Top 35 How Long Does Chocolate Take To Harden The 30 Detailed Answer

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At room temperature, melted chocolate may completely harden in 20-30 minutes, however, if you use a fridge or freezer it may not take as long.Chocolate doesn’t need to be piping hot to stay in temper; a mere 86°F will do. Test: Dip a knife, spoon, or spatula into the chocolate and set it down at cool room temperature (65°F to 70°F). If the chocolate is in temper it will harden quite quickly (within 3 to 5 minutes) and become firm and shiny.For chocolate to maintain its firm texture and glossy appearance, it must be melted carefully; if chocolate is heated too quickly or at too high a temperature, it won’t harden well at room temperature and it will have a dull, matte appearance.

How long does melted chocolate take to harden?

Chocolate doesn’t need to be piping hot to stay in temper; a mere 86°F will do. Test: Dip a knife, spoon, or spatula into the chocolate and set it down at cool room temperature (65°F to 70°F). If the chocolate is in temper it will harden quite quickly (within 3 to 5 minutes) and become firm and shiny.

Will melted chocolate harden at room temperature?

For chocolate to maintain its firm texture and glossy appearance, it must be melted carefully; if chocolate is heated too quickly or at too high a temperature, it won’t harden well at room temperature and it will have a dull, matte appearance.

Why is my melted chocolate not hardening?

A: It could be that your room temperature is too high. Candies need to be dipped and then left to set in a room that is between 65 and 68 F. It could also be that the chocolate wasn’t tempered. Untempered chocolate takes quite a bit longer to set.

How long does chocolate take to harden in the fridge?

Molds do help the chocolate to harden, however, it does not affect how quickly. It depends more on where they are. Room temperature: 20-20 minutes. Fridge: 10-20 minutes.

Should I set chocolate in the fridge?

Chocolate is best stored in a dry, cool, dark place: 13-15°C (55-60°F) is ideal. Do not store chocolate in a refrigerator and do not place chocolate next to anything with a strong smell – the chocolate will absorb the smell and be spoilt. Properly wrapped and stored chocolate will keep for up to a year.

How long does it take for chocolate to set in freezer?

Most chocolate thaws out within 4 to 12 hours, but it depends on how big the piece is. A small candy bar or bag of chocolate chips won’t take too long, but a big container of baking chocolate might take closer to 24 hours.

Can you set chocolate in the freezer?

As a general rule, refrigerating chocolate can extend its shelf life by at least 25%, while freezing can prolong it by 50% or more. Place the original box in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag, seal it tightly and then refrigerate for up to one year, or freeze for up to 18 months for best quality.

How do you cool melted chocolate quickly?

Simply break the chocolate into small pieces and melt over simmering water as above. Once the chocolate is melted remove from the heat and leave to cool (approximately 30 minutes). Place the bowl back on the heat and reheat gently until the chocolate softens down but not completely melted.

What makes chocolate set faster?

Make sure the thing you dip into it is really cold or frozen.

How do you make chocolate stiff?

Dip or coat cookies, pastries or fruit into the tempered chocolate or pour the chocolate into candy molds. Allow the chocolate to set for three minutes. The consistency should be firm and not sticky. Cool chocolate in refrigerator, if desired, at 60 degrees Fahrenheit to harden it faster.

Does melted chocolate and butter Harden?

Melted chocolate and butter does harden when cooled, however oil or butter will slightly lower the hardening temperature of the chocolate. Melted chocolate and butter harden at cool room temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in about 3 to 5 minutes.

How long does it take melted chocolate to harden in the freezer?

Most chocolate thaws out within 4 to 12 hours, but it depends on how big the piece is. A small candy bar or bag of chocolate chips won’t take too long, but a big container of baking chocolate might take closer to 24 hours.

Can melted chocolate go back to solid?

Stir constantly and allow the solid chocolate to bring down the temperature of the melted chocolate. If the chocolate remains thick or lumpy, try straining it through a sieve first. If this doesn’t solve the problem, add a spoonful of vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening and stir thoroughly.

Do you put candy melts in the fridge to harden?

