Forum Activity for @Rodney Nikkels

Slow-food

Posted in: Opinion

Dear Seneca

Just a quick comment regarding the carbon footprint from fine chocolate. The carbon emission from transport is relatively limited, compared to the emissions from production stage (farms) and the chocolate manufacturing stage, therefore I don't think it matters much where the chocolate is manufactured, especially because the large scale industry is relatively efficient in terms of GHG emissions per TM of output. Perhaps for the fine chocolate industry the source of energy is something to consider (wind, water, solar, bio-mass?)

For tropical commodities, like cocoa beans, the carbon emission caused by deforestation plus the use of agro-chemicals are by far the most important GHG sources. In that sense one could say that the fine flavour (criollo, trinitario) beans do have limited impact compared to the west african cacao systems (land converion from secondary forests to cocoa plantation) or the Asian cacao production (highly fertilised). The criollo cacao beans don't cause much land conversion and use very little inputs in most cases (especially when grown by small holder farmers).Perhaps the increasing demand for fine flavour beans triggers the conversion of degraded land back into cacao farms?

It is a complex subject, so I hope I didn't make it more complex......

Best regards

Rodney Nikkels

Slow-food

Posted in: Opinion

To the extent that the slow food ethic embraces local foods, chocolate manufactured at or near the site of cacao production seems to fit well. There are an ever-increasing number of such efforts in such diverse locations as Madagascar, Ecuador, Grenada, Central America, and of course here in Hawaii.

I think the twin topics of carbon loading and the colonial production system in chocolate are vital issues for all of us to consider as the fine chocolate marketplace continues to develop...

Slow-food

Posted in: Opinion

Pimm:

Having just got done doing a very successful chocolate tasting for the NYC Slow Food chapter I would have to say that all of these companies fall within the constellation of attributes that Slow Food embraces. However, the chocolate brands themselves may or may not consider themselves to fit the Slow Food mantra.

Much chocolate is among the least-sustainable, least "locavore" gourmet foods going - beans grown in the tropics, shipped to Europe, converted to chocolate, shipped to NY and then to LA to be made into confections and then shipped ... around the world in some cases.

Something to consider.

:: Clay

Slow-food

Posted in: Opinion

Are brands like Fine&Raw, Bonnat, Amedei, Duffy's and Original Beans considered as 'Slow-food'?
updated by @Pimm van der Donk: 04/14/15 12:58:41

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

it's 100% about control of water activity. if you start with fresh cream and boil off the water in the cream, for example, you've got very little shelf life concerns from a micro standpoint. if you add sufficient soluables such that any remaining water has had it's Aw lowered, you're in similiarly good shape.

Can you use fresh cream and make a shelf stable product? Absoultely. Just understand what drives the mode of failure and how to control it.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I have another question for the experts: See's Candies. They use real heavy cream, fresh fruits, and all this other stuff that should go bad pretty fast. I was under the impression that if I used these things in my truffles and packaged them, they would have to be eaten within like 2 or 3 days! How is it that See's Candies can use these ingredients, package them, and put them on a shelf at a store for weeks and weeks!?? Then someone buys them and may have them for a few more weeks. I would LOVE to use these things. Is it even possible?

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

and sorry, dipped them in dark chocolate or milk

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Try this: 1kg of tempered milk chocolate

1 kg of white temperd chocolate

750g of red wine , or muscat

stir all together.It will get harder but warmup the bowl on the stove and keep stiring until it comes together, smooth. spread the mixer between the frames (or a baking tray),and let set for 24 hours. and shape as you pleased

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Wow, the amount of help and advice that I have received here is unbelievable! I couldn't thank you all enough! I will be trying all these things throughout the week (I still have 55 hrs a week of duty in the Army), so it may take me a while to try all these out at home, but once I figure out what worked, I will post back here to let everyone know so if someone else searches this issue later, they will have whatever worked for me.

Thanks again so much everyone!!!

