Has anyone tried panning ginger? I have done two batches - one dark choc and the other milk. Using Sicao chocolate so it's very good chocolate.

I tried it in my big pan (55Kg) but the ginger pieces flex and the chocolate breaks away. So I switched to my small pan (15Kg) and slowed it right down - same problem. Seemingly nothing is gentle enough to prevent the ginger flexing and breaking up. I thought that the milk chocolate may have worked as it's not as brittle as dark but it didn't work out

Am thinking of pre-coating with a thin layer of chocolate/cocoa butter prior to panning but that is a lot of work and I'm not convinced it will work. It works well with very light centers but I fear that the heavier ginger will simply break the layer up when I get to pan.

Does anyone have any thoughts please?

Thanks!

Colin

updated by @colin-green: 04/10/15 06:51:50

The ginger pieces are water, the chocolate fat. They don't like each other. Try precoating the pieces with something to act as an emulsifier "glue". Common is gum arabic solution or a quick coat solution (1:1 gum arabic:sugar). There are some modifiedstarches, low bloom gelatins, etc that will also work.

Once you get sufficient chocolate on for support, chill it down well to crystallize more of the cocoa butter. Then turn enough to warm up only enough to add the rest of your chocolate.

Have fun and enjoy

Thanks for that Mark. I'll give that a go. Makes great sense!

Colin