The Benefits of Making Chocolate

Can you blame people for placing negative thoughts over the process of making
chocolate? Through time, people are becoming more and more health conscious.
For this reason, chocolates have been one of the targets of criticism for
people who aims for the best on their diet plans and on their health.

No matter what the study shows, chocolates remain to be the most favorite
treats among kids and adults alike. Scientific research may find bad effects of
such on the human system. But don't you think that it is the amount that you
take in which results to such negative connotation?

Chocolates have flavinoids that are prominent in their effect in the
improvement of circulation. Aside from this, chocolates also have anti-oxidants
features that help the body to get rid of some of the harmful chemicals in the
blood. For sure, those who dispute this sweet treat will find ways to claim
more harmful and negative connotations than the previously mentioned positive
ones.

But as a chocolate lover, you must also be responsible to the amount that you
take in. Anything that is too much will have a bad effect on you, even if it's
not a chocolate. So do not give the critics any reason to put down chocolates.
Be a responsible chocolate lover.

The critics will always point out the bad effects of the sugar and fat that
chocolates have on humans. But the key here is to really moderate your intake
of sweets such as chocolates. Did you know that flavinoids can also be found on
vegetables, as well as in fruit and tea drinks? For that reason alone, you must
trust that this will also work toward your advantage when you eat a piece of
chocolate.

Regarding the argument about sugars that chocolates contain, there are useful
effects of sugar. Just always remember to take everything moderately. For
example, simple sugars can act as carbohydrates. They can replenish the body's
energy for it to function livelier and more efficient.

Some fats also have a good effect on your body. They help to control some
hormones in the brain. Such will also cause the body to gain more energy in the
process. Again, the key here is to take enough but not too much.

Chocolates also contain caffeine. But it is much smaller portion compared to
coffee. So this can still be measured evenly.

Mature people also benefit from eating a piece of chocolates. Ask the women who
have suffered depression or PMS. Most of them have resorted to chocolates to
give them a light feeling after they have savored a bite. Why is this so?
Chocolates contain trytophan. It is a compound that develops to serotonin. And
serotonin is a chemical in the brain that helps you fight off stress as well as
depression.

This is also may be the reason why chocolates have been a favorite gift to
loved ones and friends. You are giving gifts in order to share your love and
affection to people. And this can be best measured when you send out things
that will make the people that you care about very happy.

Making chocolate and eating it as well will certainly make the recipient of
your gift happy and glee. Just tell them to eat your gift in moderation. This
way, critics will not have any reason to doubt the benefits of your favorite
treat.

What Does It Take To Make Chocolate?

Chocolate has been around for many years. This was first used by the Native
American civilizations as a refreshment but soon, this was developed into
chocolate bars which we all eat today. But what does it take to make chocolate?
Here are few things to give you the idea.

First, chocolate is produced from cocoa beans that from the Theobroma cacao
tree. In English, this term means "food for the Gods" because of its heavenly
taste that the Aztec and Mayan civilizations have enjoyed for years.

These degrees are harvested mainly from the Ghana and the Ivory Coast with some
getting their supplies from other countries in South Africa and South America.

The reason why chocolate is abundant is because the pods from these trees are
produced all year long. There are three types that each have their own
distinctive flavor namely Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario.

Of the three, the most abundant among them is Forastero. Criollo on the other
hand is very rare while Trinitario is a hybrid of the two.

Harvesting the pods is usually done by hand with machetes. The farmers have to
split open the pods to get to the cocoa beans. Afterwards, they scrape the pulp
and beans from inside the pods and left to ferment in baskets from 2 to 8 days.

Fermentation is important because without it, the beans inside would be too
bitter to enjoy. After this process, the contents are spread in a single layer
to dry usually under direct sunlight before this is packed and shipped to the
buyer.

Now you understand what farmers do, it is time to explain what the
manufacturers do. Once the beans reach the factory, this is roasted and then
transferred to a winnower. This machine removes the shell of the bean and
leaves the "nibs" which is what is used to making chocolate. This is then
grounded and turned into a rich thick paste now called chocolate liquor.

The liquor then undergoes one more process to remove the cocoa butter which has
an end product known as "cocoa presscake" or cocoa powder and here,
manufacturers decide what kind of chocolate to make.

If the presscake is of low quality, this will have to be mixed with other
ingredients like vegetable fats, sugar and artificial flavoring. If what they
have is of good quality, then this will added again to chocolate liquor and
other ingredients like milk, sugar and vanilla before this is transferred to a
conching machine.

The conching is considered to be the last step in screening the chocolate in
order to get its ultimate flavor and texture. The speed, temperature and length
of this process has a lot to do with the taste of the chocolate. Also, this
helps remove any acidic tones.

This is then tempered into a large machine which pours the chocolate into the
mold. Once it is frozen, the bars are then packed and ready to be shipped off
to the consumer.

Now that you know what it takes to make chocolate, you can begin to appreciate
what you buy whenever you go to the grocery store and buy a few of these as a
snack. Some of these are cheap while others are expensive and it all boils down
to what kind of cocoa tree was used to make the finished product.

Only The Sweet Stuff: Guide for Making Chocolate

Chocolate has its timeless charm which hooks many a person with a sweet tooth.
Then again, some of the chocolates are really expensive. In reality, given a
few tips and tricks, you can actually create your own chocolate and save
yourself money and increase your delight because of your self-creation.

Essentially, making chocolate begins with the conversion of cacao beans into
the bars of chocolate we see in the supermarket shelves. Some other people
enjoy eating the cacao beans in its raw form, since it has the basic component
that we crave for in the processed chocolates.

A chocolate maker must have persistent attention to detail and dedication to
constant practicing. This guide will not ensure to make a chocolate factory out
of your kitchen, but it will surely give you the basic idea -- just enough for
you to enjoy a bar or two of chocolate at any time you wish without hurting
your budget. Moreover, since you are directly involved in making your
chocolate, you get to know the materials and amount of calories you are placing
in every bar.

It begins with Cocoa Beans

If you are familiar with brewing coffee, it is similar to the beginning of the
chocolate-making process. You need to roast the beans. But then, do not roast
it too much. Initially, place it in a high temperature, then slowly diminishing
the temperature afterwards. Turn the heat off right before the moment the beans
hit their cracking or breaking point. You can do this either on your oven.

Or if you are planning to feed many people with your chocolate, have a larger
container to accommodate the huge number of beans. From time to time, test the
taste of your chocolate. The moment you start tasting chocolate from the cocoa,
it is also an indicator to turn off the heat.

After roasting, the beans must be cracked open, removing the hard husks. You
can do this by hand or with use of a small hammer. Depending on the size of
your beans, you can use other tools for cracking, since the husks are not that
useful for eating. Once the husks are removed, you can now grind the remaining
portions until it liquefies. You must thoroughly liquefy the said concoction in
order to help you become a home chocolatier.

Coco gets refined over time.

The process of conching involves the refinement of chocolate. It may require
you to have certain equipment such as the Sancha refiner, which is a common
favorite among home chocolatiers. This is where you start adding sugar and milk
as part of the delicious chocolate mixture.

You will need to refine and conch for a long time, approximately 10 to 30 hours
in length, until you achieve the balance of the ingredients. Excessive refining
will turn your chocolate into gum, so be very careful. At this point, even when
you let the mixture rest, it must not solidify yet.

Packaging Chocolates: Tempered after refinement.

When you are finished refining your chocolate, you need to make sure that it is
under the right temperature before you place it in the mold. Not doing this
meticulous tempering process will make your chocolate lumpy and unbalanced.