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

technical point of clarity - while canola and rapeseed are closely related, they are different and legal definitions that distinguish them, chief of which is the fatty acid distribution. Also, his issue of shelf life will be primarily one of flavor - not food safety - as there's no water present and will be solely due to oxidation - no one's likely to get sick; it's just taste bad.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Those solid coconut oils you're seeing have a melting point of approximately 96F - the natural coconut oils have such a range of fatty acids that, even though they're 'designated' a melting point of 76, it's really a huge range - meaning that in the 60-70's ish - they'll start to solidify, take on a pasty consistency, and look very strange. Jessica does make a good point about eutectics below - which is absolutely true - sort of a strange phenomenon where the sum of the two parts is less than the whole. You're best to experiment with different fats - however going with a fractionated/hydrogenated coconut oil for use as a centering fat will not, in my experience, deliver a great meltaway type texture. That said, acceptable texture is not up to me to decide for your product 8-)

Other options to consider include palm kernal and palm oils. Soybean if you want to start playing with the laurics; although now you've got to be more careful of what you use as your flavorants to ensure you're not wading into the realm of enzymatic degradation.

Although this goes against conventional wisdom, a chocolate shell really isn't a great oxygen barrier - it certainly does help, but it's not as good as one might think.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

there is some long shelf life ready made from belcolade. the name is crystofill.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

you can use cocoa butter, or maybe copha

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Just a note about quirky chemistry between cocoa and coconut fats. Mixing these two actually lowers the melting point of your mixture to BELOW the melting point of either fat individually. This is known as a eutectic effect, and will happen when you mix cocoa fats with either coconut fats or palm kernal oil, or any lauric fat, in fact.

Coconut fat has a melting point around 33C/94F

Cocoa butter has a melting point around 34C/94F

Combined, the melting point actually drops well below 33C

We're talking meltaway centres, where the transition in the mouth from solid to liquid state happens VERY quickly, and the transfer of heat that happens in the melt actually leaves the tongue feeling cooled. There is a chocolate candy that makes use of this chemistry... I used to love them when I was 6. They come foil wrapped squares and triangles.

With the drop in melting point for your centres, this could cause a few problems for enrobing/dipping, so you'd have to be more careful if you were going to coat in that manner. Shell moulding would work better with a centre involving coconut fat.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Sebastian:

Thanks for the technical clarifications on coconut oil ... especially on the melt point.

When I go into my local health food store I do see coconut oils that are solid at "store temp" which is maybe ten degrees lower than 76F, hence my saying that it's solid at "room temp."

Anhydrous milk fat (sometimes called butter oil) is a good option as you suggest - a little harder to find, but if the chocolate shells covering the ganache are done with properly tempered chocolate and are thick enough, they should form a sufficient oxygen barrier, no?

:: Clay

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Klassy:

There is no "standard of identity" for ganache, so there's no legal reason why you can't call it a ganache instead of a "ganache-like substance" even if there is no dairy in the mix. Many ganaches have ingredients like invert sugars (e.g., sorbitol) and those don't disqualify them from using the term ganache.

Technically, emulsions consist of two different substances (water, oil) mixed together. Chocolate is a suspension of cocoa powder particles in crystallized cocoa butter, so I suppose that what you're making is still a suspension (because there is nothing to emulsify lecithin, which is an emulsifier, won't help).

Canola oil is used because it's cheap. Because cocoa butter is solid at room temp I like the idea of using coconut oil because it has a similar melt point and it's also a tropical plant. Another name for canola oil is rapeseed and I just don't like the sound of that in my chocolate.

As for the 4-6 month claim, you're best off getting these tested so you can feel confident making the claim. There is a potential liability issue if someone gets sick eating one before the "best by" date.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Canola oil isn't going to be great for long shelf life as it's so highly unsaturated. Coconut oil - depending on what type you get - will vary quite a bit - you're really not going to want something that's highly fractionated or hydrogenated - you don't want it to have a high melting point (or read another way - you don't want it to approximate cocoa butter) as the whole reason you're using it is as a replacement for cream - you want it to be soft. Now, normally, softer oils have lower shelf life (they'll oxidize more rapidly due to lower saturation). I'd look for a high oleic oil - high oleic canola oils do exist commercially. If you go as Clay suggests, i'd consider a natural coconut oil (has approximately a 76F melting point) - it should not appear solid at room temperature - if it does, it's either been highly fractionated or hydrogenated, and isn't likely to give you the texture you're after. Anhydrous milk fat may be another option to consider, but will likely have more exposure to both price volatility as well as oxidation - it will, however, make a very good center.

