Haven't had this problem of stickiness with honey chocolate, have kept some for months now and remains glossy and snappy. I used to have a problem of it getting fudgey but that was due to too much honey. Maple can be a bit tricky but it seems to keep fine in the fridge, melts much faster when out on display. Possibly you're using too much honey or there were crystals which haven't blended thoroughly enough? It must be totally liquid, also it is twice as sweet as white sugar so use less, this ought to make up for the cost too.

How much honey do you add to the chocolate and when? During conching process? About 5% or do you replace all the sugar for honey?

P.S. A lot of dehydrated honey actually has gluten in it which would really interfere with texture, could be the issue you're having. I haven't tried any of this yet on account of the price but do have a local source who assured me it was pure honey.

Certainly you can do this, I have a small honey chocolate business and infact it is the only thing I have ever sweetened chocolate with until recently when I tried rapadura, coconut syrup, and have been successfully making maple chocolates for some vegan customers. I think maple has a much higher water content then honey and it works fine.

The drawback is that honey does lower the freezing point, it softens faster. The same reason there doesn't seem to be any honey icecream commercialy available (though personally i think icecream that melts faster is a good thing, i don't like to wait so long to scoop it!)

So it is best stored in a cool place, not necessarily the fridge, though I have kept it sealed up in there for a long time. I think under 60f is good. I haven't had any longer than a couple months because it gets used, so can't say how long it really lasts. This can be a problem when trying retail honey chocolate, it doesn't last long on the shelf and stores aren't always excited about keeping it in the fridge.

My chocolate is very dark, so there just isn't much honey in it, sweeter chocolate doesn't seem to temper very well. This may also be because the last time I tried using a lot of honey I didn't know much about tempering.

I had to use Google Translate for this one... "It's simple, u can refine sugar and honey, use it in the manufacture of chocolate"

I have moved further on this one. I focussed on Clay's observation that while small amounts of water will seize chocolate, larger amounts won't. Very strange but I tried it and it's true.

However everything I do is panning and I found that chocolate that contains honey does not store very well - even after sealing with Capol it gets sticky and messy - not good for selling in bags!

Sooooooo... I did a batch and at the end of the panning process I put a layer of chocolate without the honey - but the centre (center??) contained honey. Then I sealed and stored.

This seems to have worked and so far is storing well. I did it three weeks ago.

Colin

simples, vc pode refinar o acar do mel e, usa-lo na fabricao do chocolate

The honey from your bee keeper would be good I'd think unless he heats it to get rid of crystals. But if it's fresh he would not need to do that. Easy enough to ask him I think however that people are not eating your chocolate for the health aspects in the honey - they can eat honey on their bread for that! For my part your comments have been interesting and made me think about the process in a different way. But on reflection I think that I'll need to focus on how to make a product that stores well, looks good, is easiest to make and costs least.

Check it all out again when you have some "shelf life" on your invention - that is where I started to get some issues to address.

Colin

Well, I got some actually-raw honey, from a local beekeeper, who doesn't heat it above 100f--and I'd read that certain enzymes in the honey are destroyed at higher temps, and so I was experimenting with keeping it low for health reasons. Kinda sorta a non-issue when discussing candy, I know. But I was just wondering... Adding the honey like this does seem to make it sticky, but I was fairly pleased with the finished texture, so it might be a good compromise...

Interesting thought Sarabeth.

Why do you want to keep the honey temperature low? I panned my product so the tempering was not from lowering the temperature but via vibration. So I had melted it to around 110F.

I found this article that has good information - and the strong suggestion that your supermarket honey has probably already been subjected to way more than 100F.

http://thebeejournal.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/heating-and-freezing-honey.html

From my experience I would think that adding honey to tempered choclate would make it sticky. Certainly I experienced this after a time as the seal on my panned ginger got a bit tacky. Not REALLY bad but enough to be a concern.

I suppose that it would be worth experimenting with.