The rich, creamy quality of most chocolate bars in the market come from
effective tempering of the chocolate after refinement.

Making Chocolate

Ever wonder how chocolate is made? The short story is that these are made from
bitter cacao beans and then molded into chocolate bars. If you were a chocolate
company like Hershey's, you would need a lot of them and to give you an idea how
it is made, here is a guide in the production process.

The first thing that needs to be done is to harvest the cacao beans. Large
companies buy these from farmers or buy the farm and harvest these themselves.
They then put these in an oven at a temperature between 120 to 163 degrees
Celsius that is about 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 35 minutes.

Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when
the beans start to crack.

There are two reasons why cacao beans stay in an oven at varying times.

First is to prevent them from burning. Naturally, you will gradually lower the
temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack. Naturally,
you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans
start to crack.

Second, the cooking time of cacao beans varies depending on the type of bean
that is being used.

Since companies produce chocolates in vast quantities, the cacao beans are
stored in drums and then rotated over a gas grill. After they are roasted, the
beans must be cracked into small bits better known as nibs while those that
can't are removed.

The next step is to grind the nibs into a cacao liqueur. For that, you will
need a machine to liquefy this and at the same time separate the remaining
husks that were not removed after roasting.

You then conch and refine the chocolate so you are able to give the chocolate
its distinct taste. This is what makes Hershey's chocolates different than for
example M&M which can be achieved by using a powerful wet grinder.

You first have to melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the over at about
120 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then mix non fat dry milk powder, sugar,
lecithin and a vanilla pod for about an hour. This mixture is then poured into
a grinder together with some heat to keep the chocolate in liquid form. This
should be refined for at least 10 hours but not more than 36 hours.

When it is ready, you then temper the chocolate so it looks shiny and soft
enough to easily melt in your hand.

The second to the last part in making chocolate is to mold this into whatever
shape or form that you would like. To produce these in vast quantities,
chocolate companies but custom made molds. The chocolate is then poured there
and after this is cooled, this is then packaged and ready for delivery to
stores.

Some companies even sell these in the form of blocks so people can buy them,
melt it and mold this to whatever shape they desire.

Making chocolate is easy as long as you have the equipment and all the
ingredients needed. It doesn't matter if this is produced in large volumes or
in small quantities because the principle behind it is the same. If you want to
learn more about making chocolate, sign up for some classes.
Making Chocolate Using Molds

These days, you don't have to go to the grocery to buy chocolate. Just like
cookies, these can be home made as long as you have the ingredients and the
materials. They most important to make chocolate are the molds.

Molds are usually made of plastic and these can be purchased from craft stores.
Most of these cost about a dollar up so if you want to make these in different
shapes and sizes, you have to buy a bunch.

Now that you have your mold, you should also buy the raw chocolate which is
also available from the craft store. This is available in different flavors and
colors so you can mix them up later on.

There are two ways to melt chocolate. The first is to cut the chocolate block
into small pieces and then put this in a microwave safe bowl before sticking it
in the oven. Since it is quite hard to see if all the chocolate has finally
melted, we now come to the second option which is to melt it using a double
boiler.

A double boiler consists of two pans. The first one has water while a smaller
one is placed on top which is where the chocolate will be placed. You then stir
the chocolate until melts. Once everything is now in liquid form, you then get
your mold and pour the chocolate.

You should tap the bottom to take out air bubbles out of the chocolate
otherwise there will be holes later on when they come out of the freezer. If
you decide to put in candy sprinkles or marshmallows with your chocolate, it is
best to pour them into the boiler.

After ten minutes or so, the chocolate mold inside the freezer is ready to be
taken out. A good indicator is to check the bottom of the mold and see if the
chocolate is still holding on to the mold.

If it is ready, then it is time to flip it over and tap it gently so it can
land on a soft surface like a napkin to prevent it from breaking. Another
method is to carefully pour water on the mold. But if it is not, then you
should put the mold back into the freezer.

The nice thing about working with chocolate is that if is should crack or
break, you can recycle it which prevents wastage. If you make a mistake when
you are painting it, don't touch it and wait until it freezes so it is easy to
remove and you can start over.

When it is ready, you can serve this as part of your dessert but if you are
giving this away as a gift, make sure you find a nice box because it should
look presentable to whoever will be receiving it.

Surely the molds you used to make chocolate will be used in the future. To
maintain it, you must never wash this with soap as this removes its slickness.
You should also carefully dry it after washing because it could cause spots to
appear making it also difficult for the chocolate to be released from the mold.

But if your chocolate mold is sticky, perhaps you should coat it first lightly
with some vegetable oil before you pour in the melted chocolate.

Making chocolate using molds is fun. You may not get it perfect the first time
but as time goes by, you are sure to get better at it.

Making Chocolate Starts by Melting It

When you buy chocolate from the craft store, these are usually sold in blocks
which is ready to be transformed into different shapes. To make that happen,
you have to melt it.

Melting is not the same thing as tempering so never confuse the two. However,
melting is part of the tempering process which can be done using a microwave or
a hot water bath.

The nice thing about using a microwave to melt chocolate is that you get the
results you want fast with little or no effort at all and mess. Naturally,
before you put the chocolate in the microwave, you should put this in a
microwave safe container that remains cool or only slightly warm after several
minutes.

The ideal setting on the microwave should be at least 50% low power. This
prevents scorching or burning. How long should you put these in on the
microwave depends on how much you will be using. A good basis will be 1 minute
for every ounce of chocolate so put this first on a weighing scale.

If by accident you overheated the chocolate, don't panic. Pour this into a cool
bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously.

If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot
water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Since the
water is just warming up in the bottom, you should only put 1/3 of the chocolate
and let it melt first before putting the rest in.

You must stir the bowl frequently so all the chocolate has melted. When this is
done, this is the time you pour this into the mold.

Whichever you decide to choose, remember these tips.

* First, chop the chocolates into small pieces because it melts quicker.

* Never let chocolate get into contact with water because it will make the
block of chocolate unworkable.

* When melting the chocolate, do this in low heat or temperature so you prevent
it from overheating.

* To prevent bubbles, stir the chocolate frequently using a rubber spatula but
only when the outer edges begin to melt.

* You have to remember that chocolate retains it shape when melted so again,
you have to stir it constantly so there won't be any problems getting some
using a spoon and then pouring this into the mold.

You can also melt chocolate with other liquids aside from water. You can use
cream, milk, cream and wine. But most people use water because it is faster and
more convenient. But if you were to try other liquids, make sure that you use at
least 1 tablespoon of liquid for very 2 ounces of water. This will prevent the
chocolate from binding together and becoming lumpy. But if you are using dark
chocolate, you may have to add more than 1 tablespoon per ounce.

Melting the chocolate is key in making your final product when you pour this
into a mold. It does not matter whether you choose to use a microwave or a
double boiler because you will be doing the same thing in the end which is to
freeze it and then pack it up to give it as a gift or serve it as part of your
dessert.

Tools in Making Chocolate

Making chocolate is not possible without your bag of tools. Some of these tools
may be easily secured off your kitchens, but if you are really hell-bent on
becoming a home chocolatier, you may have to invest in some other equipment
that is exclusively used only for chocolate making. The good thing is that
there are a wealth of resources available to help you make the best use of
whatever resources you have at the moment.

In fact, while these tools are highly recommended, you can do away with some of
them at the expense of making a more manual operation of making chocolate,
especially in the refinement stage. Here are the different tools that you need
to make that homemade chocolate yummy and delectable.