You are not emulsifying anything via your approach. You're only looking to homogenize it via vigorous mixing.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

The same thing happens when I make my version of nutella in my grinder - essentially hazelnut oil/canola oiland chocolate instead of just canola oil. The granular bits I think are crystals of cocoa butter forming. The way to prevent this is to agitate the ganache by stirring it wellevery now and then as it cools to room temp - this iskind of like tempering it just makes the crystalising cocoa butter not form such large crystals, you willfind the 'ganache' will be thicker too.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you Lana, Clay and Sebastian for your responses. I am going for a 4-6 month shelf life, or longer if possible, unless that is unrealistic. And you were right about the mixing, I did use a wooden spoon in a bowl. I will try blending it with the canola oil better, and then let it sit at room temp till it cools. I was being impatient by using the freezer lol. Also, I will be enrobing them in dark chocolate (Cacao Barry Extra Bitter Guayadill, Tempered), so they will be enclosed. Also, I will try the coconut oil that you recommend. The only reason that I chose canola was because thats what I saw it on so many ingredients lists for similar products.

So another question; since there is no water in my recipe (just melted chocolate and oil), is there really any emulsification going on? What exactly am I making here, just a creamier chocolate center? Im not sure what to call it.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

My strong suspicion is that what you're experiencing has absolutely nothing to do with the canola oil (although w/o knowing exactly what it is you're using, it's hard to say for certain). Additional soy lecithin will not help in the least. Canola's freezing point is somewhere between -20 and -40F, so it's not likely 'fat balls' you're getting, unless your oil has been tainted (much of store oil is, actually). The microwaving may be denaturing some proteins, which could be part of your problem - be very gentle with your melting. Be very thorough with your mixing, and do your cooling very slowly.

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Shelf life of confections is determined by many things, but water activity plays a big part. Water is the medium in which spores grow, turning dairy sour and inviting mold. However, the science is not that simple ...

What kind of shelf life at room temperature are you looking for?

Ganache is a usually a water/fat emulsion. The chocolate provides the fat while the liquid (most commonly dairy, including cream and butter) provides the water. By replacing the dairy with another fat you introduce a number of challenges.

The first things that occur to me in your description:

A) There is no need to freeze;cover the ganache (with plastic wrap) let cool to room temp, and then put in the fridge to set.

B) Though you say you are mixing it well, my guess is that you're not mixing it well enough. Don't use a wooden spoon or a balloon whisk, use a stick blender.

C) Choose another fat ... a cold-pressed coconut oil comes to mind. It's much better for you and the fat is solid at room temp; the melting point is closer to that of cocoa butter. The quantity of added fat you use will determine the texture. More fat, more fudge-like texture.

Finally, what are you using to cover the ganache? If you're just rolling balls in cocoa powder shelf life will be shorter. If you're covering the ganache centers with chocolate, the covering chocolate will have to be tempered, the ganache, because of the addition of the fat, will never temper.

HTH,

:: Clay

Need "ganache" help quick!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

So I have 1 day to figure this out! I am trying a different method of making truffles. I need my truffles to have a long shelf life so I can package them and sell them in stores without refrigeration. So instead of heavy cream, I am using Canola Oil. The only reason I switched to oil is because when I look at truffles sold on the shelf (like Lindt's Lindor Truffles), they dont have cream in them, they have some sort of vegetable oil. The problem is I just made 2 test batches and it was perfect when it was cold/cool, but when it hit room temp, it got super grainy! It was so smooth, just like the center of those Lindt Truffles, like a super smooth creamy chocolate "ganache like" center. (I realize its not a TRUE ganache, but I dont know what else to call it lol). But after it hits room temp, it feels like I dumped a cup up sugar in there. Is this a temperature problem? Is it something to do with the emulsification? Do I need to temper it or something?

The way I made them was:

Melted the Guittard Chocolate (12 ounces) in microwave.

Added 1/3 cup canola oil for one batch, 1/2 cup for the second (as a test)

Mixed well.

Put in freezer for maybe 5 minutes.

Moved to fridge.

Took it all out when it was firm.