Do you put candy melts in the fridge to harden? The quickest way to harden candy melts after you’ve used them for your cake pops, dipped strawberries or pouring them into the mould is indeed to put them in the fridge.


How to Make Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature : Simple Dessert Techniques
How to Make Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature : Simple Dessert Techniques


How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden – Smoothies-N-Cookies

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Different Types Of Chocolate

Hardening Your Chocolaty Desserts

Does Location Matter

FAQs

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A basic guide to tempering chocolate | King Arthur Baking

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How to Make Chocolate Not Melt at Room Temperature | eHow

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Tempering Defined

What Tempering Does

How to Temper Chocolate

With a Candy Thermometer

Without a Candy Thermometer

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How to Make Chocolate Not Melt at Room Temperature | eHow

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How to Make Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature : Simple Dessert Techniques – YouTube

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How to Make Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature : Simple Dessert Techniques - YouTube
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How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden – Cake Decorist

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden – Cake Decorist In general, small chocolate candies and decorations will take about 10-15 minutes to set in the frge and 5-10 minutes to set in the freezer. At room … Many bakers will work with chocolate, whether they are making candies in molds or decorations for baked goods. However, chocolate needs proper time to set in order to keep its shape. If you bake on a regular basis, you will want to know how long does it take for chocolate to harden.
  • Table of Contents:

How Long Does Chocolate Take To Harden

Different Types Of Chocolate You Can Use For Melting

How To Temper Chocolate

Knowing How Long Does It Take Chocolate To Harden

How Long To Bake Mini Cupcakes

Why Did My Cupcakes Sink In The Middle

The Do’s and Don’t of Using Luster Dust Over Buttercream

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden - Cake Decorist
How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden – Cake Decorist

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How Long Does It Take Chocolate to Harden? What Is the Fastest Way?

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  • Table of Contents:

Will Melted Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature

How Long Does It Take Melted Chocolate to Harden in the Fridge

How Long Does It Take Melted Chocolate to Freeze

How Long Does It Take Chocolate on Fruit to Harden

What Is the Best and Fastest Way to Harden Chocolate

Why Is Your Melted Chocolate Not Hardening

How to Fix Chocolate That Won’t Set

Does Putting Chocolate in the Fridge Ruin It

Do Chocolate Chips Harden Faster than Chocolate

How Long Does It Take Chocolate to Harden? What Is the Fastest Way?
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A basic guide to tempering chocolate | King Arthur Baking

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How long does it take for melted chocolate to harden? – Answers

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    of chocolate it is and how hot it is, it could take anywhere from
    10 to 45 minutes and it will obviously harden faster if placed in
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How long with it take melted milk chocolate to harden in the fridge??

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How long with it take melted milk chocolate to harden in the fridge??
How long with it take melted milk chocolate to harden in the fridge??

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How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden? – Healing Picks

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  • Table of Contents:

Why is My Melted Chocolate Not Hardening

What is Tempered Chocolate

Why Does Tempered Chocolate Harden Faster

The Temperature Was Not Accurate Throughout Tempering – What Happened

Why Does Melting Chocolate Not Harden

Does Putting Chocolate in the Fridge Ruin It

How Long Does Chocolate Take to Harden

How to Fix Chocolate That Won’t Set

What is the Fastest Way to Harden Chocolate

How Long Does Melting Chocolate Take to Freeze

How Chocolate Hardens at Room Temperature

How to Temper Chocolate

How Long Does Chocolate Take to Harden

How Long Does Melting Chocolate Take to Harden in the Fridge

Working With Chocolate Is Easier Than You Think!

Different Types of Chocolate Can Be Used For Melting

Does Melted Chocolate Harden at Room Temperature

How Do You Harden Chocolate Quickly

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How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden

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How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden

Chocolate is, arguably, one of the best things we ever invented as the human race. However, there are so many ways in which you can indulge in it; chocolate cookies, ice creams, cakes, mouses and so much more.

So, what if you melt some chocolate, one of the most delicious and messy ways to have chocolate, but then want it to harden?

Chocolate may take some time to harden, but instead of giving you a straightforward answer, we will answer all your chocolate hardening questions and all the questions you could ever have!

Different Types Of Chocolate

One question you may have if you are a chocolate enthusiast is if different types of chocolate will take different lengths of time to harden after melting.

