Know how to temper chocolates the classic way
Chocolate makers find it easy to temper chocolates by using tempering machines because these gadgets are fully automated. But tempering by hand is very difficult and one has to possess patience to maintain specific temperatures accurately. In automated tempering machines, you have a microprocessor that takes care of not only tempering but keeping the temper of the chocolate for more time, perhaps overnight.
This billion-dollar chocolate market still has customers who wish to enjoy handmade chocolates. There are artisanal chocolatiers who cater to this market segment. Tabliering is the process that is used by these artisans for tempering chocolates.
Tabliering is originally from France and is otherwise called marble-slab method because you cool the melted chocolate on a marble plane, a heat-absorbing surface.
In addition to maintaining temperatures, the other precaution you should take is keeping all things that come into contact with the chocolates completely dry. Water will lead to a phenomenon called “seizing” and this turns the chocolates into a hard lump, making it useless for dipping and molding. Rapid over-heating and even freezing must also be avoided since these also trigger “seizing”.
The main ingredient for tabliering is 1 pound of chocolate as well as items like a bread knife, a chopping board, a spatula, a mixing bowl, a double boiler, a thermometer that is capable of measuring a low of 82F, and a cookie sheet. You should ensure that you pat dry all these items with a paper towel. Chocolate is cut into thin strips before melting.
Tabliering starts with heating the strips of chocolate on the upper pan of the double boiler; maintaining only medium heat. If you slowly stir the chocolate, the entire contents will reach the melting temperature of 108-115F. Afterwards, before pouring the chocolate into a mixing bowl, the pan bottom must be wiped dry. This molten chocolate is otherwise known as mush and it should be flowing smoothly when you pour.
You should segregate this melted chocolate into two parts of 2/3rd and 1/3rd. The 2/3rd portion is spread on a marble slab to scrape, spread, fold and work upon till it reaches a cooled temperature of 80- 82F. But the temperature of the remaining 1/3rd portion must not go below 100F.
After the 2/3rd portion cools to the specific temperature, the 1/3rd portion is also mixed with it and you should slowly stir the entire mass till it’s cooled to the required temperature. Then this whole mass is reheated to specific temperatures that vary from one type of chocolate to another: dark chocolates, 88-90F; semi-sweet, 86-88F; and white chocolates, 82-84F. Checking if the tempering is over is easy. Just get the knife dipped in the chocolate and let it rest for about five minutes. If you find that the chocolate has formed into a shell with a glossy patina, then you’ve succeeded in the difficult art of tabliering. You can continue the chocolate making process by moving on to dipping and molding.
