www.iccadubai.ae 337 Conching is the process of mechanical agitation of chocolate mass and cocoa butter with additional cocoa butter. This stirring process takes place in large drums or conches, from the Spanish conch meaning shell in which the chocolate is heated and kneaded with rollers at a temperature of 60-70° C Tempering The final process is called tempering. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced by the tempering process. This process is a method of inducing cocoa butter to crystallize in a stable form in the fluid chocolate mass which is necessary to ensure a long shelf life. Incorrectly tempered chocolate has a short shelf life, poor gloss and low stability. A fault known as bloom can develop. This appears in two forms 1. Development of crystals of unstable fat on the surface of the chocolate. 2. Sugar crystallization on the surface of the chocolate. Two classic ways of tempering chocolate are Manual working of the molten chocolate on a heat-absorbing surface, such as a stone slab, until thickening indicates the presence of sufficient crystal "seeds"; the chocolate is then gently warmed to working temperature. Stirring solid chocolate into molten chocolate to "inoculate" the liquid chocolate with crystals (this method uses the already formed crystals of the solid chocolate to "seed" the molten chocolate). Chocolate tempering machines (or temperers) with computer controls can be used for producing consistently tempered chocolate, particularly for large volume applications. Chocolate can burn if heated over 200° F (95° C) which is very likely when heated directly over an open flame. Hence it is important to use a double boiler or a chocolate tempering machine to melt chocolate. A potential problem when working with melted chocolate is "seizing". Chocolate is an extremely dry food. If a little water comes into contact with melted chocolate, the sugar and cacao in the chocolate will immediately absorb the moisture and clump up. This event is called seizing. The only solution to this is to add more water (or cream or milk) until the chocolate is saturated and becomes a syrup. Unfortunately, this chocolate cannot be tempered or used as pure chocolate anymore, but can be used in a variety of other recipes that call for chocolate and whatever liquid ingredient was added. Note that although white chocolate does not contain any cacao solids, it is still subject to the same tempering procedures since it is made of cocoa butter. Type of Chocolate Tempering Temperature Dark (no milk content) 88-90° F (31-32° C) Milk 86-88° F (29-30° C) White 80-82° F (27-28° C)
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