Oven or Roaster

The oven or roaster is where you roast the beans, and you also use that to help
achieve certain temperatures that you need during the tempering process. To say
that tempering is a difficult task would be an understatement, since it
requires hours and hours of measurement.

Blow Dryer

The blow dryer is essential for refining your chocolate. You need to make sure
that the chocolate is evenly distributed as you refine it; it tends to change
for the fluctuation in temperature and it may actually affect the overall
quality of your final product. The blow dryer is quite easy to purchase and it
also has uses outside the chocolate making kitchen.

Grinder

The grinder will help you especially when you are processing large amounts of
chocolate beans. But if you are dealing with a small scale of chocolate making,
you can actually do away with the grinder and crack the coffee beans manually or
by hand. This is of course a welcome option for you if you have a grinder handy
because it saves time and energy from cracking all those beans.

Bowl

The bowl is where you do most of the mixing of your ingredients. You will need
a lot of bowls if you are making large amounts of chocolate for yourself and
for your guests. When you are dealing with liquefied chocolate, you may need
large bowls or other containers. It will also be very helpful if you have
containers that are able to resist heat so that it will not affect the quality
of your chocolate making even if it is subjected to high temperatures.

Spatula

The spatula helps mix the chocolate properly. It can also come in handy if you
are doing taste tests although the next item may do better for this particular
purpose.

Spoon

The spoon is handy for testing the taste of the chocolates. It helps you
determine what has the optimum taste for varying temperatures and stages of
your chocolate beans. From the moment that it is in bean form up to the moment
that it is in liquid form, your spoon can be used to test the chocolate quality
and taste.

Concher or Refiner

The refiner will help you achieve that rich creamy texture that most commercial
chocolates have. If you have a concher, you will have saved yourself lots of
minor work and it will actually help you do other activities while you wait for
your chocolate to be processed.

Thermometer

The thermometer is especially important when you are tempering your chocolates.
You need to be able to find a good thermometer so that it can handle the varying
temperatures that will be required when you temper your chocolate. It will also
be very useful if your thermometer reacts quickly or has a high temperature
constant so that you can easily note the changes in temperature and alter your
approach accordingly.

Tips for Making Homemade Chocolates

Chocolate is used in a lot of desserts. These include ice cream, souffles,
custards and a host of other dishes. Almost everyone loves it because studies
have shown that it is an aphrodisiac. If you are too lazy to go to the store to
buy one, why don't you make it yourself by following these tips.

First, you have to get ready all the materials and ingredients you will be
using. The two most important happen to be the chocolate and the mold both
which can be purchased at the craft store.

Chocolate comes in many flavors. Some examples of these are bitter sweet, milk,
dark, semi-sweet, sweet and white. These are often sold in blocks if you don't
have the time to convert these from cocoa beans. As for your molds, make sure
that these are made from FDA approved food grade plastic.

You will also need sugar as this is a basic ingredient in most chocolates
recipes. When you buy this from grocery, make sure that this does not have any
trace of flour, salt or other kitchen ingredients.

Another important ingredient is unsalted butter. This is because the kind that
contains salt is hard to ascertain and there are instances where it could spoil
the taste of your dish. You must never substitute butter with margarine if you
don't have any because this will just make the cooking time longer as the water
content here is much higher than that of butter.

There are three ways to liquefy chocolate before shaping this to its final
form. You can heat this using the microwave, a double boiler or the oven. When
making these into candies, it will be a good idea to also use a thermometer so
you are able to monitor its temperature.

If you are using a thermometer that has a bulb, make sure that it does not
touch the sides of the pan because this could give you the wrong reading.

When the chocolate is ready, this is the time that you put these into the mold.
So it doesn't look messy, get some using a teaspoon and pour this into the
cartridges. This is also the time you should add in other ingredients like
peanuts, marshmallows or candy sprinkles.

If there are air bubbles, remove them by holding the mold a few centimeters
from the ground and dropping it on the table. You may have to do this several
times to make sure that there is nothing left then you put these in the freezer.

You should check on your chocolate molds after 5 to 10 minutes. The bigger the
mold, the longer it takes but you can check if it is ready by looking at the
back of the mold. If a graying figure appears on the bottom, this means it is
ready to be removed from the mold.

Once they are removed, put this in a plate or in a box if this is going to be
given away. As for your molds, wash them in hot water and never with soap
because this will remove its stickiness.

It should be dried thoroughly using a dry piece of cloth and stored properly so
it looks good as new when you need to use it again.

You won't have any problems making home made chocolates as long as you follow
these tips. Who knows, this could open new doors for you like starting your own
business.

Tips for Making Chocolate

Making chocolate is challenging. To help you along the way, here are some tips
you should know.

First, water is the enemy of chocolate so make sure that the two do not come
into contact with one another otherwise, your chocolate will become grainy.

If you are using white colored chocolate and want to add coloring to it, never
use regular food color or food color paste since this too contains water. You
should only use powdered or gel varieties.

When you are adding color to chocolate, add this in small quantities and stir
before adding more. This is because putting in might change the color of your
chocolate making it too bright. If this happens, this can be remedied by
diluting the shade using some more white chocolate.

Apart from powdered or gel varieties of color, you can also use artist brushes
to paint designs into your mold. Another option is to use lollipop sticks or
even toothpicks so you will have better control in making the finished product.

When you are done using the chocolate mold, never wash this with soap as this
removes its stickiness. Just use water and after rinsing, dry this properly to
prevent spots from appearing that will also make it difficult to release the
chocolate from the mold.

But if it is already difficult to remove, the next time you use the mold, apply
a light coating of vegetable oil as this always does the trick.

Should there be some chocolate on the edges of the mold, remove it using a
butter knife. Remember this can be reused by simply melting it again and then
pouring this to the next batch of whatever you are making.

If your melted chocolate is too thick to paint, add some parafinflakes until
you get the right mixture. If you don't have this, you can also use vegetable
shortening or cocoa butter.

Chocolate when melted and poured into the mold was immediately be placed inside
the freezer for several minutes. To remove it, you simply have to turn this over
onto a tray. If it does not come out on its own, you can tap it gently or pour
some hot water in the back.

Some people paint the chocolate after it has been taken out of the freezer. To
do this, you must hold the mold over you head so you can see it from the right
side. If there are any air bubbles, tap the area where they are using your
fingers until it pops.

If you happen to make a mistake while painting, don't worry. You should just
put the mold back into the freezer so it will be easy to remove when it hardens
and you can easily correct it. The rule of thumb when it comes to painting is to
finish one color first before moving on to the others.

If you are not good painting all the details, do what many people do and that
is to simply use just one solid color.

By following these chocolate making tips, you will be able to make chocolate
for any occasion all year round. You can give this away as gifts or serve this
as part of your dessert which will make you feel proud knowing that you made
this yourself instead of buying this from the store.

The Emotional Effects of Making Chocolate

When you are sad or troubled, who are you going to call? No, this is not a
jumbled lyric of a song or two. This is just some wise question that can be
answered by the process of making chocolate.

No, there is no scientific evidence that will back up the positive gain that a
person could gain emotionally from chocolates. Some people even say that
chocolates cause headaches, even severe ones like migraines. Different people
have different views. But most of them would say that this really is a treat no
matter how it affects you physically, mentally and emotionally.

Focusing on the emotions, there may be no official study about the effects of
chocolates on one's emotions. But there are popular beliefs. And people have
formed varying opinions about the matter.