Well, let’s get all those answers for you.

How Long Does It Take For Melted Chocolate To Harden?

There are different things that will affect how quickly chocolate will harden, such as thickness, and location.

With some melted chocolate it can take up to 20-30 minutes, however, the location is very important.

How Long Does It Take For Melted Chocolate To Harden At Room Temperature?

At room temperature, melted chocolate may completely harden in 20-30 minutes, however, if you use a fridge or freezer it may not take as long.

How Long Does It Take For White Chocolate To Harden?

White chocolate should harden pretty quickly, only taking around 20 or so minutes. Do not worry if it hardens faster or takes a minute longer depending on external factors (like room temperature, the temperature of the cooling area).

How Long Does It Take For Milk Chocolate To Harden?

If you have melted milk chocolate, you can expect it to take 20-30 minutes to completely harden if you take it off the heat and leave it on the counter to cool. This is a round number, however, do take other things into consideration.

How Long Does It Take For Modeling Chocolate To Harden?

This type of chocolate is used for building figures as they harden pretty quickly. This chocolate can create models that do not even need support. It hardens pretty quickly, but you should leave it for 30 minutes to dry before you use it.

How Long Does It Take For Tempered Chocolate To Harden?

If your chocolate is in a temper, it can harden within 3-5 minutes, If you are baking with chocolate, remember to refrigerate it to ensure it keeps its shape completely. It is solid at room temperature, but tempered chocolate will need cooling to keep its shape.

How Long Does It Take For An Inch Of Chocolate To Harden?

An inch of chocolate, in thickness, should not take long to harden, typically a candy this small will only take around 30 minutes to harden outside aided cooling, however, if you were to use a refrigerator or freezer it could take up to 1.3rd the time.

Hardening Your Chocolaty Desserts

While normal chocolate can average at about 30 minutes to harden, if you are making chocolate desserts, you can expect an increase in the amount of time it will take.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate Strawberries To Harden?

Chocolate strawberries will take a very long time to harden on their own, this way it is easier if you put them in the fridge to harden for an hour or so. However, our recommendation is to refrigerate them overnight for the best results.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate Lollipops To Harden?

The best way to harden chocolate lollipops is to put them in your freezer on a flat surface to harden. If you do this, your chocolate lollipops should be hard for a maximum of 10 minutes.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate Frosting To Harden?

To harden your frosting, there is a trick to it. Put your frosting in the fridge, covered with saran wrap, and leave it for 2 hours to sit. This will firm up your frosting.

How Long Does It Take For Dessert To Harden White Chocolate?

It really depends on the type of dessert you are using, however, it is best to go with the 20-30 minute rule, if you are unsure it is best to refrigerate it and check on it, so your finger comes away clean.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden On Pretzels?

If you have covered some pretzels in chocolate for a tasty treat, you will need to harden them. Overall they should only take around 60 minutes to cool, this 60 minutes refers to refrigeration, it will take much longer out of a fridge or freezer.

Does Location Matter?

Here’s the deal, as you may have realized throughout this so far, location matters, and the best way to harden chocolate is with the aid of your refrigerator.

But, there is a catch, it can still take a while in the fridge, so some may use their freezer, so, how long can you expect it to take in each location.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden In A Fridge?

A fridge can cut down your hardening time, although it does depend on what type of chocolate you are using, for most melted chocolate it will shorten the hardening time to just 10 or 20 minutes!

Small molds take less time, whereas a larger mold will take 20 minutes.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden In The Freezer?

In the freezer, it takes even less time. With your freezer, your chocolate hardens within 5-10 minutes. However, be aware large pieces of chocolate will take longer, so do not worry if it is not hardening as fast as you thought.

How Long Does It Take For Chocolate To Harden In A Mold?

Molds do help the chocolate to harden, however, it does not affect how quickly. It depends more on where they are.

Room temperature: 20-20 minutes.

Fridge: 10-20 minutes.

Freezer: 5-10 minutes.

FAQs

Finally, we know there are some more questions so, that’s not all yet, we will answer a few more before you leave you to your chocolate.

How To Make Chocolate Set Hard?

