Tempering Techniques

Appears in

By Peter Greweling and Culinary Institute of America

Published 2007

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On an observable level, the goal of tempering chocolate is to cause the chocolate to set rapidly, with superior gloss and hardness. This is accomplished by seeding the chocolate with the proper quantity of Form-V crystals. The artisan confectioner uses several methods to accomplish this. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Agitating the chocolate on a marble or granite slab until it thickens slightly (see step 2 of the technique).
Returning the thickened chocolate to the bowl of melted chocolate to make a uniform mixture of the chocolates (see step 3 of the technique).