Forum Activity for @Daniel Herskovic

I think the idea of cold infusion is an excellent idea. My method for cold infusing tea is to let it steep in the cream overnight. The next day I put the mixture into a sauce pot and heat the liquid and tea leaves until warm. I immediately strain. Heating the tea mixture up releases a lot of the infused cream that is trapped in the tea leaves. This method works for me and I never have that over extracted bitter taste. I encourage you to experiment and discover which method works for you. Good luck!

thank you very much for your suggestion i will try it

Try making a cold infusion. Just put your tea and cream in a jar and leave in the fridge for 24-36 hours. DO NOT SQUEEZE THE TEA when done, just let it drain. Use as you would use any normal cream. Use a little more than you would need to compensate for what will be absorbed by the tea.

hi

i want to make an Earl Grey ganache. I had some bad experience with it : after a few days the interior turned bitter and i don't know why, is there any reaction between cream and tea? may i infuse it too long ? i would like to have some insights. thank you

Are you talking about your ganache core or the shell?

I always enjoy when people say you can'trefrigerateor freeze your chocolate. Sure you can. It just takes care and recipe testing. We work in stages and all our cores are prepped ahead of time. Cores whether spherical or square are refigerated, we at times might freeze blocks of ganache if we're not ready to work through it yet. We focus on bulk enrobing runs, once readywe return to room temperature before the run.

Now at that point you have to think about chocolates contraction/expansion and freezing enrobed chocolates will more than likely crack in the flux. We treat our chocolates well and keep them at about 65'-68' from here on out.

So again, where is your grain, just the shell or in the core or in both? What kind of ganache are you making? A water, cream, syrup? Is it consistent across your infusions? What kind of infusion? Is it a pre-extracted infusion or an oil?

So much multivariate testing. :D Always be testing.

Chocolate stores best at around mid to high 50*F. Refrigerators are generally colder than this but the larger concern is that they are moist environments.With that being said, you can store your chocolate in a refrigerator in a well sealed plastic container with a couple of layers of paper towel around the chocolate to absorb any moisture. Bring the chocolate in the container up to room temperature before opening it to keep the cold chocolate from pulling moisture from the air and forming condensation. This is quite a bit of hassle and risk forcommercialproduction in my opinion.

If warm chocolate in the mold or chocolate that has been inadequatelytempered -- as I mentioned earlier -- is placed in a cold environment it will start to pull the sugar in the chocolate itself to the surface (sugar bloom) obviously quicker in the former case.

Ok, I'm new here and this makes me curious. When Adam and George say chocolate should never be in the refrigerator, does that mean finished chocolates or bulk chocolate (callets, etc.)?

George is correct, refrigerators are generally too cold for storing chocolate. A grainy texture may also develop in time when there is a wide variation in temperature between the chocolate (too hot) and the mold (too cold).

There are two types of bloom, sugar bloom and fat bloom. It sounds like it's sugar bloom. Chocolate should NEVER be in the fridge.

Hey Members

I've been making good headway with my chocolateexceptthat after a couple of weeks in the fridge it gets grainy.. nodiscolorationto suggest bloom n it still tastes great but themouth feelis like chocolate coated castor sugar n this happens after a couple of weeks

any ideas n inputs are greatly appreciated

Regards

Chirag Bhatia

The film we used was from a company called Solar Gard. We had 4 32"x 32" windows and 2 doors tinted. We ended up going with a film that was slightly tinted but not too dark so you cant see in. During the day there are times when the sun is shining on the windows and it is hard to see in. So far we did not have any more damage to products in the store. The only damage we had were some chocolate pretzels in the window display melting.

I ended up getting my windows and doors tinted soon after
I posted. I paid about $500 for the tint and installation. So far
I have not had any problems since we had the windows tinted.

Nope. Strata is very picky about that, and it is expensive to install and darkens the room dramatically. Also, if the window ever needs to be replaced, new film has to be installed.

No, I'm happy with my el-cheapo Ikea blinds

This is what I did in our retail store... not through this company, but you get the idea... I paid $1200 to cover the front of my store (two 8x8 blinds) and had photographs printed on the blinds. one is of caramel apples and the other of dipped strawberries. so... when the sun is shining directly into my store and I have to lower the blinds.... (always in the early morning winter months.... i don't have to lower blinds in the summer because we have an awning that protects the windows....) I am still advertising products that I sell daily....

I have my employees lower them at night and then i roll them up at about 10 am sept oct nov.... 11am dec jan feb mar.... 10am apr may jun july and august they don't need to be lowered. It all depends on how the sun hits the front of your store.

morning sun is intense and damaging but i don't think i would want those shades down in the afternoon.... note to those opening new locations..... this is something you never think of when you are opening a new store.... "When does the sun hit my window?" Shades down often says CLOSED to your customers..... you want those shades down as little as possible.

even if there is snow on the ground outside, the sun can melt chocolate through the window. if the shades are down, the doors are open..... i don't care how cold it gets....