The best way to have chocolate set hard is in the freezer or fridge. If leaving it in the freezer, do not leave it too long, or it could get frost on it. In the fridge, feel free to leave it an extra few minutes to make sure it is extra solid.

Why Is My Melted Chocolate Not Hardening?

If your chocolate has not been properly tempered then your chocolate may not harden, however, if you are hardening it at room temperature, then your room temperature may be too high.

How Do You Fix Chocolate That Won’t Harden?

If the issue is the temperature, the best choice is to put it in your fridge or freezer, however, if this is not the issue, you may have to buy new tempered chocolate, so it functions properly.

A basic guide to tempering chocolate

What is more luxurious than a pool of perfectly smooth, perfectly ready-to-do-your-bidding chocolate? One that will coat whatever you want, and harden almost instantly to a shiny, firm-to-the-touch surface that snaps when you break it?

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Tempering chocolate can seem intimidating at first, but once you know the basics, you’ll be on your way to becoming a chocolate master.

Our love affair with chocolate is never-ending, but as in all good relationships, there are some things that work and some that just… don’t. The wise person knows all they can about their true love, and accepts that certain behaviors get better results. That’s why knowing about tempering chocolate is important.

Sure, you can melt chocolate chips or those melting discs you see at the store and coat things, but the flavor and texture aren’t quite what true chocolate apprecianados are looking for. Kind of like dating the brother of the guy you’re really interested in.

The part of chocolate that allows it to melt so sumptuously in your mouth is cocoa butter, and it’s made of a family of crystals (six types altogether). What makes working with chocolate tricky is each type of crystal forms or sets at a different temperature, and some of those forms aren’t very stable; they can change over time and in storage.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos The chocolate wafers on the right have bloomed while the wafers on the left are in temper.

When chocolate gets too warm, but not warm enough to melt, some of the cocoa butter crystals can migrate to the surface; this dusty-looking chocolate has “bloomed.” It’s fine to eat or bake with, but it’s no longer “in temper.”

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos A chalky, dusty coating or a mottled appearance are key indicators that chocolate has bloomed. Remember: still tasty, just not as shiny or snappy as chocolate in temper.

Real chocolate vs. candy coating

Before we get to tempering, we need to explain what is and isn’t chocolate.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Don’t be fooled by what is and isn’t chocolate. Picture from left to right are candy melts, chocolate chips, and couverture chocolate. (Only the latter two are real chocolate.)

Candy coating/candy melts/summer coating are made of sugar, milk solids, vegetable oils, flavorings and colors; for “chocolate” flavors, you’ll also find some cocoa powder. The great virtue of these things is their convenience. Melt, dip whatever (cake pops come to mind), let them set at room temperature. Their almost bulletproof usability is offset by a waxy feel in the mouth, and as for flavor? Meh. Kids like them, partly because you’ll find them in a wide range of colors. But they’re not chocolate, and therefore, not for me.

are made of sugar, milk solids, vegetable oils, flavorings and colors; for “chocolate” flavors, you’ll also find some cocoa powder. The great virtue of these things is their convenience. Melt, dip whatever (cake pops come to mind), let them set at room temperature. Their almost bulletproof usability is offset by a waxy feel in the mouth, and as for flavor? Meh. Kids like them, partly because you’ll find them in a wide range of colors. But they’re not chocolate, and therefore, not for me. Chocolate chips are chocolate that has soy lecithin added to it to raise its melting temperature, so the chips hold their shape when baked. This increase in melting temperature makes them a little trickier to coat things with, which is why we use them to make the next type of chocolate …

are chocolate that has soy lecithin added to it to raise its melting temperature, so the chips hold their shape when baked. This increase in melting temperature makes them a little trickier to coat things with, which is why we use them to make the next type of chocolate … Dipping chocolate usually chocolate chips with some shortening added, we’ve used this many times to coat things in our recipes. Ratio: 1 tablespoon shortening for each cup (170g) of chips. This formula doesn’t set as firmly as tempered chocolate will, and on a hot day you may need to put whatever you’ve dipped into the fridge for a bit, but it’s perfectly serviceable for coating those pretzels, Oreos, or snack cakes.

