Tempering Chocolate

Only the beta crystals are stable and yield the gloss, snap, and proper texture. To temper chocolate, all of the crystals must first be fully melted. For the chocolate to maintain gloss and snap, as it is cooling it must form stable beta crystals. They can be caused to form by gradually reducing the temperature of the melted chocolate until it is at 80°F/27°C, while applying constant agitation. To encourage the formation of the beta crystals, some additional already-tempered chocolate (known as a seed) may be added to the mixture.