Tempering Chocolate: Excerpts taken from E. Guittard
WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE?
Manufactured chocolate – the chocolate you buy as an ingredient for cooking – must be tempered before it is used in confectionery for dipped or molded chocolates. Tempering is done for three important reasons:
- It gives candies a desirable glossy appearance.
- It makes the chocolate easier to handle as a solid.
- It also gives a ‘snap’ to the chocolate when you bite into it. If you don’t temper, chocolate can have a dull, matte appearance, develop spots, and be soft to the bite.
Scientifically, tempering helps to establish beta crystals in a portion of the cocoa butter. This is a very specific type of crystal that is desirable in couverture. Temper is established within a narrow temperature range. For dark, bittersweet chocolate, temper occurs between 88°F and 90°F, with the target being 89°F. For milk chocolate, the range is 86°F to 88°F, with the target being 87°F.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE?
There is no single ‘best’ method – chefs each have their individual preferences, although if you have never tempered chocolate before, this first method is a good place to start. Other alternatives follow for those who wish to experiment, learn and compare methods.
- Melt chocolate in top pan of double boiler over water that is about 130°F.
- Use a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion to stir the chocolate continually until about 2/3 of the chunks become liquid and about 1/3 are in soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate at this point will be about 95°F.
- Take the top pan off the bottom of the double boiler and continue stirring to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the temperature lowers to 89°F (87°F for milk chocolate). At this point the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use.
HOW DO YOU TEMPER CHOCOLATE IN A MICROWAVE OVEN?
- Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate in the microwave oven. Set power level to 5 or 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. Heat for 30 seconds.
- Take the bowl out of microwave oven and use a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion to stir the chocolate, even if none of it has become liquid yet.
- Return the bowl to the microwave oven. Heat for 30 seconds more. Remove. And stir.
- Repeat the intervals of heating and stirring until about two-thirds of the chunks become liquid and about one-third are in soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate at this point will be about 100°. Continually stir to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the temperature lowers to 89°F.
- At this point the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use.
