chocolatier, I melt chocolate to create new and exciting things. Why would that be a bad thing? Call me a re-melter if you wish. LOL
We are all artisans in our own way regardless of what we do. " re-melter " sounds negative but in the grande scheme of things does anyone care? I don't think the average consumer or even a more savvy chocolate lover would really care what you call it.....As long as it taste good, looks good and people enjoy it, that's what matters most, no?
Be proud of what you do. Just my two cents.
updated by @Dirke Botsford: 07/04/15 16:51:23
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Just means that the Tcho employee does not understand the complexities of 're-melting'!
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Do the tasting BEFORE brushing. OK to have some water, but room temp water -- nothing cold, or the chocolate will take longer to melt. It's the most intense way to taste chocolate -- even if it's impractical for most people. Also not good if you're not a "morning person".
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Keith;
Thanks for the feedback. At this time we don't ship anywhere outside of Calgary for the simple reason that the demand here in Calgary (over a million people) is enough to consume all that we make. Choklat isn't a bulk producer. Economically there's simply no reason to broaden our reach to other markets when our current demographic consummes all of our supply.
I'll be the first to admit that differentiating our product and our strategy from that of our peers over the past few years has been difficult.The strategy hasin no way meant to make other chocolate makers look bad, however I know it comes across that way in some readers' eyes. The best analogy I can think of is that of the wine industry here in Calgary. Imagine for years that the consumer has been sold "red wine", "white wine", and "zinfandel" by EVERY wine store. No brands. No Sommoliers, No vineyards, no nothing. Everybody gets the same red, white, and zin and has been led to believe that the wine stores all produce their own wine because it's bottled differently from store to store. Inside however, the product is more or less the exact same from the same supplier. Then along comes a wine store that imports and sells wine properly, and employs a sommolier to help educate consumers about the differences that grapes, region, weather, soil, fermentation, etc play in the production of their varieties of wines. The new wine store clearly opens the consumers eyes to the vast array of taste possibilities. At the same time it's mere presence seems pretentious to those who are happy with the ol' "stand by" red, white and zyn.
There is simply no way for that new wine store to differentiate its products without disclosing to the consumer in even the most subtle way that the traditional way of buying wine has been misleading. The current stores do NOT make the wine they sell, even if their name is on the bottles! Some consumers will be upset at the new store for "attempting to make the existing peers look bad", while others will applaud the new bold direction, and honest disclosure.
This has been the case with my business. It has doubled in size since I first opened my doors, and this year will see even more growth yet. It appears that while a few feathers get ruffled, most people appreciate the honest approach to things. I would hazard a guess that those whose feathers are ruffled are either:
1) big fans of our peers who are overly defensive, or
2) people who don't care about the truth or quality of anything they put in their mouth.
What I DO know however, is that my outspoken approach to promoting chocolate here in Alberta has caused our largest competitor to change the verbiage on their packaging from "Manufactered in Calgary Alberta" to "Manufactured from imported ingredients", and at the same time OTHER small chocolatiers are now beginning to promote the brands chocolate they use rather than tell people it's "their" chocolate.
As far as I'm concerned, if my peers are making changes because of what I'm doing, then I'm definitely doing something right, and those who don't like my honest, candid approach, can crawl back into their hovel and suck a lemon. (not that I'm saying you don't appreciate it Keith! Haha!).
On the topic of early morning tastings.... Hmmm... Is that before or after brushing my teeth? An apple or orange BEFORE tastes a whole heck of a lot better than after! I wonder if chocolate is the same.
Cheers
Brad
updated by @Brad Churchill: 06/15/15 09:58:55
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Brad, and Happy New Year,
For some reason, your post of several months ago escaped my attention, and in many ways I agree with you. It's fine to differentiate your products from those of your peers. Terrific and good for you -- I'm acapitalist, too. But you can learn to do the same thing without turning people off. Your passion for your chocolate comes through and I like that. But if you can make an elite chocolate and do so without elitism, and people will not only love your chocolate -- they'll love your company. The approachcan be made to beas easy to swallow as the chocolate, is all I'm saying.
As for Recchiuti, he does some nice things with chocolate,andsome of his bars are are very good, and I wouldn't want to have standards that are so incredibly high that I never eat anything but bean-to-bar. An analogy: do youforego buying a car until you can buy a Rolls? Of course not.
I absolutely agree with you on this: there are plenty of "chocolatiers" who probably make their stuff from Baker's chocolate or some such stuff,pretty it up with lots of interior decorating, and jack up the price. Big mistake, to be sure, and it does muddy the field for legitimate people. BTW --I actually DO seek out companies that make their own chocolate. (I'm with you about Lindt, and regarding Godiva, well, the empress has no clothes and hasn't had any for ages.)
Indeed, I actually tried to purchase SoChoklat online, but it would appear that you don't deliver to the US, because I couldn't arrange delivery anwhere but Alberta. Do you market here? If not, it's a bit like saying "we're the best anywhere, and you can't have any." See what you can do to sell some to us.
BTW -- I fully agree that a side-by-side tasting of several bars from one company is a great way to go. I've even done it first thing in the morning, as recommended by Chloe Doutre-Roussel. At first I thought the ideawas nuts, until I had bought some bars while on a business trip and I did the tasting one morning in my hotel room. I was blown away by the heightened acuity in my taste buds. I highly recommend the early morning tasting idea, but it's not for the faint of heart.