Then when I would take a little spoon full, it was super smooth and pretty good! But after 20 minutes of sitting out, it was the worst "ganache" ive ever had.

Im pretty new to this (chocolate), but really love working with this stuff. I want to get good at it so bad, but cant afford to go to school right now. Does anyone know what Im doing wrong here?

Possible solutions that I can think of:

I have some Soy Lecitin... Should I put some of that in the mix?

Should I let it set at a different temp? Maybe for a day instead of 20 min?

Too much/too little oil?

Maybe some butter?

Temper it? (I have a Rev2 machine, and a Mol de art melter (6kg, havent used it yet)

Ask the pros? (:

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I wont forget it either!

Thanks!

Ryan

updated by @Klassy: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Excellent and very informative post Damion.

Thank you!

Brad

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Damion - Thanks! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

hey jessica,

from a chemistry stand point, agave syrups can be used as an invert sugar for ganaches. the basic composition of agave is made up of fructose and glucose. both of which have a greater capacity than sucrose to bind and stabilize water. your typical confectionery invert (i.e. trimoline, nuvoline etc..) is composed of dextrose and fructose. typically in a 50/50 split. on the surface, i would say that its quite possible that invert sugars might be slightly more effective at stabilizing water as dextrose is more effective than glucose in this regard. the one thing to consider when using these ingredients is what is their role in the recipe. from a flavor standpoint, both inverts and agave (due to the presence of fructose) are roughly 30% sweeter than sucrose. this naturally adds a sweetness to the finished product. they also affect the texture of ganache, sometimes making it creamier, sometimes softer or gummier....depending on the types of sugars we use. however the real importance of adding sugars, of any sort, to ganache is their abilities to bind and stabilize water. this is how we are able to modify the shelf life of ganaches....the control and stabilization of water. all sugars, inverts, fruit sugars, alcohol sugars, do this to different capacities. as we write our ganache recipes, we must keep in mind the total amount of water in the recipe so that we know how much and of what kind of sugars to add to create the desired result. this is especially important if you are looking to convert recipes with invert into agave. typically, commercial inverts are 82% dry (sugar) and 18% wet (water). in contrast agave syrups have about 75% dry and 25% wet (there does seem to be some differences in brands, so probably best to check with specific manufacturers for more precise info). this extra water will actually help to reduce shelf life, so it must be checked through a reduction in water from the other ingredients in the recipe (i.e. cream, butter, puree, alcohol etc...)

from standpoint of 'health' or ' natural', there does seem to be some controversy around agave these days. agave is an industrial sugar product that seems to have been around only since the 90's. the two main methods of production are by boiling the ball the at the base of the agave plant (the source of the carbohydrates) or by enzymatic hydrolysis (the same method that commercial inverts are produced). in the case of the boiling of the carbohydrates (to convert them to sugars), the product is not 'raw'. on the other hand, the hydrolysis is not exactly natural. the real controversy comes up when you look at the chemical composition of agave. agave is very high in fructose sugar. it can range anywhere from 70-90%. this is even higher than high fructose corn syrups. there is an increasing amount of studies linking high fructose levels with obesity (having to do with the way the sugar is absorbed and stored in the body).

so is agave exactly natural...honestly, i don't know. im not advocating for or against its usage in confections. for diabetics, this is clearly a better option than many other sugars out there. from the stand point of chemistry its totally usable. i would advise checking with different manufacturers and try to get as much info as you can. there are companies that do make raw versions and there are differences in water and sugar contents. in the end, the percentages we are using are quite small when compared to other food manufacturers. a ganache bonbon is not exactly a can of soda.

hope this helps!

damion

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Jessica, I have begun to experiment with agave in my ganache, since I do not like things too sweet. I have found there is no problem with the emulsification at all and I am hoping to start using this in my products soon. I am still doing some further testing and would love to hear your thought if you do decide to try it.

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi Jessica, I've been making agave sweetened ganache for truffles and fillings since 2004 and it works great! As I do not like my truffles too sweet I start with 100% chocolate and use the agave for the sweetener. That way I get an intense Dark chocolate truffle. The shelf life is not as long as when using corn syrup (which I never use) so don't expect to have truffles sitting on a shelf for months (like most candy). In any case truffles are at their best when freshly made and should be consumed within a short time span. Some chocolatiers never hold truffles past one day! Hope this helps. -Mark

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Anytime I can help!

