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Seeding Method Procedure

Appears in
The Art of the Chocolatier

By Ewald Notter

Published 2011

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  1. If necessary, prepare the seeding chocolate by grating in a food processor. Note that the larger the seeding pieces, the longer it will take to melt and cool the chocolate.
  2. Warm milk or white chocolate to 110° to 115°F/43.3° to 46.1°C, and dark chocolate to 115° to 120°F/46.1° to 48.8°C to melt all the existing cocoa butter crystals. It is better to let the chocolate cool down a little bit prior to adding the coins, so less chocolate is needed in the seeding process.
  3. Gradually add the coins or grated chocolate, which contain all stable beta crystals. Stir gently to incorporate and distribute the newly added coins without incorporating a lot of air. When the air is humid, the chocolate can easily get thick and airy as a result of overmixing.
  4. When the added chocolate seeds have stopped melting, check the temperature and proceed according to that temperature.
  5. If the chocolate is still above the ideal working temperature (86° to 88°F/30.0° to 31.1°C for milk, 84° to 86°F/28.8° to 30.0°C for white, and 88° to 90°F/31.1° to 32.2°C for dark), then add more seeds and stir gently. When the proper temperature has been achieved, test the chocolate to verify that it is tempered. To test, dip a piece of paper or the edge of a scraper into the chocolate and let it sit. If the chocolate is tempered correctly, the chocolate will start to set evenly throughout within a minute.
  6. If the chocolate is below the ideal working temperature and is a bit lumpy, use an immersion blender to melt the pieces down and get a nice smooth consistency. This is the safest way to bring the temperature back up without the risk of breaking the new crystal structure, because the friction created by the immersion blender will gently warm the chocolate back to the ideal working temperature. The use of a water bath is also gentle enough to warm the chocolate without breaking the newly formed crystal structure. Another way to rewarm the chocolate is in the microwave or with a heat gun, but with this equipment there is a risk that the chocolate may get too warm and all crystals, both stable and unstable, may melt away. If this happens, the only solution is to start the tempering process over from the beginning.

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