* Sudden Happiness

Chocolates are considered to be uppers when depression struck you when you
least expect it. For this reason, people turn to this treat to feel elated even
for a moment while they are so sad and blue.

But because the positive effect can be short-lived, people tend to eat a large
amount of the treat. For this reason, the negative effect on their body starts
to show. Everything that is taken too much is bad for you. Chocolates contain
sugar and fats that must be taken in moderation.

For the reason that chocolates are full of carbohydrates, these increase the
level of tryptophan in the brain. Such chemical produces more serotonin. The
latter results into regulating one's mood and often creates a jolly and
positive feeling.

* Good for the Heart

It is also a common knowledge that chocolate is good for the heart. It elevates
the level of responsiveness of the human blood vessels. This process is helpful
in preventing on from suffering heart ailments. This sweet can also increase
one's tolerance on glucose. And besides, chocolates have anti oxidant
ingredients that can prevent one person from having cancer.

But again, take note that these are popular beliefs by people who love the
treat. Scientific quests, for sure, will find ways to put a benefit of the
doubt or disprove such claims.

* Negative Outcry

People blame chocolates for being too addicting. As a result, such sweet treat
leads to simple headaches, rectal itching, to serious sickness like obesity and
heart burn. It is even known to cause one person to be irritable, confused and
temperamental.

One negative connotation about chocolates is that they are addicting. Some
people use this as an excuse to turn against their vices like alcohol or
smoking and turn to eating hoards of chocolates instead.

You can blame it on the more than 350 chemicals that can be found on
chocolates. People not only it is addicting, but many of them conclude that it
also causes allergies.

Women are more prone to crave for chocolates more than men. This can be due to
the fact that chocolates have magnesium. This can explain why women turn to
chocolate during Post Menstrual Syndrome, known to many as the PMS. At this
period, women suffer lack of magnesium, enough reason for the craving and all.

Making chocolate is a known process to make one happy. Eating the treat will
satisfy more of the craving for such delicacy. Just remember to take chocolates
moderately. Even the best things in life have a negative impact if you will not
learn to control yourself from taking in a little bit too much.
The Different Processes in Making Chocolate

There are different ways in which you can learn in making chocolate. The first
thing that you have to know about is where do these delicious treats come from?
Most of you may already know the answer. Chocolates are made from the beans of
cocoa.

From the trees to the chocolate makers, how such processes really evolve?
Through time, there have been many developments regarding chocolate making.
Technology has benefited a lot of life's endeavors. This also applies to the
process of chocolate making.

But such advancement only applies on the harvesting part. The processing
basically remains the same, the old conventional way. As what's been said, do
not fix a thing if it's not broken. Maybe the same rule is being applied to
this venture.

It feels good to eat chocolates. But do you want to know about the different
methods that go behind such concept? Here are some.

* Roasting

It takes a good amount of roasting as well as cocoa seed fermentation to come
up with the quality of chocolate that you are looking for. In the pre-roasting
stage, the beans are directed to infrared beaming heaters. This process will
take away the nibs of the beans from the shells. The temperature for this part
is 100 to 140 degree Celsius. This takes about 20 up to 40 minutes.

Roasting can also be done directly. After the beans are roasted, the shells can
be easily removed. This is favored by most chocolate makers because it retains
the flavor of the beans. For this part, the temperature is at 150 to 160 degree
Celsius.

* Fermentation

This is done to decrease the level of sugar, glucose as well as fructose and
also amino acids in the beans. This brings in the flavor of the beans that the
process of roasting will be able to enhance. But not everybody can do this. It
takes a master to hone this craft. Beans can rot if something goes wrong with
this process.

* Shelling

To be able to remove the shells from the beans, it takes more processes than
you could ever imagine. This includes milling, then sifting and lastly,
winnowing. Every step is important so as to come up with the grains that have
the right size.

* Tasting

If you think that this will be an easy task, well, that seems to be not the
case. This involves skill and expertise. One must have studied every taste of
the different kinds and variations of chocolates to be able to proclaim that
they can perform well on this and be a judge as to what varieties should be
presented to the market.

These people can be compared to wine experts. Just a bite from a chocolate
treat will tell them what processes it went through, what kind of beans was
used or where it was actually made.

And there are yet different kinds of chocolates available in the market.
Imagine what all those have to go through just to be able to reach your
favorite grocery store so that you can purchase them for your own consumption.

You don't have to be an expert in making chocolate. But you can start following
some techniques in the tasting part. If you are treated with a filled chocolate,
let it linger on your mouth until it melts and you can taste all its flavors.
You can then chew it for about five times, enough for the flavor and the
coating to blend in.

Enjoy and savor your chocolate tasting experience.

You Need To Chop the Chocolate Before You Melt It

The first step in making chocolate is to buy the necessary materials and
equipment. When you have everything ready, you need to chop the chocolate
before melting it and then pouring this into the mold.

The reason why you chop bars of chocolate is to melt it evenly thus preventing
overheating. You can use the kitchen knife or use something to cut this more
evenly like a pair of chocolate clippers that can also be purchased from the
craft store.

People who want to use a knife should make sure it is sharp. The ideal kind
should measure at least 8 to 10 inches and when you cut the chocolate make sure
that you press the knife down firmly and evenly on the chocolate.

You should start with the corners and then angle the knife slightly outward.
You should continue doing so until all the chocolate is chopped into almost
sized pieces. When you are finished, you then put this in a bowl so it can be
melted.

There are two options when it comes to melting chocolate. The first is to use a
microwave. The advantage of using a microwave is that the melting time is very
fast. This will be over in a few minutes even if you set the microwave at 50%
low power.

How long should you set the microwave timer? The best way to gauge that is 1
minute for every ounce of chocolate? So don't forget to weigh this first before
switching it on.

You might accidentally overheat the chocolate. If this should happen, pour the
contents into a cool bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir
continuously.

If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot
water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Unlike
the microwave where you can put a huge chunk in, you have to put this little by
little and stirred constantly to prevent air bubbles. When this is done, this is
the time you pour this into the mold.

Some people add nuts to the chocolate. If you want to try that, there are two
ways of chopping that. First, you use a sharp, serrated knife. The other option
is to use a food processor but if you don't have one, a coffee grinder will do.
Just remember when you are chopping the nuts, don't cut this into a fine meal
because you will hardly taste it when you eat the chocolate.

Aside from chocolate, you can also use marshmallows. The nice thing about this
is that this is available in small sizes so you don't have to cut it. You can
also use candy sprinkles which can be mixed with the melted chocolate when you
are stirring it. Save some for the latter part when you take this out of the
freezer so you can still add it in the finished product.

Chopping chocolate is just like cooking because this is the same thing you do
before you throw in the meat or the vegetables into the frying pan. The only
difference is that you only use low heat which is more than enough to melt
everything so it can be molded into whatever shape of mold you have.

Ways to Promote Your Venture into Making Chocolate

Is it your dream to have your own business? What do you want to have? What do
you imagine yourself running? If you have a knack in making chocolate, you
might as well capitalize on that talent.

Once you've started your business, learn how to advertise. This is a must for
every business, however big or small, startup or established. You must know how
to promote your business in order for people to know about it.

Here are some ways in which you can go about the promotions the affordable and
easy way.

Print Ads

Print advertisements will cost less than going into the broadcast medium. And
if you are a small biz and you still can't afford such tool, you can always opt
for the print medium. For this purpose, there are many ways in which you can go.

