Functional Candy - Making Chocolate (Candies) Healthy-er
Posted in: News & New Products Press
So it's basically back to maltitol then...That's what's commonly used in sugar free chocolate already.Inulin sounded promising.
Forum Activity for @Brad Churchill
Posted in: News & New Products Press
So it's basically back to maltitol then...That's what's commonly used in sugar free chocolate already.Inulin sounded promising.
Functional Candy - Making Chocolate (Candies) Healthy-er
Posted in: News & New Products Press
Robert;I'm interested in learning more about the use of inulin with chocolate. To date I haven't produced any "sugar free" chocolate, as it's very difficult to get maltitol here in Canada, and to date I'm not convinced that's the best solution for diabetic friendly chocolate.Can you explain more about the use of inulin as a sweetener for chocolate, and what your experience has been?I noted that in Wikipedia they make mention of it being about 10% as sweet as sucrose. How accurate is this in your experience, and how much volume does it add to the chocolate to attain the same level of sweetness?Thanks in advance for your reply.Brad.
Functional Candy - Making Chocolate (Candies) Healthy-er
Posted in: News & New Products Press
Trials prove efficacy of fiber and multivitamin chocolate fortification.
German chocolate ingredient supplier, Herza Schokolade, said it has recently concluded a series of trials on the incorporation of health boosting ingredients into chocolate based on the hike in demand for the functional additions from its food manufacturer customers.
The Hamburg-based company said the testing it has conducted over the past four months has shown that it has the capability of integrating ingredients such as green tea or aloe vera powder, as well as biotin and bamboo extract for strengthening skin and hair and nails into chocolate for use in a variety of functional foods and drinks.
The company found that natural dietary fibers such as plum powder or dried rice syrup serve to increase the fibre content of cocoa paste while acting as a replacer for isolated inulin. (Ed:Anybody know of a high-end chocolate maker who adds isolated inulin to their chocolate?)
Herza alsocollaborates with its sister companies SternVitamin and SternLife on determining the mix of vitamins necessary when developing chocolate pieces for customers seeking a combination of vitamins such as B, C and E for their cereals bars.Integrated into chocolate pieces, natural fibers, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and more "can provide health promoting substances in muesli and biscuits.It is more cost effective for our customers to have a ready to mix ingredient that is already fortified with vitamins.
Herza's R&D team has been fine tuning its mixing technology to ensure a smooth blend of functional ingredient with the confectionery product, noting that "chocolate acts as a good protector of health promoting substances due to its high fat and low moisture content. While the theobromine naturally present in the cocoa is already an aid to concentration, Herza researchers found that by adding lecithin granulate it is possible to improve memory as well, thatthe addition of caffeine or guarana boosts performance in the office or in sports, andthat in the form of drops in muesli bars or small slivers in power drinks, the fortified chocolate pieces are a valuable source of energy.
Ahhh, but how does it taste? And - does any of this sound appealing to anyone - other than food processor/manufacturers, of course?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34
Anyone in Bali?
Posted in: Travels & Adventures
I am making a trip to Bali in June and would love to visit a cacao farm there. (would help me write off the trip too)
updated by @Melanie Boudar: 04/10/15 02:02:22
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
What and where are your dvd's?
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
This method works a treat! Thanks.
Does that method work with milk and white (obviously changing the temperatures accordingly)?
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Brad - looks like you got a lot out of my DVDs! Anyway - it's not totally necessary to stir constantly while it's cooling as long as the water bath you are using is not too cold. If there is a lot of ice in there, then you may find you get a lot of hardening around the bowl and stirring more frequently is wise.
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
A lot of food for thought in here for me. It is very likely that I am not hitting the bottom temperature. Hmmm... **Making ice**Thanks for your reply, I will try this method.
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Robert,Thanks for your reply. So far, what I know about the chocolate is that it is 70% cocoa and that it is sweetened with cane sugar from Panama. I will call and inquire about the total fat vs total cocoa breakdown.And I have used both the same chocolate and a different chocolate as seed. I can't say conclusively if I have noticed a difference. I will test it.I have read that in hot climates you should put the poured chocolate in the fridge for a short amount of time to prevent it from setting up partially tempered. Ideas?Again, thanks for the advice.
