Baking Chocolate
How many times can you melt and refrigerate good, semi-sweet baking chocolate? I over-estimated how much chocolate I would need for a faux-truffle recipe and now I have a container full of chocolate in my fridge that I'd like to melt down again, but I'm afraid that I'll end up with leftovers again (small fridge, not enough room for lots of little candies). Any info would be great.
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10 Comments:
Is it a ton of chocolate - I mean if you wind up with leftovers, will there be enough to make saving it worthwhile?
I would have imagined it'd be bad to reheat and recool chocolate over and over but I looked it up and found that this person says you can reheat it over and over hundreds of times!
Hope this helps!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:21PM on 12/07/07
Every time you melt it you will notice the conistency will change. It all depends what percentage of cocoa butter is in it. Usually after the second melt it will clump and get not so nice.
Don't melt it again take it and break it apart (knife or food processor) and process it to chunk and then let it air dry. Put it in ziplock bag then in a tin and it will be good kept out of heat/sunshine for a bit. If you keep it in a cool place it might bloom (have white streaks/specks) which is not a problem if you intend to bake with it.
JerzeeTomato at 5:34PM on 12/07/07
As long as you temper it properly, it can be re-melted over and over again. It might pick up off flavors if not properly stored, but the physical structure of the cocoa butter crystals will be just fine if melted and cooled to the right temperatures before using.
Dominic
the zen kitchen
dvchurch at 12:02AM on 12/08/07
I wouldn't do it more than twice. I can't see multiple times not harming the integrity of the chocolate but I think this is worth googling...
chiff0nade at 6:03AM on 12/08/07
One of my friends makes truffles a few times a year, and when she has leftover melted chocolate, she makes bark, throwing in pretty much anything she has in the house...chopped nuts, dried fruits, etc. Just throw the nuts, etc. in to the melted chocolate and spread it all out on a cookie sheet. Put it in the fridge or freezer with a piece of wax paper over it, and let it get hard. Break up and give to your (very appreciative) friends! :-)
Curlz at 9:46AM on 12/08/07
Yes, you can melt chocolate several times, but NEVER put it in the freezer!!!
kmnola at 10:05AM on 12/08/07
Per Baking911.com, you can melt chocolate as many times as you like. No recommendation was given on storage.
chiff0nade at 12:12PM on 12/08/07
On storage, per Scharffen Berger...
"The best way to store a chocolate bar is in a cool, dry environment where it will not come in contact with heat or moisture. There is usually no need to refrigerate dark chocolate that you will use within 8 months to a year of purchase. If you live in a very hot or humid area and must refrigerate your chocolate, we suggest wrapping it tightly in an extra layer of plastic wrap to help protect the aroma and flavor. Always allow the refrigerated chocolate to warm to room temperature before eating. We suggest that you never freeze chocolate."
SundayNiteDinner at 1:24PM on 12/08/07
Thanks everyone! The chocolate melted just fine -- if anything, i think it melted more quickly the second time around. And 42 truffles later, I didn't really have any leftovers, haha -- just enough to dip four Oreos in for a special treat for me. =)
kfarrel3 at 5:02PM on 12/08/07
Mmmm chocolate-covered Oreos....glad it worked out! :)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:20PM on 12/11/07