Chocolate Tempering for Candy Making
Posted by: willsnews at October 1st, 2009
Wikipedia.com (the free encyclopedia) explains how the cocoa butter in chocolate can crystallize in six different forms. The primary purpose of tempering is to assure that only the best form is present. Below is the wikipedia.com chart showing the six different crystal forms and their different properties, followed by an excellent explanation of what the tempering process is actually trying to achieve.
| Crystal | Melting Temp | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | 17°C (63°F) | Soft, crumbly, melts too easily. |
| II | 21°C (70°F) | Soft, crumbly, melts too easily. |
| III | 26°C (78°F) | Firm, poor snap, melts too easily. |
| IV | 28°C (82°F) | Firm, good snap, melts too easily. |
| V | 34°C (94°F) | Glossy, firm, best snap, melts near body temperature (37°C). |
| VI | 36°C (97°F) | Hard, takes weeks to form. |
For the best possible finished product, proper tempering is all about forming the most of the type V crystals. This will provide the best appearance and mouthfeel and creates the most stable crystals so the texture and appearance will not degrade over time. To accomplish this, the temperature is carefully manipulated during the crystallization.
The chocolate is first heated to melt all six forms of crystals (heat dark chocolate to 120 degrees, milk chocolate to 115 degrees, and white chocolate to 110 degrees). Then the chocolate is cooled to allow crystal types IV and V to form (VI takes too long to form) (cool dark chocolate to 82 degrees, milk chocolate to 80 degrees, and white chocolate to 78 degrees). At this temperature, the chocolate is agitated to create many small crystal "seeds" which will serve as the nuclei to create small crystals in the chocolate. The chocolate is then heated to eliminate any type IV crystals, leaving just the type V (heat dark chocolate to 90 degrees, milk chocolate to 86 degrees, and white chocolate to 82 degrees). After this point, any excessive heating of the chocolate will destroy the temper and this process will have to be repeated.
Filed under candy making |