I hope this helps.... check out the link for an idea....

http://www.blindsgalore.com/WindowProduct.asp?id=709416&ph=36&pw=24&utm_medium=shoppingfeed&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=CIrX_qmY_bICFQjZQgodvnYAyQ

Tinting can get expensive, depending on the film, the size of windows, if you have it done or do it yourself, and how much sun you want to block out. (the darker the film, the more expensive) If you work in a Strata bldg, or have a land lord looking for any kind of excuse, it's best not done. And if the a window ever needs replacing you have to re-apply all over again

Blinds are your best option. I have the finest blinds Ikea has--at $20.00 a pop. This is the gauzy type of open mesh material that actually looks classy, and you can roll it up or down as you wish. Venetian blinds are another option, but are a dust magnet, bamboo is another option

I am having trouble with the sun shining/glaring into my store and causing some of the chocolates to bloom. The sun does not shine directly in but when cars park in front of the store the glare from them makes our chocolates bloom. I am looking into getting our windows tinted but I don't want to get them tinted too dark as I want people to be able to look in. I am looking for advice on how to solve this problem.

Thanks,

Jeff

Hi All,

I live in Mexico, lucky me and love every moment of it. Recently I have started making my chocolates at home, using organic cacao powder and butter brought from my last shopping in Whole Foods. Does anybody knows where can I buy in Mexico the Mexican organic cacao, butter and chocolate nibs? Would appreciate any contact information.

Beata Prazmowska

Mexico

Chazz,

I get 70% fair trade organic chocolate from Ciranda ( it is labeled CocoaRica), and 32% fair trade milk chocolate from Puratos. Both are Peruvian in origin. You need to buy it in 2,000 pound pallets from these suppliers. Sweet Earth Chocolates carries a variety of intensities of chocolate, and can be purchased in smaller quantities (for considerably more per pound). All of these are in wafers of various sixes.

Best wishes,

Dale

Thanks Gene, I'll try them.

For years, I've used the organic Callebaut chocolates for my chocolate truffles. I had set my mind to switch to the new Valrhona Andoa line of organic and fair traded chocolates, only to learn that they are in dispute with the FDA over the "organic" status of the soy lecithin. Valrhona is now prohibited from selling the Andoa line as organic until the issue is resolved.

Does anyone have any good leads as to a high quality, organic chocolate, preferably in discos form, and bulk (kilos)? I suppose that I could always go back to Callebaut, however I prefer the fair traded status to compliment the organic status. I use dark in the 70% + range and milk in the 30% + range. Any leads? Thanks.

Hello again

I`ve finally found chocolate supplier of private label chocolates so very soon I`ll be the exclusive representative for the international trade. If anyone needs private label good quality chocolate in bulk, send me an email here.

Best regards!

Hello,

We have few shops for chocolates in Bulgaria(Eastern Europe).We would like to expand ourbusiness. We are looking for a Chocolate Bar manufacturer to produce chocolate squares for us.

Can anyone assist in finding a small/medium size company interested in manufacturing them? Ideally we are looking at anything between single serve 12gram up to 16 gramsquare bars(3x3 cm or 4x4 cm). Like Neapolitana chocolates but bigger. Initial trial run will be between 10 000-20 000 units with future orders from 20 000 -30 000 units on a monthly base. Need not be labeled at the trial stage, just foil packaging is fine for the initial run.

Target market is the Eastern Europe.

Will be better if the manufacturer is from EU, but anysuggestionsare welcome.

I appreciate any leads or questions from interested manufacturers.

Regards,

Darina

thanks to all of you i standardize the tempering process for my chocolate. thanks again for yoursvaluablereply.

Just joined. What kind of quantities?

Everything depends on how you want to arrange your work with chocolate (some time everyday or a couple of day per week and so on). Do you need tempered chocolate always at your disposal?

Do you want also some operative helps from the machine? Or does it have to be a well tempered chocolate source?

Do you have only chocolate products or other kind of product that you could vary throught chocolate use?

Your plans and habits and perspectives normally decide which is the most suitable machine (and kind of work)

Ask 10 people and you'll get 12 techniques, and they can all work. Give all of 'em a try with the goal to find which one, or your own version of one, that works best for your situation, your equipment. And enjoy exploring.

It depends on do u already have one machine or do you wish to buy one, each tempering machine works on different systems even though the basic principle is same. Need more clarification about what type of machine you prefer, how much quantity you wish to process, and wat do you going to do with the tempered chocolate like, moulding, filling, enrobing........ And what type of chocolate u work with....????

Thnx for sharing this usefull information with me but i want to do tempering on tempering machine if you have any information regrdng tempering machine plz reply.

I find the marble method better, you can feel the chocolate. Seeding is another great option. And if you are using small amounts of chocolate, you could use the direct method from the microwave , just be sure to have a "mother" in case you heat the chocolate too much

Can anybody suggest me best method for tempering of chocolate

I was looking to see when the salon du chocolate show dates are for 2012 for New York City and to see what it would cost and the charge was on line $35.00 and at the door $40.00.

