Chocolate is delicious in its many forms; there’s no denying that. The versatility of chocolate lets you eat by the chunk or use it in baking. You will often melt your chocolate down before adding it to cake, brownies, or chocolate bars. Conversely, you can also melt the chocolate down and dip fruit in it!

 

Whatever you use your melted chocolate for, pesky clumps are bound to show if the proper steps aren’t executed. Let’s discuss how to avoid clumps while melting chocolate!

Double Boil Method

You could always throw your chocolate into a pot and heat it directly over the flame, but this increases the chances of your chocolate clumping and burning on the bottom. When you melt chocolate, you want to be delicate to achieve that creamy texture. The double boil is a safe and simple way to keep your melting chocolate from burning and clumping.

 

First, fill a cooking pot with about a quarter of water. Then, grab a metal or glass mixing bowl that fits on top of the cooking pot and add the chocolate. Turn up the heat so the water in the pot starts boiling, which will radiate up to the bowl giving a consistent and indirect heat.

Keep Chocolate Moving

Another primary cause of clumping when melting your chocolate is keeping it still. You want to keep your chocolate moving while melting it to promote consistency. Use a whisk to mix around the chocolate as it begins to melt for a nice, even texture.

Water: Public Enemy No. 1 to Chocolate

We talked about the second most significant enemy of chocolate above, but let’s discuss public enemy number one: water. During the refining process of chocolate, all the moisture is removed from the cocoa beans to give the final product a solid-state for use.

 

Accidentally adding water to melted chocolate turns it into a paste, hindering its consistency. So, when melting chocolate for baking or other reasons, avoid adding any water to it if you want great melted chocolate.

 

However, if moisture gets in somehow, you can salvage it by adding heavy cream. It will be thicker but will still have a smooth consistency.

Get the Best Chocolate Around From Legacy Chocolates

Whether you’re grabbing chocolate for baking or need gift ideas for a corporate event, wedding, or holiday, you can always choose Legacy Chocolates for handcrafted, local chocolate and chocolate products.

 

Shop online, give us a call at 651-340-5252, or visit our store at the Historic Pioneer Endicott building in downtown St. Paul today!