I am going NUTS with a problem that I am hoping someone can assist with please.

I pan chocolate products and in some uneven products like some "crinkled" berries (eg raisins or dried cherries) I have a really bad problem - especially with dark chocolate.

The chocolate adhers to the product OK but in the "valleys" (crevices) of the center it will not "set". By "set" I suspect I mean "temper". It stays liquid yet on the "ridges" it goes hard.

As a result the liquid chocolate falls out of the crevices and I get deep holes. One would think that softening the chocolate would soften the ridges and the holes would close up but this does not happen.

In some products, leaving it to turn for a long time does eventually smooth out the job. But in others it just causes damage. Eg freeze dried strawberries start to break up.

I suspect strongly that the vibration in panning tempeers the chocolate on the ridges but the chocolate in the hollows does not temper - hence it falls out.

Does anyone have any thoughts please? This is giving me real grief and wasting a ton of time.

I do NOT temper before adding chocolate to the pan. I have researched this quite well and advice on this website and other places say "don't temper".

Thanks so much in eager anticipation.

Colin

updated by @colin-green: 04/22/15 21:38:33

Hi Colin,

pls me advise your e-mail address and I will send you info on the panning

problem.

Cheers

Marc

Please post it here. Others would like to learn from it.

It is a document that I need to send.

Thanks so much for this Marc. Received with enormous thanks!

(For the benefit of Ruth and others...) Reading through your document it seems that the initial issue is that of pre-coat. Although I am concerned to do this with freeze dried products as they may well go soggy instantly. I shall test...

There HAS to be a way...

Colin