That bothered me for I think it should be more affordable, besides paying to get in one also needs to bring money for the chocolate that is being sold there. I think maybe $25.00 would bea better price. What do others think?

I'm also in the same situation. I found the courses from ecole but I'm not sure what to take for my first course. I want to make chocolate with flavor, not truffles in the beginning, but maybe using moulds. I'd like to eventually make chocolate from bean to bonbon so where should I start?

You certainly wouldn't want to take a bakery course if you want to do chocolate. My husband and I started with a little dipper and eventually had a store. We were mostly self taught. We did get the name of a woman in PA who would teach us for a few days in her home. Then a year later she came to our store for a few days.

That was back in the early 90's. My husband is deceased. I am just starting a business again and am enjoying it.

The Cargill Co. in Lititz, PA, (I might have spelled that town wrong), has a three day chocolate course for those wanting to start a business. Two days are classroom and then one day of hands on. The hands on is simplistic if you've been making chocolate, but you can pick the experts brains.

I found the class room days to be very interesting.

Lici...You sound like I sounded years ago. There are careers to be had in chocolate...they are fun, rewarding, fulfilling and possibly best of all, recession proof! I think it's a shame when a person has a passion for something and fails to follow their dream and their gut. So many 'woulda, shoulda, coullda's' out there! I am part of a chocolate business, a relatively new franchise that offers chocolate making along with a variety of other experiences in chocolate and other revenue streams that might be just right for you. You may want to check out www.tastyimage.com and get some information on starting a career in chocolate that way. If not, I think ANY business with chocolate is a winner and positive step on a path to a new life! Best of luck to you and your new, smooth and creamy decision!

I know Callebaut has The Chocolate Academy in Chicago, you can definitely find a class or 2 there with your skill.

http://www.chocolate-academy.com/us/en/calendar?country=us,oper=detail%2CcourseDate=722%2Ccourse_academy=21

Personally, I don't think you need to go to culinary school. You will spend more time there on baking and things other than chocolate work. It sounds like you are already competent in tempering and the basics so I think you'd be better served by taking morespecific advanced chocolateclasses. Chef Rubber is a good place to start but I haven't seen any classes on their schedule lately that are for a more advanced "hobbyist" (as I suspect you are). If you have the time and funds to travel I'd keep aneye on the class schedules for Notter in Florida as well asThe French Pastry School in Chicago. In particular you should consider the class taught in Chicago by Jean Pierre Wybauw. It runs about 3 days and you will learn a tremendous amount from him. It says the class is for professionals but you would betotally fine since you have experience. I think the idea of a localinternship is a good one as well - do it at a place where you like the product or is in line with what you envision our products to be (i.e. same quality or look)

You have Chef Rubber in Vegas that offers courses taught by some of Las Vegas's top chocolatiers. I also like your apprenticing idea. Find out if you really like it as a profession.

So I call myself a hobbyist but my husband believes I could potentially create a business out of my chocolate love. I have been teaching myself for about three years from books, a little youtube, and DVDS.I live in Las Vegas and in town I have a few options to take classes but they range from $500 at the community college to 2,000-3,000 for a series of classes with major chocolatiers. I have a friend who is a baker who feels that if I am serious about chocolate I should go to culinary school for baking. I am told that apart of many baking programs there are chocolate classes. I am not really interested in baking however just chocolate.

At this point I feel that if I had some training I would love to do something with my chocolate passion. But I am not sure what is needed. Is it better to go to culinary school and as my friend put it "get a full rounded education" or is it enough to take a few chocolate classes. The other idea I had was maybe convince a shop to take me on as an apprentice. I am willing to do the work to learn but what is the best way to go about it if I want to eventually be a professional chocolatier?

This is definately going to brand me as a "newbie"...

Is there any particular reason why I can't pan tempered chocolate over untempered?

I ask as I am still struggling with freeze dried strawberries. I have been dipping them in tempered chocolate and setting them aside for later panning. The panning process tempers chocolate (I am told...), hence "Tempered Chocolate over Untempered".

Dipping in tempered chocolate is a hassle.

1. I have to temper it in a Bain Marie - time and effort
2. I have to hold it in temper for the duration - several hours of working
3. When the finished product cools I have a flat spot & hard, shiny chocolate. So when I eventually get to panning it I get doubles from the flat spot and the hard, shiny chocolate has to be rounded off (from the flat spot and pooled chocolate).

If I could simply dip and cool and then pan I'd save lots of time and effort and the chocolate would be softer for the pan.

However I am told that I can't pan over untempered chocolate - I think because it will bloom.
I am questioning this but does anyone have any thoughts before I waste more time and maybe product trying it out?

Thanks!

Colin

Try Living Cookbook, it is easy to use!