What are the percents on chocolate labels?

To quote Chef Peter Greweling, CMB, from his excellent book Chocolates & Confections, “Simply put, the percentage listed on a label describes the portion of the chocolate that came from the cacao tree. The percentage of chocolate represents the combination of chocolate liquor [chocolate (cacao) solids] and cocoa butter, but fails to differentiate between them. As a result, two chocolates, each of them labeled 65%, can be radically different from each other.”

Which brings us to:

Couverture. For dipping and coating, this is the stuff you’re after. Our couverture chocolates are from Guittard (semi-sweet disks, 61%); Valhrona (bittersweet discs, 62%) and Belcolade (bittersweet disks, 57.8%). As Chef Greweling states above, the percent indicates cacao mass; for couvertures, the ratio of cocoa to cocoa butter favors the latter. More cocoa butter means the chocolate will be thinner when melted, and therefore coat or drape more easily. You can temper and coat with most any chocolate, including semisweet, milk, or white; they just need slightly different handling, mostly regarding temperatures.

Methods for tempering chocolate

There’s more than one way to temper chocolate. One of them is called tabling.

Chocolatiers like this method because it’s efficient, and they get an immediate feel for how the chocolate is behaving. An amount of chocolate is melted, then 2/3 of it is spread on a clean marble slab and moved around to cool it until it starts to thicken. This paste is added back to the remaining melted chocolate to “seed” it; once tempered it’s held between 86°F and 90°F and ready to use. Tabling is a wonderful method to use, provided you have lots of space and a large block of marble hanging around. Moving it around is kind of hypnotic.

There’s also an approach typically reserved for those with lots of experience working with chocolate: it’s called the direct melt method. By very carefully melting and stirring the chocolate and keeping it within specific temperature ranges, chocolate can be kept in temper the whole time. It’s tricky to do, and takes some practice.

For many home bakers though, the most practical method of tempering chocolate is a process called seeding. Even the renowned pastry chef Roland Mesnier joked about the tabling method, saying “Who has time for that these days?” He used the seeding method when teaching a class at our Baking School, too, so don’t think this method is inferior in the least.

Seeding is simple once you know the basic tenets and temperatures to guide your work. Let’s dive in.

Kristin Teig Kristin Teig After tempering chocolate a few times, you’ll be tempted to dip desserts of all kinds (including shortbread) into the dreamy confection.

What tools do you need to temper chocolate by seeding?

An accurate digital thermometer is important.

A bowl, a spatula to stir with, a saucepan with an inch of water in it, or a microwave to melt the chocolate. Parchment paper to place your cooling chocolates on. Depending on your project, you may want dipping tools, molds, parchment paper cones (for writing with melted chocolate), or an offset spatula for spreading tempered chocolate on the back of a baking sheet or transfer sheet.

In a nutshell, seeding can be shown and explained in just a few pictures and steps. The short version: Get the chocolate hot (but not too hot) and melted. Add chunks of unmelted chocolate. This is the seeding part. Stir and cool, take out the unmelted leftovers, test to see if it sets properly, then dip, dip, dip. The real key, though is in the details of the temperatures you need to achieve. For a full chart on specific melting temperatures for different kinds of chocolate, see our chocolate tempering temperatures table.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Since the chocolate will be melted, you can combine different forms (chips, chunks, chopped chocolate) as long as they’re around the same cocoa percentage.

Melt the chocolate: Chop the chocolate with a knife or chocolate chipper. Or, use our disks, which are already in an easy-to-melt shape and don’t need any chopping at all. It’s best to have a pretty healthy amount: at least a pound to start with. Two is better. The more volume you have, the better it will hold the temperature where you need it to stay to be workable.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Starting with a small amount of chocolate (less than 10 ounces) is a good place to start if you’re new to tempering chocolate. Smaller batches are easier to control and monitor.

It’s typical for chocolatiers to work with 10-pound batches at a time. Tempering a movie-size bar of Special Dark is possible, but it’s going to be tricky, because its temperature is going to fluctuate wildly and, frankly, in this process, every single degree counts. There’s not enough thermal mass in that small an amount to stay at one temperature for seconds, much less the minutes you’ll want for working with it.