You can start with business cards. You must carry your card with you all the
time. You never know when you'll meet someone who has the tooth for what you
have to offer. This is a business. So have your cards professionally made.
Design a logo and a name that will carry out your brand in the market.

Postcards can be effective direct mailing piece. But this is advisable if you
already are stable and can accommodate the rush of orders that you will be able
to get from the responses from your ads. Make sure to captivate you market with
your postcards once you tried this route. Get their attention with the design,
tag lines and everything. And don't forget to include your contact information.

Catalogs can act as a menu for your clients. You can also mail these out to
people and don't forget to slip in order forms with these. The idea here is to
make the photos that you will use in your catalogs as delectable as your
products really are. You must convince people that your goods taste good
through the images that you present to them.

Are you ready to go big time? If you have special announcements that you want
many people to know about, you can try out large format posters and banners.
Make sure to place those ads on places where your target market usually goes.
This way, you will be able to tell them what you have in store for them. Make
sure that your ads will excite them enough that they will find ways to seek you
out.

Free Promo

Always give the best to people and they will return the favor by talking about
your products to the people that they know. And this will benefit you big time.
Word of mouth is so vital to any business. Imagine, you no longer have to resort
to spending for your own ads. You need not even think about what good elements
can be included on your next ads.

By always putting your best foot forward, people will learn to like you and
what you have in store for them. In any business, it is important to gain the
trust and loyalty of the buying public. And you will only achieve that if they
feel that they really are important to you by showing to them that you have
their best interests always in mind above everything else.

Go ahead and start out making chocolate as a business. And don't forget to
promote your biz and spread out the good words about you.

A Brief Look at the Past of Making Chocolate

Everything has its origin. Did you know that even the process of making
chocolate has a history? This may be your favorite thing to do now on your
pastime. Or you may be even addicted to the taste of such treat. But this piece
will not add up to that craving as it tries to give you a better view as to how
it all started.

The Theobroma Cacao or the food from the Gods is what you all know as the cocoa
tree. Its origin can be traced on America's rainforests, specifically in Central
America. But historians are still debating about certain facts about this tree.

Xocolat, Anyone?

There are arguments that the Mayans first grew such tree in 300 AD. And the
Aztecs had their turn in cultivating such in 1100 AD. The chocolate that you
all know now used to be called Xocolat. This was a special beverage that was
made out of chilies, anise seed, vanilla, cornmeal and some more spices. Only
royalties get to be treated with such delight at the time. It was served using
golden cups that were to be used only once.

Save the Chocolates

The cocoa tree is sensitive to its surroundings. It will most likely grow in
the shades of the canopy of the rainforest. For this reason, chocolate lovers
must unite in the goal of saving the environment, especially in saving the
rainforests where the cacaos will most likely survive.

This tree is unique in the sense that its fruits grow on its branches and
trunk. The reason for this is because of midges. These are the tiny insects
that cause the pollination process during nighttime.

Did you know that the cacao tree can have approximately 10,000 blossoms but
only about 10 to 50 of those will mature into fruits or the pod? This is
because like an intelligent human being, the tree of cacao can regulate its
blossoms to the amount that it can handle and grow.

The cacao tree self regulates in this process to be able to sustain its good
health. It knows what it can contain and handle. It knows just how many is
enough and too much. The tree does this to preserve its internal systems and to
prevent its branches from breaking or falling apart.

The cocoa beans come from the fruit or the pod from the intelligent tree.
Harvesters wait for the pod to ripen. They will handpick the trees and crack up
the pods until they see white pulpy elements that surround the seeds. The pulps
are then trashed while the seeds are kept because those are your cocoa beans,
the source of your chocolate treats.

These seeds are actually bitter during such time. For this reason, these will
go through the fermentation process for about three to seven days. This method
will cause the seeds to go through some chemical as well as physical changes.
The result of this will then be used for the royalties' treat, the Xocolat.

The beans need to go through several procedures after which before it can be
used for the traditional making chocolate purposes. Now that you know where it
came from, you'll never look at your favorite chocolate the same way ever
again. Or probably not. Whatever it has been through, chocolates will remain a
favorite among children and child at heart.

Making Chocolate from Molds

In the late 1800's, chocolate makers already used molds made from metal. This
made it possible to shape them either as flat or three dimensional. Plastic
soon replaced that as these were expensive to produce making it possible for
amateur chocolatiers to make these at home.

When you buy chocolate molds from the craft store, make sure that this is made
from strong plastic that has intricate designs so the finished product will
come out beautifully after it comes out of the freezer.

Remember that this must never be washed using soap as this can mare the taste
of the chocolate. You should simply use hot water and then dry it thoroughly
using a dry cloth.

Each time you use the plastic mold, make sure to wipe it clean. Greasing,
spraying or dusting is not needed as this will ruin the appearance of the
finished candy.

But there is an exception to that rule. If you will be mixing your chocolate
with some marshmallows, candy sprinkles, jellies or cooked candies, then you
must first grease or spray the chocolate mold with oiling spray. This will make
the chocolate easy to remove from the mold and if you are going to make another
batch, the good news is that you only have to oil spray it once.

Next thing you need to learn is how to properly put chocolate filling into the
plastic sheet. For that, you use a regular teaspoon and fill each cavity with
chocolate. Some of the chocolate might spill out but don't worry because you
can clean that up later on.

There may be some air bubbles trapped within the chocolate. To release it, tap
the filled mold on the counter to settle the chocolate. Another way is to hold
the mold horizontally then gently drop it on the counter. You will probably
have to do this several times until there all the air bubbles have been removed.

When the chocolate is ready, this is the time that you put this in the freezer.
This is because it is the coolest place in the house taking it less time for the
chocolate to harden so you can reuse the mold if you are making another batch of
chocolates.

You will know when the chocolates are ready by looking at the back side of the
mold. If the cavity appears to be graying, this means that the second you turn
this over, the chocolate will easily fall off to the tray.

If it doesn't fall off on its own, you can tap it firmly. If this does not
work, perhaps it needs a little more cooling time in the freezer so put it back
in for a few minutes and then try again.

If you happen to have some leftovers from filling the mold, don't throw it away
because you can use it again in the future. Just wait for the chocolate to
harden so you can scrape it off and then wrap it in waxed paper.

You don't always need to make chocolate creations from molds even if this is
the conventional way of doing it. The other option is to dip it in with other
things like cookies or fruits so you have your own chocolate fondue as part of
your dessert.

Making Chocolate Extra Special

Have you even been bitten by the love bug? For sure, you have. What is your
fondest memory of being in love? Is it the hugs or kisses? Is it being with the
person you are most fond of every day of your lives? Or is it the process of
making chocolate and being given one from time to time?

Sign of Love

Chocolates have long been associated with the feeling of affection. Blame it on
the fact that many people love the treat and many would be happy at the thought
of getting one especially from someone who cares for them.

This idea has actually started of a trend in small time businesses. So if you
are thinking about starting your own right now, you can also follow the craze.
It will be a lot of help if you know your chocolates and you know where to
avail the kinds at affordable prices.

Gift of Love

This can be very well a start of your business venture that has something to do
with your favorite addiction, chocolates. Have you ever been given a gift
basket? What do you look forward to seeing the most in its contents?

While some of you might say wines, chips, cheese and the likes, most of you
would likely to favor chocolates above everything else. This gift won't fail
you because it doesn't matter how young or old the recipient of the basket
would be. Everybody loves chocolates. This is a gift that will not be wasted
and be left in the shelves for a long time only to be displayed.

