I own a new start up chocolate and confection company. One of our products is chocolate bark, which we do in layers of various chocolates and with various ingredients. I am attaching a picture of one of the chocolate barks we recently made - every so often we encounter this problem, which I believe is sugar bloom as opposed to fat bloom.

We temper the chocolate by hand using a microwave and seeding. We temper the first layer of chocolate (here, semi sweet Callebaut), add an ingredient (here, chocolate chip cookies, at room temperature), then temper the next layer (here, milk chocolate Callebaut) and add that to the bark, and then temper the next layer of chocolate (here, white chocolate Callebaut) and add that to the bark. We temper the layers one right after the other. We then flash freeze in a freezer to set the chocolate and remove and let come to room temperature before we cut and package.

I am trying to determine where we are going wrong in getting the sugar bloom shown here. As you can see, the bottom has evidence of bloom, and the inside is chalky and crumbly. The bark did have the right appearance when it was first packaged, but the next day started to show bloom, which has progressed since then (this piece was made 4 days ago). We are working in a room that has a basic temperature of 69 degrees, with a relative stable humidity (not too humid and not too dry). I have a few ideas of what the problem may be:

1) We packaged this (in clear plastic cello) too soon before it came to room temperature, so it formed moisture in the package as it went from cold to room temperature.

2) It was in the freezer too long and condensation when it came out of the freezer created the sugar bloom.

3) The layering of the chocolates was at different temperatures, causing the bloom.

I would appreciate any comments on the best way to avoid this problem. Because of the nature of our ingredients, we cannot easily melt the chocolate down to re-temper. (although I have chopped it up and used it in other ways). But, I would rather just have it be right from the beginning.

Is there a trick we need to know when layering the chocolates? Is there a better way to get the chocolate to set up? Or, should we just be sure the chocolate is at room temperature before packaging?

Thank you for any insight you can share.

updated by @anastasia-weis: 04/15/15 00:03:23

have you tried just using your fridge (with adjusted temp) instead of the freezer? you just need a temperature around 10-12C for your chocolates to set, plus you avoid getting all the condensation when you take them our (since they're not that cold)

Daniela, thank you for the response. I will try that and see if it helps. I am wondering also if I just packaged too soon, and having the bark come up to room temperature in the cello added also to the sugar bloom problem? Thank you again for the response.

When they're already set, you could freeze them in a air tight container, if you need/want to make them im advance, then when you need them put them in the fridge, than at room temperature, always inside the container. You could definitely try letting them come back up to room temp before packaging, That's how I make my truffle in advance and I never had problems with sugar bloom

Good luck!