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Krysia;In our shop, we work with untempered chocolate all of the time, and don't bother with seeding. Even though we have several pieces of equipment that temper our chocolate, I've trained my staff to temper dark chocolate by hand the following way, and it works every time:1. Heat the chocolate over a double boiler to 120 degrees F. A deep 8 Litre bowl works best for this application.2. While the chocolate is melting start a cold water bath in your sink. Use icecubes if you can't get the water cold.3. When the chocolate has hit 120 and is COMPLETELY melted (no chunks), transfer the bowl to the cold water bath, and stir, stir, stir, always pulling the chocolate off the side of the bowl. DO NOT STOP STIRRING until the chocolate hits 79 degrees. At that point it will have begun to thicken, and will have started to adhere to the side of the bowl regardless of how much you have been pulling it off with your spatula. This should only take a couple of minutes. The cold water will cool even 6-8lbs of chocolate very quickly.4. Transfer back to the double boiler and stir and heat until 90 degrees. Stir, Stir Stir.5. Once all of the chocolate has melted and is fluid again, there you have it, perfectly tempered chocolate.Try this and let me know how it works.As an aside, I've noticed that very soft, high quality cocoa butter requires lower temperatures to temper. You may not be hitting the right "bottom" number, and as a result you're getting the wrong type of crystalization. Our chocolate when set before we temper it in our shop is grainy and crumbly just as you mentioned in your post.Hope this helps.Brad www.SoChoklat.com
Tempering untempered chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello Everyone,
I have been tempering chocolate for truffles and bars with pretty decent success for about two years now. Recently, however, I have found a new source for chocolate and I am having a terrible time achieving a successful temper with it. The chocolate comes untempered straight from a cacao farm here in Costa Rica in a huge untempered 20 kilo chunk. It is organic, local and delicious which is why I am so intent on working with it.
So...I cut it up into uniform pieces, melt away with my double boiler, cool it down with some seed tempered chocolate and pour or dip. (The same method that has always worked fine with any other chocolate I have used.) It sets with a nice dark sheen on the outside, but on the inside it is a white-ish crumbly texture and tastes totally grainy. Unless! I keep it in the fridge until serving which in that case it tastes and looks totally fine. How do I temper this untempered stuff, and how do I store it at room temperature?? I would appreciate your advice so very much!
Krysia
(Let me also mention that at the moment I cannot afford or access a tempering machine and it is EXTREMELY humid where I live.)
Thank you chocolate geniuses!!
updated by @Krysia: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Whats your aibrush of choice?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I have three badger 250s. I love them. I have 2 other brushes that cost $80 plus, and the Badger is still my first choice. You can get them for about $14 if you have a Michaels 40% off coupon. If not, $25 and it comes with an extra jarOh, and the quick change set from harbor Freight is amazing as well! Its like $10-12
Whats your aibrush of choice?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
The Badger 250 is a great little starter airbrush. When you get into more serious airbrushing - gotta love the Fuji gravity feed units - they let you splatter beautifully and there is much less aerosol produced. http://www.fujispray.com/parts_accessories.htm#gtx_spraygun
Whats your aibrush of choice?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I have used the Badger 250 and recently pickup up a quick-change set from Harbor Freight. For under $10, I have the airbrush, hoses and 5 jars and 5 quick-change lids. The bottles interchange with the Badger bottles. It is nice to be able to leave color in the bottles and just put them in the microwave when I need them.
Whats your aibrush of choice?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I use the Badger 250. It's cheap so you can buy lots of them, and because of its design it's very difficult to clog. Here's a link to Tower Hobbies
Whats your aibrush of choice?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Hello to all,
can anyone recomend a good airbrush? I am only familiar with a few models in the Omni line that I use at work.