Customize the Basket

For your business to take off, you need to be unique in some sense. You may
only be thinking about this now. But you have to bear in mind that there are
others before you that have been doing this and have established a group of
their own followers.

So you have to mean business in dealing with your chocolate-filled gift
baskets. Start with the basket itself. You must customize the tool to make it
your own. You can color it with a theme of your choice. You can place ribbons
and other design elements. You need not to spend a lot on this. You can maybe
borrow some of the school materials of your kid who is in pre or grade school.

Fill the basket with different assortments of chocolate goodies. When you
already have clients, you must adapt the purpose to the contents of your
basket. Include some gifts that are suitable for the recipient of the basket.
The idea here is to reach out to other people, make them feel the love that the
gift giver wanted to share to them. And for you, it is to cultivate your passion
for chocolates while earning in the process.

This idea is great for home based moms and even young entrepreneurs. Times get
to be harder and harder. Such startup business will make it easier for you and
sweeter for other people.

You don't really have to know the process of making chocolate. You just have to
be equipped with the right materials. You have to know where to buy the goodies.
And you've got to have enough people on your list to kick off your biz and start
spreading the word out about your gift of love and sweets.

Making Chocolate Candy that Lasts

Temperament of Chocolate Candy

The success of your chocolate candy lies on the ability to temper the
chocolate. Even in other chocolate delicacies, the importance of tempering the
chocolate mixture will never be understated. Chocolate, to begin with, must
have a premium quality to it. You can have fun experimenting on different core
chocolate materials that you can use for your chocolate candy.

Sometimes, you will find in the market some melted chocolates that are ready
for making chocolate candy. You can make use of this or do chocolate the hard
way and start from the cocoa beans. The good thing about melted chocolates is
that you can focus on the making of chocolate candy itself. The making of
chocolate from cocoa beans can be very difficult and tedious, and you may be
robbed of your energy the moment you decide to do both. By the time that you
reach the chocolate candy making aspect, you may have no more gusto or
enthusiasm to complete it.

But when buying melted chocolate, make sure that it is not made of a processed
candy bar. The courveture quality of chocolate is something you must look for
since it makes for an ideal chocolate core for chocolate candy.

Other Ingredients and Steps

An electric frying pan is needed with ample space for your mixture. Have a
temperature of about 60 degrees for mixing the chocolate and creating your
candy. But don't melt the chocolates in your frying pan. It is still better to
place them in the oven for melting. Introduce the chocolate by increments and
not by instantly putting a large heap.

This way, the stirring part will be easier and you will not run the risk of
losing control as you create your chocolate candy. Avoid moisture in the
chocolate at all costs because it will affect the taste of your chocolate
candy. After you have fixed your chocolate core, you can then dip it into the
other components that create the chocolate candy.

The Steps

Coat both sides of your material with chocolate. Make sure that your flip the
center for balance of chocolate distribution. You can also use your fingers to
have a swirly mark on your chocolate candy, but this must be mastered with
constant practice before you can smoothly pull it off. Keep mixing the
chocolate in such a way that it does not get too stiff. Chocolate candy usually
results in a less shiny quality. If you find the chocolate candy too shiny, you
may have overdone or underdone something from the previous steps.

What Next?

You can now store your chocolate in the fridge. With the use of wax paper or
other similar material, you can make your chocolate candies appear more
professionally made than when you leave them bare in the tray. The good thing
about chocolate is that it lasts for a very long time.

The leftovers from your chocolate making may also be turned into other
delicacies. Just use your imagination and you will be able to find delight in
making other forms of chocolate delicacies. You can also save the leftovers for
your next chocolate candy making sessions but gaining the right texture and
temperature may prove to be a bit more challenging.

Either way, there are no wasteful moments when it comes making chocolate candy
and other chocolate delicacies for that matter.

Making Chocolate Cake

Making chocolate cake is a pleasure not just for kids but also for adults. It
is one of the universal favorites and making it can certainly give you an edge
and flair when hosting certain occasions. Except for the rare few who are
allergic to chocolates, chocolate cakes can cause one to have a better mood, as
attested to by scientific research on endorphin hormones which come in larger
proportions from chocolate. The endorphin rush can also be attained by having
fun in creating your own chocolate cake.

Here are the basic steps for making chocolate cake.

Les Ingredients (The Ingredients)

The basic ingredient for chocolates include: coffee powder, chopped butter, dark
chocolate, water, brown sugar, cocoa powder, flour, lightly whisked egg, cocoa
powder, and cachous for decoration. Proportions vary according to the level and
degree of sweetness you prefer for you chocolate cake. The amount also varies
based on the required number of servings you need.

The Steps

As with any cake, preheating to about 160 degrees Celsius. The base must also
be created and greased to about 20 centimeters for standard size. After
settling this, you can now add the coffee, butter, chocolate, sugar and water
in a pan. Place it only on low heat. Stir this for the next few minutes until
it melts and balances. Once this is established, set it aside for a few minutes
and let it cool down.

Grab a bowl and transfer the entire mixture. Do some sifting and get the cocoa
powder and combined flours. Add the almonds in this particular stage. After
mixing all these, add the eggs and fold the flour. Keep stirring and pour it
into the pan.

After all this is finished, bake the cake for at least one hour. If at all
possible, monitor the progress of your cake by using a skewer. Once this is
finished, take the cake out of the oven and prepare it for icing. The icing
must be made of fresh cream and chocolate placed in a bowl, stirred to smooth
perfection. Place the icing in the middle of the cake and in the outer
surfaces, ensuring uniformity and balance in the elements. Add the decorations
afterwards.

Some Additional Pieces of Advice

Cooling is essential in every stage of making chocolate. You need to make sure
that the chocolate is cooled before you decide to add any more ingredients. You
must also exercise caution in establishing proportions of the ingredients so
that there will not be overpowering elements in your chocolate cake. Have
somebody test your cake from time to time and practice doing it to refine your
style and speed in making chocolate cake.

At the outset, you must have high quality chocolate to begin with. Your
techniques come in secondary to the quality of your ingredients, so make sure
that you are making your chocolate with the best ingredients there is in the
market. It can also be made more fun if you share the chocolate cake making
activity with friends and family to make the affair and learning even sweeter.

Other techniques may come in but essentially, it is advisable to look for the
perfect manner with which you can do your best cooking or baking skills and at
the same time, maintain the richness of excellently made chocolate cakes.
Making Chocolate and Ways to Shape It Up

Anything that you eat will become more yummy or a delicious treat depending on
its presentation. This is also true in making chocolate. That is why as of
today, you will enjoy such type in many forms and sizes. It all depends on the
moldings that were used to create such impact.

Groovy Treats

Chocolates are known to be given as gifts to loved ones, to friends, even to
your bosses or peers. The shape in which you buy such treat will depend on who
are you going to give this or present such as a gift.

Did you know that since in the late 1800s, molds were already used by those who
make chocolates? The more popular form at the time is the moldings that were
made from metal. But through time, such type was replaced by those that were
made out of plastic. If you'll ask why, well, it is mainly because of the
price. Those that were made from metal become too expensive especially for
people who only want to make chocolates at home for personal consumption.

When you are out shopping for chocolate molds, be careful with what you buy.
Choose a brand that is known for its quality and durability. You must also take
time to hold the pieces that you will be purchasing as if imagining that you
will be taking out your chocolates from there.

Make sure that the one that you will avail can be bended easily so as you can
get your chocolate products without any hassle. Also, if you are out shopping
for the perfect mold, choose the one that will last long.