Colin

I'm curious if it's completely impossible to add honey to tempered chocolate _after_ the tempering process? I'd like to make a honey-sweetened chocolate without heating the honey over 100f... My first attempts have been better than I'd hoped, but definitely not perfect (heated the chocolate, let it cool to 100f, stirred in the honey, heated to 88f, spread the seized mixture into molds!).

Thought that it could be helpful to report back on the honey project now that there is some time on the project.
I panned some dark and also some milk chocolate ginger and added liquid honey to the chocolate.
The dark was not really very "honey flavoured" so I increased for the milk - and it DOES taste of honey. Rather nice if a bit sweet for some palates.
Now with some four weeks or so packed in bags and offering in various markets I am finding that the honey seems to make the seal (shellac) bond and it binds between the pieces and rips off making "scuff marks" which look unsightly.
The whole bag goes quite solid with this binding and although it's easy enough to loosen them up you DO get the damage.
People seem to like the idea of "honey chocolate" as a point of differentiation and it sells quite well. Although there is an awful lot of "chocolate coated ginger" out there which depresses pricing somewhat.
Colin

That is a REALLY interesting link Adriana! As you say it's not exactly making your own chocolate from scratch - but it is well on the way and a wonderful use of honey! Will be really interested to know how you go when you DO make that final step and roast your own cacao beans too.

Colin

I am not sure if you guys would consider this making chocolate from scratch, but I have been successful in making an 84% dark chocolate using honey as sweetener, cacao powder, cocoa butter and vanilla extract. The chocolate came out with a snappy consistency. I tempered the chocolate also and let it harden at room temperature. Here is the exact ration I used:

http://livinghealthywithchocolate.com/desserts/how-to-make-84-dark-chocolate-from-scratch-using-honey-699/

Mark,

If you are contemplating importing honey into the USA do check your quarantine and importing regulations.

I was a bee keeper in New Zealand for some years and honey could NOT be imported - or at least, not without special expensive treatment. This is because honey can transmit various diseases between countries such as foul brood.

I have NO idea as to the regulations bewteen Australia and the USA.

Can't help but feel that you'd have everything in the USA that you'd need to experiment and produce...

Good luck!

Colin

Hi Mark,

I believe it came from Super Bee in Australia Their web site is http://www.superbee.com.au/

I take no offense to your explaining where New Mexico is - or that it exists! I am however pleased to tell you that I did know of it and that Santa Fe was in NM. I believe the captical is Albaquerque? Although that is probably it how it is spelt! I have traveled the USA extensively. We have the same problem with geography here in Australia.

Small typo in my last post. Honey has about 15-18% water. It can be rather higher though as it is hygroscopic (absorbs water - as does chocolate of course).

All the best

Colin

Hi Colin, Thanks. I was asking about the dried honey that you have used - what is the manufacturer of that.

I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico (the state right next door to the right of Arizona and to the left of Texas - don't take offense, no joke, quite a lot of people, at least here in the US, have no clue that there is a state in the US called 'New Mexico'). So, here in Northern NM there are a lot of local honey producers that make some outrageous honey as well. I will be using a local source as I try to have at least some of my ingredients from local farmers. Thanks for the tips on creamed and liquid honey.

Linda, as to the cocoa butter, whose are you using? And thank you for your experimentation and letting us know that honey can be used in tempered chocolate.

Hi Linda and Mark,

Linda, sorry for my slow response. I get totally SQUASHED here at times!

I use Sicao milk chocolate - I don't try to make it myself. I am in awe of people that do that sort of thing but I need to get product made up and sold as soon as possible. So I buy it in, melt & temper and get it bagged and sold. Sicao is actually made in Singapore and is owned by Barry Callebaut so quality is very high.

I started this business in some desparation after there was a LOT less demand for my training services (I train people in the art of Exhibition Marketing - website is at http://www.bestofshow.com for anyone interested). So I am a product of the GFC. And it's working out OK.