Place the chocolate in a bowl and put it over simmering water, or microwave it at half power in short (30-second) bursts, stirring in between. There will come a point where your chocolate is partly melted, with shiny-looking chunks that haven’t lost their shape. That’s about as far as you want to go, because you can melt it the rest of the way just by stirring. Your goal is to get all the different types of crystals melted and the chocolate to smooth liquid, with no lumps. Take the chocolate’s temperature.

For bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, your goal is 122°F/50°C on the first melt.

For milk or white chocolate, your goal is 105°F/40°C on the first melt.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Melting chocolate over a double boiler is a practice in patience. Don’t leave your post!

Two important things to avoid: Scorching (microwave); and getting any water in the chocolate (simmering water). Both of these things will ruin your chocolate and you’ll have to start over. Water in melted chocolate “seizes” it, causing instant recrystallization – not in a good way. The chocolate will be unworkable.

Seeding: Once your chocolate has reached the specified temperature, add a good-sized chunk of chocolate (“block seeding”) or some more chopped chocolate to your lovely pool of melted chocolate. The stable crystals in this new addition encourage stable crystal formations in the melted chocolate. Stirring becomes very important here, because agitating the chocolate ensures smaller crystals will form and stay in suspension.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Adding about 25% unmelted chocolate (or “seed chocolate”) by weight to the melted chocolate will help bring the whole mixture into temper.

Cool: Stir continuously until the chocolate is at or below 90°F/32°C; as low as 86°F/30°C for dark chocolate or 84°F/28.9°C for milk or white. Every chocolate has its own “sweet spot” for this, and you almost have to learn the personality of individual brands and types. I’ll tell you right now, it takes longer than you want it to. You have to be at peace with the process because it takes what it takes.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Chocolate doesn’t need to be piping hot to stay in temper; a mere 86°F will do.

Test: Dip a knife, spoon, or spatula into the chocolate and set it down at cool room temperature (65°F to 70°F). If the chocolate is in temper it will harden quite quickly (within 3 to 5 minutes) and become firm and shiny. If you touch it, your finger will come away clean.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos The offset spatula on the top was dipped into chocolate that was melted and then allowed to cool; it’s dull and not properly tempered. The spatula on the bottom was dipped into chocolate that was carefully melted and then seeded with more chocolate, so it remains shiny even once cool.

If the chocolate is too cool or out of temper, it will often set in streaks or look lumpy, like this:

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos The spoon on the top was dipped into untempered chocolate; the bottom is dipped in tempered chocolate.

Hold at working temperature and dip away: Most chocolate is easiest to work with between 88°F to 90°F. You can put your bowl over another bowl of warm water, put it on a folded towel over a very low heating pad, or even try using a mug warmer. As you work with it, the chocolate may cool down; to bring it back up to a better working temperature, try grabbing your hair dryer and warming the chocolate with it, stirring the whole time. You’ll have the best results if whatever you’re dipping is close to the temperature of your working chocolate. As chocolate sets it contracts – which is one reason it pops out of molds easily.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos A hair dryer can be a handy tool in the kitchen! It’s perfect for gently rewarming a bowl of chocolate in temper.

Think of what you can do with your lovely, tempered chocolate. Envelop berries in a coat of dark chocolate.

Liz Neily Liz Neily Strawberries dipped in tempered chocolate have a lovely shine.

Tempered chocolate can also be used to coat all kinds of cookies, including flaky, pastry-like rye palmiers.

Liz Neily Liz Neily The nutty flavors of rye are a complementary match for the bittersweet notes of chocolate.

It can also be used to dress up everyday cookies, like peanut butter chocolate chip.

Mary Lagier Mary Lagier Ordinary cookies can be made extra-special with a quick dip into a bowl of tempered chocolate.

Or use tempered chocolate to take an already decadent dessert over the top. Dunk chocolate desserts (like these Chocolate Peppermint Dips) into tempered chocolate to ensure a seal of approval from everyone.

Mary Lagier Mary Lagier Is there such a thing as too much chocolate? Not if you ask us!

Tempering tips to remember

When the chocolate is right and it’s performing its miracle in front of your eyes, it’s just the greatest feeling. If you’re fascinated and want to give this a go, here are a few things to remember.