You never know, your hobby can turn into one profitable venture. And your
moldings should see you through it. So invest on good and quality products than
choosing the cheaper materials for their price.

You must also have an eye for the right design. Choose those that will give
your chocolates the perfect shape and mould them to look better and give
justice to its taste. Of course, the molds cannot do anything with the taste
factor. This will all be up to you. But you will be inspired to come up with
better products when you see the shapes that you can come up with through the
molds that you have invested real good with.

Plastic molds must be cleaned properly after each use. Do not wash them with
soaps. This can contribute to the taste of your product. As a better option,
you can use hot water to clean the molds. Just make sure to wipe it dry after
using a clean cloth.

This will be easy to maintain. You will only need to put a little bit of grease
every once in a while. This will only be applicable when you put some more
ingredients into your mix like marshmallows, cookies and candy sprinkles.

Putting in fillings for your chocolates will take more effort. You must study
such task in order to perfect the craft. This will be beneficial on your part
if you'd like to take your hobby into another level or if you want to make a
business out of this venture.

The good thing about taking in a hobby of making chocolate is that you don't
waste your materials. You can re-use things over and over again as long as they
are still in good condition.

Making Chocolate and the Right Way to Market Your Biz

Most people love eating sweets. This is why chocolates are a booming biz and
have continued its prominence through time. If you know your way into making
chocolate, you might as well earn from the process.

It is easy to market such treat because you will find people who love it
anywhere you go. All you need to remember now is how you will be able to market
your products the right way and the most beneficial towards your end.

The Four Ps of Marketing

Consider this strategy when you are on the planning stage of your sweets biz.
If you are just starting out and just want to make extra income through the
product that you will also enjoy, here's a brief explanation of this concept.

* Product

The first P is the product. You have to know your product well, in this
instance, your chocolates. To be able to tell people good things about what you
are selling, you must know first and foremost everything about it.

Yes, it is a good idea if you will take time to research about the scientific
background of this treat. But you can also just focus on what you want to sell.
You may want to focus on chocolate cakes. Or how about chocolates in gift
baskets? There are many options that you can try for such reason.

* Place

Where are you located? Who lives in your neighborhood? And how often do you
think they will buy? You have to think about those things to be able to plan
out accordingly what will be a big hit for these people. You must give them
what they are looking for. You must present them with new ideas that you are
very sure that they will like.

It is a good thing that you are from the area. You no longer have to resort on
hiring people to do a market analysis to know who these people are. Just spread
your wings and increase your public relations. This will also increase the
probability that these people are going to buy from you.

* Price

You must offer your products at rates that your target market can afford. To
decide easily about this matter, you must study your direct competitors. You no
longer have to hire someone to do this. All you need is to buy their products to
know about their pricing. You must not be too far away from their strategies.
People are looking for quality products at rates they can afford. So the best
thing that you can do is to give them what they are looking for.

* Promotion

Your biz, however small it is, will not survive without venturing into
promotions. As a startup of a small business, you can start the buzz about you
through word of mouth. To achieve this, you must first come with a very good
product. Give those out to people the first few days. If you are confident with
what you are selling, for sure, people will also like it. They will be your good
source of free advertising.

Turn your hobby of making chocolate into a fun-filled and profit generating
venture. Consider the abovementioned in starting up your biz. Create a noise
for yourself and establish your name in the industry.

In time, you will find your niche. You never know, your hobby can turn into one
money-making road to your own success.

Learn About Making Chocolate? The Advantages of Online Classes

Making chocolate is often viewed as something that you can only do through
cookbooks and offline demonstrations. Au contraire, you can actually find more
and more chocolatiers embracing the online way of earning savoir faire about
chocolate making. And why not? There are many advantages to having online
chocolate learning. It truly harnesses the technology made in this age for
making delicacies and sweet treats like chocolate.

A Diverse Support System

You will find that if you are learning how to make chocolate and getting your
sources online, you don't just get information but you are also rewarded with a
diverse support system who will encourage you in your pursuits of becoming a
chocolatier. The support system is not limited to your local limitations, nor
is it bound by certain ways of doing things.

With the diversity and variety of techniques from the Internet, you will find
that you are exposed to different styles that can finally help you improvise
and find your own chocolate making style. Whether you are a novice to chocolate
making or someone waiting to upgrade their chocolate making skills, you will be
richly rewarded by people who can help add to your wealth of information
regarding chocolate making.

Visuals and audio combined

Videos uploaded online, as well as images of chocolates from all over the
world, provides you with perspective and ample motivation. This multimedia form
of learning will also ensure that your learning of making chocolate is
meticulous and done in good taste. Both the art and science of chocolate making
is something that you can find even when there are few words used to describe
it. Through pictures and video and audio, you will find that chocolates are
really a universal treat and can evolve over time with technological
advancements.

Excellent Follow up

Mentors online find it easier to manage their contacts. You can also have
numerous mentors, as opposed to the limited number of people you can learn with
when you are in an actual classroom setting. With online methods, you own your
time, and you can learn your chocolate making even in the wee hours of the
morning without having to worry about disturbing your neighbor. At any given
time of day, there is bound to be a perky chocolate lover, up and ready to
assist you.

No inhibitions and continuous learning of making chocolate

When you are making chocolate through online learning, there is distance and
more inhibitions are diminished with this distance. It may make you feel safer
to admitting disasters in your kitchen or other booboos that novice learners of
chocolate making may commit as they master their craft. The thing is, online
people are less inclined to judge your work but they are just more supportive
and welcoming about your shortcomings in making chocolate.

Opportunity to branch out into other forms of making food

Whoever said that learning is limited to making chocolate? You may also find it
an added pleasure that the links may lead you to other learning pursuits that
are not far from making chocolate. The good thing with online learning is that
you can easily transfer from one pursuit to another or even do them
simultaneously without much of a hassle.

You can also regulate your learning to accommodate other forms of food making
for your personal satisfaction.

How Do Large Companies Make Chocolate

How do large companies make chocolate? For one, they need capital to be able to
buy the equipment they need and also the ingredients.

Given that there are not that many places in the US to harvest cocoa beans,
these companies go to South America, the Ivory Coast and as far away as Ghana
because deep in their jungles likes the cacao tree.

These trees grow a melon like fruit that is harvested by hand and inside, there
are 20 to 40 seeds which are the cocoa beans.

Once the cocoa beans are removed, they are placed in large heaps or piles in a
process known as fermentation. This usually takes a week giving the shells time
to harden, the beans darken and the cocoa flavor develop. Afterwards, these are
then transported to the chocolate factory.

Since companies that import cocoa beans order these in vast quantities, it is
more practical to transport these back to the US by ship than by air. Once they
reach the dock, it is then transferred to rail road cars on the way to the
factory so they can be cleaned and stored.

Chocolates as we know taste different and this is depends on the country of
origin of the beans. The first step in converting these into chocolate is to
roast these in large revolving roasters at high temperatures.

Next, a special hulling machine dries it so the shell of the bean is removed
and its content known as the "nib" is the one that is actually used in making
chocolate.

The next step is to turn the "nibs" into its liquid form. This process is known
as milling and to give you that added taste, other ingredients are added and
these include chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk.

Chocolate liquor is a combination of milk and sugar. The end product of this
coarse brown powder called a chocolate crumb. As for milk, this is taken from
the farm where it is tested, pasteurized and mixed with sugar until it turns
into a thick, taffy like material.