Like you, I like to experiment and do a bit of R&D although I am VERY focussed on making it pay. I knew nothing of chocolate not so long ago and it's probably that that encouarges me to do stuff that any sane person would KNOW is impossible. Like panning chocolate covered coffee beans and adding real cranberries or cherries or Australian bush Peach (quandong) into the chocolate. These are on my new website http://www.captainchocolate.com.au in case anyone is tempted to see what a shunned Expo Trainer dreams about! The Chocolate Life is simply wonderful for this!

I would LOVE to catch up if I get back to your beautiful Arizona! I used to subscribe to "Arizona Highways" after I visited and became enchanted with your home state. If you get "down under" to Sydney DO contact me and came and say "Hi!".

Mark - I can answer some of your questions. Creamed honey is simply liquid honey that has been seeded so that crystals form. You will get very coarse crystals if you simply leave liquid honey for a few weeks/months. But you can attain nice fine crystals by adding in nice finely crystalized honey to your liquid honey. So, bottom line, it's basically tha same thing and liquid is easier to use.

I am in Australia so I use local product. But you can do the same no matter where you are. Dried honey has additives to make it stay powder and this makes it grainy and has a bad mouth feel. Check up Wikipedia - it's GREAT! I got some in and could not make it work and after a long caht with the manufacturer found that no-one here is using it (that they know of).

Clay made the rather radical comment that larger amounts of water won't make chocolate seize - which really surprised me. Only small amounts do. Honey is 15-15% water so I tried it out and it worked a treat! I HAVE used Mycryo (Barry Callebaut's dried cocoa butter) to thin the chocolate but wonder if I need to - more experimenting coming...

I used local "Yellow Box" honey but you could use anything you have. I got mine from the supermarket as I saw no reason to get complicated. It really IS quite good. I used a fair amount in my second batch as the chocolate rather overpowers the honey.

Take some care with your honey selection. My wife is a teacher and is VERY aware of allergens. One of our honeys - Manuka - causes allergies in some people. Ask around in case some of yours do the same. Check Google. Maybe even get a doctor's appointment and pay your doctor for the information and/or ask teachers if you know any.

Hope this is helpful

Colin

Hi Colin, Hi everyone - This is a great post on how to use honey in chocolate. I've been under the assumption that you can't use it with tempered chocolate as well. This post has changed my mind - which is a GREAT thing as I am about to embark on my idea of making my historic drinking chocolates in a bar form. My Mesoamerican drinking chocolates cannot be sweetened with anything other then honey or agave (has anyone tried agave). These drinks have a lot of spices and some with ground nuts so I would hazard a guess and say that these additional ingredients would take up the water content in the honey.

How about using creamed honey?

Colin, what brand was your "dried honey?" or where did you get that? I am also looking at using a dried honey but have has a hell of a time finding a good source (Clay remembers my question on that).

Linda, your idea of adding cocoa butter to the mix to help the viscosity. BTW - what isMycryo? Have not heard of that company - any suggestions as to a good quality cocoa butter at a decent price, and preferably "organic?"

Dang, this makes me quite happy!

Thanks for this! - Mark

Awesome so glad it worked for you. Glad you reported back on your experiment. Now back at you with a question. How are you making your milk chocolate? My mother loves milk chocolate and caramel and mother's day will be upon us soon. Oh, also, if we every get to your neck of the world we would be more than happy to drop by and see what you have going on. The invitation is also extended to you and yours as well..if ever in our area of southern Arizona you are more than welcome to drop on by.

Just reporting back as to how this worked out...

I have now made two batches of chocolate coated ginger with honey. One dark (70%) and the other milk (36%).

Linda and Clay's advice was spot on! Although there is water in the honey adding a decent dollop does not seize it! I am still experimenting to get the right amount but you can certainly pop a good amount in without anything seemingly going wrong.

The dark has come out beatifully tempered and has polished very well indeed. The milk seems to be excellent too but I am letting it settle before polishing later today.

Thanks so very much for your help guys!

Colin