The chocolate wins. Always. You need to work on its terms, not yours. Dry, cool days are good for your first try.

Don’t try to rush; make sure you have a few hours to devote to the task.

The leftover chocolate can turned into ganache or sauce, chopped to put in cookies or brownies, or re-tempered and used to make homemade candy bars or chocolate bark.

Jenn Bakos Jenn Bakos Tempered chocolate can be poured onto a baking sheet or mini sheet pan and garnished with ingredients like toasted nuts, freeze-dried fruit, or flaky sea salt.

The next time you’re gazing longingly at the case in a chocolate shop, give a nod to the patience, talent, and dedication of the people who made each of those beautiful chocolates by hand.

Do you have more questions about tempering chocolate? Ask away in the comments below!

How to Make Chocolate Not Melt at Room Temperature

From candy-making to cake decorating, many confections and baked goods rely on melted chocolate. For chocolate to maintain its firm texture and glossy appearance, it must be melted carefully; if chocolate is heated too quickly or at too high a temperature, it won’t harden well at room temperature and it will have a dull, matte appearance.

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Tempering Defined

Chocolate is made up of a combination of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Most chocolate also includes sugar, and many chocolates have milk, vanilla and an emulsifier called lecithin added as well. When chocolate changes temperature its cocoa butter forms six different types of crystals, which contribute to the chocolate’s texture and appearance.

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Tightly packed beta crystals give tempered chocolate its distinct snap , gloss and smooth texture. Alpha crystals, on the other hand, make chocolate soft and dull. Tempering is a process in which the crystal formation in chocolate is controlled; desirable beta crystals that make chocolate firm can be formed by taking the chocolate through a series of gentle and controlled temperature changes.

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What Tempering Does

There are three main reasons to temper chocolate. First, tempered chocolate is firm and solid at room temperature. This is critical when making chocolate confections or decorations. Chocolate that is out of temper usually requires refrigeration to maintain its shape.

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Secondly, the appearance of tempered chocolate is far better than that of its un-tempered counterpart. Tempered chocolate is smooth, shiny and evenly colored. Chocolate that is not been tempered has a distinctly dull appearance and may develop fat bloom — grayish-white spots on the surface of the chocolate where unstable beta crystals have gathered.

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In addition to its superior appearance and texture, tempered chocolate also has a better flavor than un-tempered chocolate. Because texture plays a significant role in flavor perception, bloomed chocolate won’t taste the same as tempered chocolate. For the best release of flavor, temper chocolate.

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How to Temper Chocolate

To create small, stable beta crystals in melted chocolate, it must be tempered. You can do this two ways. In both cases, be sure to start with good quality chocolate that shows no sign of fat bloom.

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With a Candy Thermometer

If you have a candy thermometer you can temper the chocolate by taking it through a series of precise temperature changes. First, heat the chocolate gently using a double boiler; do not allow its temperature to exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, carefully remove the bowl of chocolate from the double boiler and allow it to cool to a temperature of 80 degrees.

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Warning The pan will be hot. Be sure to use oven mitts when removing it from the double boiler.

As the chocolate cools it must also be agitated; an easy way to agitate the chocolate is to stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the temperature cools to 80 degrees the chocolate must be warmed slightly, to 86 degrees, before it can be used. Place it back over the boiling water and heat it gently until it reaches the desired temperature. Then pour the chocolate into molds or pipe it into the desired shape before allowing it to cool to room temperature. When the chocolate reaches room temperature it will be set.

Without a Candy Thermometer

If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can still temper chocolate, but you must be sure to start with chocolate that is already in temper.

First, put two-thirds of the chocolate into the top pan of a double boiler and allow it to melt gently, without stirring, until it is nearly melted. After a gentle stir, allow the chocolate to continue melting. When the chocolate is fully melted, carefully remove the top pan from the double boiler and slowly stir in the remaining chocolate a few pieces at a time, stirring with each addition, until completely melted.

When all of the chocolate has been incorporated, dab a small amount of the chocolate onto the inside of your wrist. If the chocolate is slightly cooler than your body temperature, it is ready to use.

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