You know how it goes. One minute you’re happily stirring a batch of melted chocolate, dum dee dum dum…
…and all of a sudden it starts to darken and thicken mysteriously. What the…? It seems to shrink in volume and looks oddly greasy.
Then in a few seconds it’s seized up into a thick, putty-like chocolate goo.
What caused this? The answer of course: a small quantity of water somehow got into the bowl. Typically this sort of thing happens when chocolate is being melted over a double boiler, and water vapor or drops of condensation find their way into the pan. It’s just one of the reasons I prefer a microwave. Can anything be done about this?
Yes indeed. More heat? Nope, the chocolate’s already melted, even though at the moment it doesn’t look that way. More heat will only burn it. The answer is more water. Are you kidding, Joe? It’s water that got me into this mess!
That’s true. A small amount of water caused the problem. A larger quantity of water will solve it by creating more syrup and allowing the molten chocolate mixture to flow again. So we just add perhaps a spoonful or so of hot water…
…stir, and a few moments later we’re pretty much back to where we were. Pretty much. The chocolate has some water in it now, so it’s not so good for something like tempering. However it’s perfectly good for ganache, a flourless chocolate cake, or any of a thousand other uses.
Whew! That was a close one…
Hi Joe,
I am glad I read this article on how to save the chocolate that can’t be tempered. However, I was trying to find an economical way of tempering chocolate without having to invest $400 plus on a tempering appliance. It seems that the double boiler and glass chocolate thermometer is what I’ll have to take my chances on unless you might know an easier method.
Speaking of chocolate/candy thermometers, I saw an online video demonstration in that once the pot of water came to a simmer, heat was turned off, bowel with chocolate placed on top, one hand stirred while the other was careful not to let the glass thermometer touch anything but the chocolate to avoid a false read. It looked a little tricky and awkward.
So, I searched for a digital chocolate thermometer with a clip and read mixed reviews on both the quality of the device and/or measuring accuracy. Do you have any recommendations or brands you might suggest?
The information I read about refrigerating the chocolate in molds in your other article was helpful. I am realizing how tricky working with chocolate can be. I would like to eventual learn to make shiny chocolate that snaps!
Today is the day, I am going to color the poured fondant you taught me to make on cookies!
Thanks so much! Ahn
Hi Ahn! Thank you for the kind comments. Other than a tempering machine, or perhaps a sous vide cooker (which is just as expensive), a double boiler and thermometer is really the only choice. Concerning brands, I don’t usually buy anything too expensive. Standard Taylor thermometers (the brand most restaurants favor) work well and are inexpensive as well. I use their glass thermometers, instant-read digital thermometers and their probe thermometers.
Amazing! I thought it was ruined beyond repair. What a great tip to learn. Thank you.