You then throw in cocoa butter to bring out the rich taste and creamy texture
of the chocolate. Another machine known as steel rollers grind and refine the
mixture to make it smoother.

After all that, the mixture becomes a thick liquid often referred to as
chocolate paste. Since there still may be some gritty particles, it is placed
inside another machine called the conche for 24 to 72 hours.

When the paste has been smoothened, this is the time that the liquid chocolate
is poured into the mold. The process is very fast inside a factory as some
produce about a thousand of these a minute that is something that can never be
done manually. If the chocolate comes in many varies, this is also the time
that almonds and peanuts are added.

In the machine, air bubbles are removed so the chocolate is able to settle
evenly. They then make their way through a cooling tunnel so the liquid
chocolate is turned into a solid candy bar.

The last step is obviously to wrap this up, put these in boxes and then deliver
it to stores. Customers then buy these off the shelf and then enjoy its yummy
taste without ever thinking for one moment how do large companies make
chocolate.

Good Parenting Can Involve Making Chocolate

As a parent, you always try and think of ways to entertain your kids while
keeping them close to you. Making chocolate can be a real bonding moment that
you can share with your off springs.

Children love the mess. And parents like to keep things tidy and clean. For
this activity, you can all make an agreement to treat the process as messy as
it can be. But all of you should also contribute to the cleaning part after the
activity is done.

If you are a parent who is running out of creative juices on how to stop your
toddler from running all over the house, then you must try this with the kid.
Enjoy such moment while educating your kid that value of hard work and having
rewards after.

If you don't know anything about the methods, do not be sad. It will be more
fun to be at the same level where your kids are when it comes to such activity.
They will see you their equals and all of you can start the learning venture.

The most important part here is that you get to spend quality time with your
kids. Actually, this activity can be done by the whole family. Allocate a
budget to buy the ingredients and simple equipments for you to be able to head
on with the process.

Your kids will definitely love you for it. While doing the task, you can
explain to them some trivia, some facts and a lot about the processes of making
chocolates. You can even inspire them to hone such talent to be able to profit
from it when the right time comes. Through this, you will be able to instill to
them proper values while they are enjoying themselves and learning from what you
are all doing.

As a parent, it is also your duty to control your kids' intake of the finished
products. This will not be too hard especially that you have gained your kids'
trust when you have taught them about chocolate making. After the process, you
must explain to them very clear that they should take chocolates at a minimum
numbers.

You must take the extra effort of researching about the good and bad effects of
chocolates to their bodies. This way, the craft is really becoming more of a
learning process that your kids will surely thank you for when the right time
comes.

Do not mind the mess as this can get really messy. Just ask your kids to
promise that they will help out cleaning after the mess to be able to get to
eat some of what you all have done.

Good parenting can be achieved in so many ways that you can think of.
Sometimes, it takes extra effort to enjoy a fun-filled day with your kids. Do
not mind the money for this activity. Seeing the happy faces of your kids will
definitely erase all those doubts on you.

So head on to the grocery store. You can even ask your kids to come with you.
You can start the process from there. You can remind them of tips and tricks in
making chocolate. And as you all trail home, for sure, everybody will be looking
forward into making their own treats while all is having a good time.

This will be a fun-filled bonding time that you will be able to feed the
childhood memories of your children, just one step into good parenting.

Go To School & Learn How to Make Chocolate

Learning how to make chocolate is not that different from knowing how to bake
cookies or cake. There are books that you can read and related material online.
But if you want to learn from one of the professionals, you have to go to school
and sign up for one of the short courses.

Most of the chocolate courses you will fine cannot be completed in a week. This
is because before you get your hands dirty, you have to understand the history
and the chemistry before you are taught the various techniques of making them
and how to sell them.

You also have to remember that there is a science to making a quality product
that people would want to have after they have tasted it for the first time.

For those who want to make their own product instead of just melting blocks,
you will need to learn how to outsource beans, creating your flavor profile and
then producing these in bulk.

There are also courses on quality control to make sure those who decide to go
into the business are able to sustain what they have started.

Another program that is like a master's degree in chocolate making has classes
and tours to chocolate factories not only in the US but in Canada, Belgium,
France and Italy.

For those who don't have the time to give up their regular jobs, they can learn
about making chocolate online.

Schools that offer this make sure the curriculum is offered 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. You can start and stop anytime you want so you are able to
remember everything that is taught before moving on to the next module.

After finishing the program, you can use your knowledge to start your own
business or look for work within the backing, catering, confectionary or food
service industry.

This isn't bad even if you have never taken baking classes before because the
learning process takes you from basic skills to more advance work. Some of
these schools also offer internship programs so you can practice what you have
learned under the direction of a master chocolatier.

But nothing compares to education right there inside the kitchen. You just need
to make the time and if you can't make it to classes on weekdays, see if there
are those being offered on weekends.

The cost of tuition in chocolate making schools varies depending on the type of
program and also if this is done in the kitchen or at home. For those who decide
to learn in the kitchen, they don't have to worry because all the materials they
need will already be provided. For those at home, they have to buy these from
the craft store and make do with what they have.

Learning how to make chocolate with the help of trained professionals is much
better than trying to perfect how it is done through trial and error. After
all, it is an exact science when it comes to mixing the ingredients and a
little bit of marketing if you are planning to sell this product in the market.

Once you get the hang of things, you can try some experiments to make
concoctions of your own. After all, chocolates do not always come in boxes.

Using Postcards to Level Up Your Hobby of Making Chocolate

In any business, promotion must be carried off well and good for you to be able
to tell people how good your products are. This is also true in making
chocolate. If you want to turn this hobby into money making venture, you can
use postcards to lure people to come have a bite of your delicious treat.

Why Postcards?

This is affordable. And this can be done with the quality that you are looking
for at rates you can definitely give way to. If you are new in the business and
you don't know anything about marketing, postcards will be a safe and also a
good way to start.

You can reach your targeted list through this medium. Your chosen printing
company can help you with this dilemma as most of them offer a targeted list at
affordable prices. Now what you have to remember is to use this tool wisely.

Not because many people have benefited from its effectiveness, you will also
gain the same. There are certain elements about postcards that must be taken
into deep consideration for you to be able to use them to work towards your
advantage.

First, you must know who your target market is. You can base a lot of your next
decisions on this one. If you know who will be patronizing your products, you
will be able to serve them better. You will know their preferences. For this
reason, you will be able to tweak your ads, in this instance the postcards,
according to their tastes, what they will like. And you will also be able to
avoid what will turn them off.

Your product should be the basic pattern of your design. Depending on the
images that you use, you will be able to achieve the perfect one that will
appeal to your target market. Chocolates can be very tempting. So use all your
photography talent for this reason. You must come up with photos that will
justify what you have to offer your target market.

Match the design with a good headline, something that will make your audience
hold on to your material. You must remember that you are in constant
competition with other chocolate makers. And most of them may have used this
tool before. So you must aim for your cards to be noticed and be seen by your
target market.

Don't forget to include your contact details on your cards. You don't want
people to be lured by your promotions only to be left hanging in the end with
nowhere to go to ask for directions about you.

There are many tools that you can use to market you products. Many people love
chocolates so you will not have a hard time finding a niche who will want to
take a bite or more of your money making biz.

What are you waiting for? Start up that biz of making chocolate. If you are
really good at it, you might as well share with other people your expertise.
You never know what a good fortune is awaiting you for this trick that started
out as a hobby. Postcards can be your ally to success. Just remember to follow
the rules accordingly.

But you must also learn to bend it at times if you deem that it will work more
appropriate for you.

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