updated by @megs: 12/13/24 12:15:15
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Thanks for the insight Clay, with an amalgam of your suggestions and my ideas I think I can come up with a food-safe and cheap solution.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Having spent 40 years in the plating business, you can't plate chrome inside a container. The chrome throws to the outside of things. Nickel has better throw, but it would cost you BIG bucks to have something like that plated.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
As I pointed out, large Hobart mixer bowls can be had for cheap and they are S/S and might even be NSF-approved.It's a toss-up as to which approach involves more work - and more expense. Eventually, however, the plating might wear through I would think so going that route might mean more costly maintenance in the long run.Either way, you should easily be able to do it for less than the cost of a (new) pan.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Clay,I was actually thinking of disassembling the drum, thoroughly degreasing it with isopropyl alcohol, bead blasting and then having it plated with either nickel or chrome. Failing that, I think I could get a duplicate drum fabricated from stainless steel, and even so I'd probably come in way below the price of a dedicated coating pan.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Didn't Heston Blumenthol do something with an electric drill and a paint can?I'd be questioning the food grade surface. No reason though that you couldn't take the 'bowl' off the cement mixer and replace it with some sort of jury rigged stainless steel bowl.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
It all depends on what the interior surface looks like and is made of. I am fairly confident that whatever it is made from it's not certified as food grade. At a minimum it will need extensive cleaning/degreasing.I know you are handy with tools and such, so rigging a small motor to a gearwheel should not be difficult for you. As that's the case I would look into a used Hobart mixing bowl. I just found a 60qt on eBay for $25. Weld a shaft to the bottom of the bowl. Make a simple metal frame (90 degree stamped metal with bolt holes would be easier and cheaper than welding) and use bolt on casters. Here are two photos of something I saw in Ecuador. This one is being used as a cocoa bean roaster - note the burner underneath in the second photo (which also shows the casters being used). You could even adapt this for use as a ball mill.
Cement mixer as coating pan?
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I came across this cement mixer and thought it would make a decent coating pan. It's a fraction of the price of any other coating pans, is freestanding and looks easy to disassemble. Opinions?
updated by @Carlos Eichenberger: 12/13/24 12:15:15
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Callebaut is definitely a Swiss company. In fact, if one were to split hairs, they should be called a Canadian company moreso than a Belgian company. Callebaut's factory in St. Hiyacinthe here in Canada produces 1.6 BILLION lbs of chocolate a year - far, farmore chocolatethan the Belgian factory.
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
For your information:
Belcolade doesn't produce from the bean but from the mass
Callebaut is a belgo-swiss company...and produces massive volumes of industrial quality chocolate
Benot Nihant Chocolatier was founded 5 years ago and produces since last year single plantation chocolate from bean to bar. www.benoitnihant.be
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Belcolade doesn't manufacture from beans...only from liquors...and with old Callebaut machinery...
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Susan Lucci? You mean that Belcolade has been nominated for seventeen daytime Emmys, and only won once? Or maybe it's just that Erica Kane would surely approve of lounging around on the pink satin pillow drenched red velvet sofa, and eating the best Belgian Belcoalde bonbons buyable!?But this sort of thing reminds me, wouldn't it be a useful thing to have around here somewhere, a list that says, like the bean to bar discussion, a list with all of those not bean to bar companies, and who really makes their chocolate.
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Just thinking out loud here: I wonder if any of the 1.6 Billion lbs of chocolate made Callebaut's factory here in Quebec Canada every year gets labeled as the finest belgian chocolate made....Further to that, and again thinking out loud: Did Cocoa Barry have a factory in the heart of Belgium BEFORE they bought the Callebaut factory from Toblerone in 1986 +/- a year or two, then changed their name, or have they only been able to claim making chocolate in Belgium since they acquired the factory....
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Here's what Callebaut says on their website : Were proud to offer you the Finest Belgian Chocolate There are many reasons why Callebaut is called the Finest Belgian Chocolate. For already 100 years, we have been making chocolate to be proud of in the heart of Belgium. Its at this precious moment that the chocolate merits its stamp of quality and authenticity as "Callebaut Finest Belgian"....From cocoa bean to chocolate: Callebauts Finest Belgian Chocolates are produced with 100% Belgian craftsmanship"
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
While we're talking about Belgian chocolate I really enjoyed Alan McClure's Patric blog article " Chocolate-Myth Busters #2: Belgian Chocolate Is the Best in the World? " Very informative and well written, but also spot on.
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
For the record, I have been trying to get a hold of a representative of Puratos for over a MONTH. Guess what? No reply yet. I wonder if they want to do any business...On the other hand I contacted Tcho and I had a free sample in my hands in two days (kudos to Robert Kopf!).
