top of page

How Is Chocolate Made From Cocoa Beans? Part 2

The Complete Guide on How To Make Chocolate: Everything You Need to Know about how it is processed What



What makes Chocolate quality chocolate?


Conching


Whether it's milk or dark chocolate, the last stage in making bulk chocolate is conching. It is an important phase in developing viscosity, ultimate texture, and flavour in the finished product. In most cases, conching is accomplished by mixing chocolate at degrees more than 50°C for a few hours. Moisture is reduced in the initial phases of fermentation by eliminating flavour-active volatiles like acetic acid from the mixture. To generate interactions between the dispersion and continuous phases, the following steps are taken: The Conching process, in addition to eliminating moisture and volatile acids, promotes flavour development by mixing at high temperatures for a long period of time. This results in a somewhat caramelized flavour in non-milk crumb chocolate. Throughout the method, the process contributes to the reduction of the viscosity of refiner pastes, the reduction of particle size, and the elimination of particle edges. The name "conch" originates from the Latin word "shell," which refers to the shape of the traditional conche used in chocolate manufacture, which resembled a seashell. A representation of a Friese conche. In the present chocolate industry, the Friese conche is a famous example of an overhead conche that is used often. It is made out of a huge tank with three powerful intermeshing mixer blades that shear and mix the contents of the tank. In the case of milk crumb, conching times and temperatures vary from 10–16 hours at 49–52°C for milk crumb, 16–24 hours at up to 60°C for milk powder products, and 70–80 degrees Celsius and up to 82 degrees Celsius for dark chocolate. Skimmed milk powder and butterfat may be used in place of full-fat milk powder at temperatures as high as 70°C. It is possible to add more cocoa butter and lecithin towards the end of the conching process to thin or dilute the chocolate before tempering it to get the desired consistency.




 

Tempering


It is the last stage in the processing to temper the chocolate. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter results in a wide range of crystal sizes, some of which are large enough to be seen with the human eye when the butter is heated. Rather than snapping or snapping, the surface of the chocolate becomes uneven and matte, and the chocolate crumbles rather than snaps. The tempering process results in evenly small cocoa butter crystals responsible for the uniform sheen and crisp bite of correctly produced chocolate when it is properly prepared. The fats in cocoa butter have the potential to crystallize in six different forms (polymorphous crystallization). Tempering guarantees that only the best possible form is present at all times. The characteristics of the six different crystal forms differ.


Solid chocolate has cocoa butter fat particles that are arranged in a complex crystalline structure, which gives the chocolate its solid appearance. The melting process occurs when the polymorphic cocoa butter crystals break away from their rigid design, enabling the chocolate to become more fluid as the temperature increases. When the heat is removed from the cocoa butter crystals, they become firmer and closer together, allowing the chocolate to harden. The quantity of milk fat in the chocolate, the structure of the fat molecules, and the fat form of the cocoa butter would all influence the temperature at which the crystals get enough energy to break away from their rigid conformation.

Chocolate that has a higher percentage of fat will melt at a lower temperature. When it comes to manufacturing "great" chocolate, forming as many type V crystals as possible are essential. This results in the best texture and appearance and the most stable crystals, which ensures that the texture and appearance do not diminish over time. The temperature is carefully maintained during the crystallization process to accomplish this. It is customary to heat the chocolate to 45°C (113°F) to completely melt all six kinds of crystals. Crystal types IV and V are formed when the chocolate has been cooled to around 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit). To produce countless small crystal "seeds," the chocolate is churned at this temperature to develop tiny crystal nuclei that will function as nuclei to build tiny crystals in the chocolate. Afterward, the chocolate is heated to around 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to eliminate any type IV crystals and leave just type V crystals. Any overheating of the chocolate beyond this point will result in the chocolate losing its temper.

It will be necessary to repeat the operation. Other methods of tempering chocolate, on the other hand, are used. The most often used option is to utilize solid "seed" chocolate that has already been tempered before baking. When measuring the temperature of the chocolate, it is possible to use a chocolate temper meter to ensure consistency and accuracy. The chocolate is placed in a sample cup, which is then placed in the machine, which displays or prints the results as a result of the experiment.


Two Ways To Temper Chocolate:


Stone slabs or other heat-absorbing surfaces are perfect for melting chocolate. Using a spatula or a chocolate scraper you can mix chocolate pallets into melted chocolate to being the tempering process. The chocolate is ready to use after it has thickened enough to demonstrate the presence of the "crystal seeds.".


To "inoculate" the molten chocolate with crystals, it is necessary to mix solid chocolate into the liquid. In high-volume applications, continuous tempering machines are used. Aasted, Sollich, and Buhler are three types of commercial chocolate equipment makers focused on energy efficiency, have defined constant flow tempering methods and apparatus. Heat exchangers are used to cool molten chocolate to crystallization temperatures of roughly 26–30°C. Then the chocolate is sent through a tempering column with spinning plates to induce shear and reheated to re-melt any undesirable crystals.



Heading #2: 9 Health Benefits Of Chocolate


  1. As you become older, it may help you remember things better.

  2. It may improve your arithmetic skills. Consequently, they were better able to handle complicated arithmetic calculations because of increased blood supply to the brain.

  3. Cholesterol levels may be reduced as a result.

  4. Alzheimer's patients may benefit from it.

  5. It's a great source of nutrition. This food almost entirely meets copper and manganese. More than half of your magnesium and iron needs may be met by this product. Fibre is also included in around 10% of the product. Zinc, selenium, and potassium are also abundant.

  6. Your blood pressure may be lowered by taking this supplement regularly.

  7. It boosts your endorphin production.

  8. It may also improve your vision. On visual tests, the dark chocolate groups performed better.

  9. It might help you lose weight.





Heading #3: Tips for Storing Your Chocolates


Temperature and humidity may have a significant effect on chocolate. The humidity should be less than 50 percent, and the ideal storage temperature is between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius (59- and 63-degrees Fahrenheit). A white tint is caused by fat or sugar crystals rising to the top when chocolate is chilled or frozen without proper containment. When chocolate is handled or kept incorrectly, it may take on various "blooming" characteristics. Because of a fluctuation in storage temperature, chocolate bloom occurs. In contrast, sugar bloom occurs when the storage temperature drops below 15 °C or is too humid.


You can tell whether a piece of chocolate has a fat bloom if you softly brush the surface and the colour fades. Chocolate can also become oily if it is moved between extreme temperatures. Blooming chocolate is safe to eat, despite its unappetizing appearance. Re-tempering the chocolate or using it in any way that necessitates melting it might undo the bloom. Because of its ability to absorb other flavours and smells, chocolate is often kept apart from other meals. Chocolates should be stored in a cool, dry area with the appropriate humidity and temperature. Chocolate is usually wrapped in paper or kept in a dark environment to prevent oxidation.



Bye for now! 😊🖐🏾


Stay Connected through my Pinterest for all the recipes and videos posts. If you like this blog post and want to know more, you can let me know in the comments below or on social media using #ThompsonsTastyTreats and tag us @Thompsonstastytreats. We’re always happy to hear your feedback and love seeing your take on our recipes and idea pins.


Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter – you’ll be notified when we post new recipes, plus you get a gift from us ✨A 5-recipe free e-book with our plant-based recipes!


You can connect with us on our Instagram or Pinterest. We share many behind-the-scenes photos and step-by-step recipes in our Pinterest Idea Pins Boards, so be sure to check it out! our join my community to stay connected and up to date on what's new!

24 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page