Tempering chocolate

To give the chocolate a nice glass, you have to temper it. This is the name for the process of processing chocolate in a certain way. This process consists of melting chocolate and then bringing it to a specific temperature, which causes crystals to form. This ensures that the chocolate solidifies and eventually looks shiny and that a crispy and firm structure is created. If the chocolate is melted in a different way, the quality of the chocolate will be much lower and will have a dull color.

There are several ways to temper chocolate. But at Souvy we highlight one simple method, namely the sous vide cooking technique, which allows you to go through this process flawlessly . Further on in this blog you will find the step-by-step plan and finally you will discover why chocolate & sous vide are a perfect combination.

Sous vide desserts

It is a fact that you can perfectly temper chocolate with a sous vide device . Yet it is true. Now that you have probably experimented with eggs, the perfect steak or even Gin, it is time for something new! You can also use sous vide for desserts, such as crème brûlée or another dessert with chocolate, such as chocolate mousse.

What is chocolate?

If there is one ingredient that is versatile and can be used in many dishes, it is chocolate. Chocolate consists of a mixture of three ingredients , namely: cocoa powder, cocoa butter and sugar. However, it is always difficult to process this product well in dishes. Through traditional cooking methods, all your attention is required to prevent the chocolate from burning.

Easy tempering

When tempering chocolate, it is important to keep a close eye on the temperatures of the chocolate. The advantage of tempering with the sous vide cooking technique is that it is very simple . The chocolate melts at a constant temperature, so you do not have to worry about burning. In fact, it is the perfect and easiest solution for this. When making chocolate decorations, you want the chocolate to look shiny and crispy, but not melt immediately when you handle it. The classic way of melting the chocolate will not get you there; the chocolate will never become shiny, firm and crispy that way. So you will have to work it in a certain way to get that result.

Tempering, step by step

Step 1

Heat the water to 46 ºC using a sous vide device .

Step 2

Chop the chocolate and place it in a sous vide bag . Vacuum seal the bag with the vacuum machine and place the bag with chocolate in the sous vide container and let it sit in the water without air until it is completely melted, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the sous vide bag with chocolate from the water and gently squeeze the chocolate through the bag. Place the bag back in warm water.

Step 4

Lower the temperature of the sous vide device to 27 ºC. To speed up the process, you can add ice until the lower temperature is reached.

Step 5

When the water reaches 27ºC, increase the temperature again to 32ºC. The water temperature will rise quickly to this point. Leave the chocolate at this temperature for 5 minutes, removing the bag every minute or so to give it a gentle squeeze. This will distribute the crystals that make up the chocolate, preventing streaks.

Step 6

After 5 minutes you can remove the bag from the water. Dry the bag completely and then cut a small piece from the corner of the bag. Now you can start making various chocolate decorations.

Note: Water is the biggest enemy of melted chocolate. Since the sous vide method works with this technique in warm water, it is important that everything is well covered. The smallest amount of water makes the chocolate grainy and ugly. Dry everything well!

The benefits of tempering with sous vide

• It is more hygienic because the chocolate has minimal contact with the air and pathogens.
• You don't have to worry about it anymore. For example, you don't have to keep stirring.
• It is useful because several types of chocolate can be melted at the same time.
• The perfect result is assured due to the controlled temperature settings.
• It is efficient. You can melt bars of chocolate directly.
• The kitchen stays neat and tidy because you only work with one appliance.