Cheers,
Keith
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I have been a Chocolatier for over 20 years and have made truffles the old fashioned way that the professionals have taught me. Like with everything "new and improved" tries to replace "what has been for generations" in an effort to make way for new ideas and create new businesses. There is room for everyone's ideas, new or old, and there is no need to make anyone feel less than or inferior to make yourself feel superior. I have learned a long time ago you can't please everyone all of the time and the most important opinion is your own.
Bean to bar is a relatively new term and did not exist originally as part of the "Chocolatier" function. Chocolate manufacturers made the chocolate and the Chocolatiers were the artisans that created the decadent fillings that were the original products desired in the first place. The chocolate was merely a thin coating used as a wrapper, if you will, so you could pick up the truffle without getting it all over.
My advise to you is to do what you love, make the product you love, make the best product you can and don't be attached to the good opinion of others.... they tend not to last very long! "When you judge others you don't define them you define yourself"
Chocolate is fun and there is enough room for everyone...... Go out and keep the world sweet!
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I suppose those that use sugar from C & H are just re-sweeteners. Please don't tell me someone out here is processing raw cane into sugar, ok, maybe our friend in Hawaii... He could be the nations only purist.
updated by @Richard Foley: 01/26/15 03:49:14
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Keith;
While I can't speak for the woman at the event, I CAN tell you that as a chocolate maker and a chocolatier, I have spent 5 long years educating people about the differences between my business and other chocoaltiers, as well asthe nuances in flavour that cocoa beans create. Making your own chocolate gives the chocolatier infinitely more control over the quality and taste of the final product.
Also, the industry in general has created an image in the average consumer's mind that chocolatiers make chocolate. Case in point: I recently watched a chocolatier television pour chips into a double boiler, and proclaim "this is how you make chocolate". WTF???? Are you kidding me???
Is wanting to differentiate your products from that of your peers "snooty"? I don't think so - especially when you have the potential to create a product of a quality that far surpasses your peers. Anyone with minimal training (aka homemakers, and grannies) can take a mediocre chocolate and make goodchocolates (chocolate confections). However let's see the same unskilled "chocolatier" acquire good beans, roast them perfectly, remove the shells, and grind them intoa perfectly smooth, decadent chocolate BEFORE making confections out of them. The end result can be absolutely stellar.
IF quality matters to you as you claim, then I would suggest that you definitely seek out snooty companies that make their own chocolate.
Cheers
Brad
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I'm not an authority, just a chocolate lover who is fascinated by thegrowing, making, tasting of chocoolate and the whole experience. That said, I was REALLY disappointed (but I totally blieve it) to learn about the ridiculous snootiness of the chocolate maker in question. I don't care if they "re-melt" the chocolate. If we could rely only on bean-to-bar, then none of us would be eating it. Recchiuti makes great chocolate. Period. So do many others. Enough with the snootiness. What's next? "My mother can beat up your mother?" Quality matters to me, and I'm glad there's attention to that from many more chocolatiers.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Alan makes a good point. There are times when I want a bonbon or truffle but there are times when an absolutely plain bar is satisfying, complex, sophisticated and excellent - one is not better or higher level than the other. I make them all and find that plain, bonbon or truffle satisfy different taste needs/desires at different times.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Alan,I agree with you...I wasn't thinking about the fact that well-made chocolate can stand on its own and indeed doesn't need another level. I was primarily referring to the business of couverture chocolate, which I think is what the original post was referring to (maybe not?) Callebaut does produce its own line of chocolate bars for cooking, eating, etc. But its couverture chocolate goes out and is converted to bars, pralines, and other delightful delicacies.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I was with you until the part where you said that "some produce chocolate from the bean while others take it to the next level."I think that there is plenty of excellent chocolate these days that doesn't need to be taken to a "next level." In such cases, though confections made with this excellent chocolate may be delicious and amazing, the flavor of the original chocolate, I believe, can certainly stand on its own. Put simply, why do we have to say that one is better than the other? The way I'd like to put it is that both can be equally amazing, but in different ways and for different reasons.Alan
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
My two-cents on the topic: I've interviewed several top chocolatiers in Belgium for my website and none of them made their own chocolate from the bean. in Belgium, there are two companies which provide the bulk of couverture chocolate: Belcolade and Callebaut. The cocoa beans go there, they process into liquid, drops, etc. and ship it out to some of the best chocolatiers in the world who then take the chocolate and make their own magic with it. I haven't talked to any of them who didn't tell me where they get their chocolate from. In fact, at one producers, I saw bags lying around with the source company's logo on it. I think it's a given in Belgium that some produce chocolate from the bean while others take it to the next level.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Sandra;This is quite a long thread, and there's a lot of good points made throughout. Of the many on this forum, this entire thread is a worthwhile read.Cheers.Brad.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
It definitely seems a bit shallow to me and just bad business practice. No one gets to the top by putting others down or their products. That is how I feel as there is enough business for all of us.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
From what I hear using "invert sugar" is another way of extending the shelf life of ganache. Wikipedia tells me that invert sugar has lower water activity than sucrose and this is why it imparts a longer shelf life.Not sure what "longer shelf life means". Two months for Joseph Shmidt without preservatives seems surprisingly long. I would love to see their list of ingredients.