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks Jessica! I'll definitely do that.

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hey Brad - Agave is totally available in Canada. It's actually where I first came across it. Check places where health-food is found. David's tea also has a decent agave at a fairly good price - I ordered some from them since the stuff I've seen here is stupidly expensive.

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

just curious....

What does chunky/grainy/gritty have to do with emulsification?

Further to the referenceof the chocolate being"chunky/grainy/gritty", the texture means that the cocoa hasn't been refined long enough to where the particles are small enough that our palletes can't detect the texture anymore. In my opinioin, one could get a better effect and the same health benefitsfrom a silky, well refined chocolate, with good quality nibs added to the bars.

With regard to the agave syrup, that would certainly be an interesting ingredient to try. I'm interested, but don't even know if we can get that up here in Canada.

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi Jessica,

We recently started ranging a RAW chocolate product. The company is not bean to bar, but uses raw product they buy in, re-combine (I think) and then use Agave nectar as a sweetener. This means the chocolate is sugar free (apart from natural occurring sugars which is about 2.5%), vegan, gluten free, etc. It has been surprisingly popular, especially given it is quite a high price in comparison.

Interestingly, they do not use an emulsifier either, so it is chunky/grainy/gritty. Surprisingly, I thought the chocolate was rather intense in flavor (its 74% I think) and not too bad! I have no opinion on the benefits of raw, and am not sure about their claims that it contains 4x the anti-oxidants of other chocolate, but if customers want it, we will sell it (so long as it meets our criteria, which this does)

You can find the company here: http://www.naturesgold.co.nz/index.html

Cheers

Stu

Agave

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Has anyone tried using agave syrup as an invert sugar in ganaches?

At first glance, the chemistry seems to work, and I like the idea of a natural, vegan invert sugar that doesn't have as detectable a flavour as honey. The idea of this natural additive to prolong shelf life a little is attractive to me.

Any negative or positive comments on this would be appreciated.

updated by @Jessica Conrad: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

thanks for saying it so clearly. I am with you too and may quote you if you don't mind.

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Why no peanut butter?

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Hi,

Our CocoaTown equipment like ECGC-12SL melangers and ECGC-65A Grindeurs have been used bychocolatiers around the world to grind almonds, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, walnuts etc. (except peanut butter) into nut butters, and to grind raw or roasted cocoa nibs into cocoa liquor.You canfind more information atcocoatown.com

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Do you know about "metate"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metate

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Every time I see a new package in the health food store with "Raw Chocolate" I just can not get into it. Just a marketing ploy, not the best tasking chocolate or the most healthy chocolate. And when ever I do buy a "raw" bar the taste is just not there. So for me "raw" on a chocolate bar means its a low / poor quality bar that is relying on a marketing gimmick rather then on taste. I have done some experiments with processing chocolate at low temperatures. Not letting the temp get high when fermenting and drying, not roasting, etc...grinding in a santha rather then a cocoatown, and guess what, grade A criollo beans ending up tasting very nasty. I did not have the feeling that it was good for me in any way, very astringent, dry, bitter, tannic, not good. Is there any credible chef, nutritionist, or chocolate maker who has seen any valid study to say that "raw" chocolate is heather? We paid $500 a year for the organic label. If someone slaps RAW on the label, you guessed it, its free.

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Thanks again for the information Clay!

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

There is a small export market for pods into the US, mainly for decorative floral applications. The pods must be fumigated, and because the supply chain is not as tightly integrated as it is in flowers, by the time the pods arrive they are way past their prime. You could eat just the seeds, but the pulp is the real treat here and once a pod has been off a tree for a more than a couple of days it starts to dry out inside and is far less appealing.

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

yes bravo Clay, that was enlightening. Why don't the raw foodists eat the fresh cacao pods. Does anybody export fresh cacao pods for eating?

Stone Grinder for Raw Chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Hi Yvonne,

Our customers are using the ECGC-65-A Grindeurs and Deluxe melangers for nut butters and are happy with the results. ECGC -65-A Grindeurs are easier to use and clean. They also have built in systems to prevent the motor from overheating. There is no need for external fan.