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
Lowe:I think that it is fair to say that there are only two big companies making chocolate from the bean in Belgium. Giving everything else that's going on in the world of artisan/craft chocolate making, saying that there are only two is a stretch. Brad is technically correct when the question of ownership is brought up - while Callebaut has operations in Belgium they are a Swiss company.The list at Wikipedia is wrong: Neuhaus buys its chocolate from Callebaut. I got this information directly from a senior Neuhaus rep from Belgium. Same is true for Dolfin, they buy from Belcolade and I have this from one of the founders of Dolfin. Guylian and Leonidas are also cited in the Wikipedia article but they are not chocolate makers (I checked the Leonidas web site and there is no reference to their being bean-to-bar).The list does include Marcolini and if he's making chocolate from the bean it's in small quantities for his own use, not for resale to others.Callebaut is the one people refer to when they say "Belgium's Finest." Belcolade (owned by Puratos, who also owns Debelis here in the US) is the Susan Lucci of the Belgian chocolate industry. I don't think it's fair to say that all Callebaut chocolates are better than all Belcolade chocolates. I think that there are some things that Belcolade (also sometimes referred to, unfortunately, as "buck a load") does better than Callebaut - but as with many things, that's a matter of personal taste.Feel free to quote me as the source.:: Clay
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
My understanding is that Barry Callebaut is Swiss, not Belgian, and have spoken to representatives from Puratos (They own Belcolade), who claim that Belcolade is the only remaining Belgian owned Belgian chocolate company remaining in existenced.I could be wrong though...
Belgian Chocolate Makers
Posted in: Opinion
I recently read somewhere online that in Belgium there are only 2 companies who make chocolate from the bean. Two I know of are Belcolade and Barry Callebaut.
First of all, is this true? Are there only 2 companies in Belgium that make chocolate from the bean?
Secondly, can anyone point me to where this is written so that I can reference it?
I just can't find the source, either a blog or a website, where I first read this, and it's bugging me.
I'd appreciate your help.
updated by @ChocoFiles: 04/10/15 12:56:49
Unfair Trade: Does FairTrade Discriminate?
Posted in: Opinion
Wow. What a thought. Is FairTrade discriminatory?
Actually, yes.
The institution of FairTrade (as exemplified by FLO) is, in practice, discriminatory even though this outcome is counterintuitive and unintended. The reason for this is simple: FairTrade is culturally insensitive. The FairTrade standards have two parts, Generic (that apply to all producer organizations and commodities) and Specific (that apply to specific commodities). The standards make no mention of the differences in agricultural culture or markets that exist in different countries.
To suggest that the cocoa culture and markets in Ecuador are the same as Cameroon is absurd. To ignore these differences in official policy is, ultimately, discriminatory.To be truly fair, FairTrade standards would recognize that significant cultural and market differences exist around the world and embed them in their standards - and in the formulas used to calculate premiums.
Now I understand why there is a single standard - it's a matter of bureaucracy and handling paperwork. It's just easier to have a single policy that gets applied worldwide. It also eliminates any protests over favoritism - Ghanaian cocoa farmers would probably complain ifcocoa farmers innearby Cameroon or Liberia "earned" a higher premium, even though by international metrics farmers in these (and other) countries are not as well off.
Nonetheless, the focus on the commodity - and not the culture and markets - leads to the unintended consequence of discrimination through donning cultural blinkers, especially in the minds of consumers: farmers in "developing countries" around the world have exactly the same needs and therefore "benefit" equally from the same premium.In the end, I think, it may be the perpetuation of this stereotype that is the most damaging unintended consequence of FairTrade.
To be honest, this issue is one that has no easy answer when it comes to the creation of a system that can be adopted on a worldwide basis. I've been thinking about this off and on over the course of the last few years.
Any thoughts?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/16/15 06:10:12
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Scott,Thanks for the suggestions. Next time you are in SLC stop by and ask for me.Matt Caputo
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Mike,Thanks for the suggestion. If you are ever in Salt Lake, stop by and see us.Matt CaputoDirector of MarketingTony Caputo's Market & Deli www.caputosdeli.com
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Thanks for the suggestions. If you are ever in Salt Lake, stop by and see us.Matt CaputoDirector of MarketingTony Caputo's Market & Deli www.caputosdeli.com
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Thanks Scott. Next time you are in Caputo's ask for me and we can taste some discontinued stuff from my stash.Matt Caputo
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Chocolate Maya in Santa Barbara has a good selection
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Online is Chocosphere. (The Meadow had higher prices than Chocosphere.)Biaggio in Washington D.C. has a great selection and many great events.The Food Emporium in NYC has a pretty wide selection.Here in my area, A Southern Season in Chapel Hill NC has the best selection available locally.
Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers
Posted in: Opinion
Standouts for me have been Cacao (PDX), Fog City News & Bittersweet (SF), and Caputo's (SLC).