Time

Time is the requirement for tempering chocolate that is most frequently overlooked by those with little experience. The function of time in tempering is to allow the seed crystals to form. Cocoa butter crystals do not instantly appear as soon as the chocolate is stirred at the right temperature; they require time to form.

The time that chocolate spends at the proper temperature for crystal formation during tempering is referred to as residence time. The amount of residence time required for the formation of seed crystals varies with the product (milk and white chocolates crystallize more slowly than dark chocolate does), the cocoa butter content, the temperature, and the type and amount of agitation performed. The longer the residence time at a given temperature, the more cocoa butter crystals form.