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Chocolate info pages:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

You and your chocolate:

Taste:
The taste of chocolate is complex, since it naturally contains almost 400 different chemical compounds, including theobromine and methyl-xanthine (two mildly-addictive caffeine-like substances) and phenylethylamine, a stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline. Thus, chocolate has long been considered a pacifier and calming influence as well as an energy-producer.       

When eating, allow the chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth to release its full flavor, aroma, and texture.  This practice is also important with Coco-Go-Loco heat-treated chocolates, since such savoring allows your system to tolerate the heat sensation prior to swallowing.

Texture:
Chocolate definitely does melt in your mouth.  Dark chocolate starts to melt at about 93° F. Milk chocolate melts at slightly lower temperatures. Your final chocolate confections can tolerate temperatures around 68 to 75 degrees F ("room temperature") without problem, but much above that and they can be difficult to handle.

Bloom:
A white film or "bloom" will  sometimes be found on chocolate (usually after chocolate has been exposed to heat or moisture). Bloom is the result of some of the fat (cocoa butter) in chocolate melting and rising to the surface. This issue does not spoil the flavor or quality of chocolate. Vegetable fats and oils which are incompatible with chocolate can also cause bloom.

Chocolate and health:

New article Chocolate is good for you

Continue reading about chocolate and your health

Scientists regard chocolate as a perfect food, as it contains carbohydrates, oils, proteins, calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Chocolate is an ideal source of energy via it's natural stimulant, phenylethylamine.

The smell of chocolate may relax you by increasing theta waves in the brain.

Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that are neither vitamins nor minerals; yet, they have health-enhancing effects: phytochemicals help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia, and aid in the prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration. Many phytochemicals are antioxidants, including  flavonoids, found in the cacao plant. Research suggests that the flavonoids in chocolate may have potentially beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and may also act as antioxidants, which are believed to prevent or delay certain damage to the body’s cells and tissues. Dark chocolate has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea.

Because chocolate contains small amounts of phenylethylamine, it can be  a mild mood elevator. Phenylethylamine is the same chemical that our brain produces when we feel happy or in love (which has some people believing chocolate is an aphrodesiac).

Carbohydrates present in chocolate can raise serotonin levels in the brain and lead to a feeling of well-being (which also has some people believing chocolate is an aphrodesiac).
 

Chocolate and Pets:

While chocolate may help protect the human heart, lower bad cholesterol, and even provide a quick energy boost, it can be dangerous to your pets.

Dogs and cats can’t metabolize or excrete theobromine, a mild stimulant found in chocolate. In some pets, theobromine can trigger seizures, cardiac irregularity, internal bleeding, and can even lead to death.

How a pet will react depends upon its health and size, as well as the amount and type of chocolate consumed. Dark chocolate, for instance, contains a lot more theobromine than milk chocolate, and thus is much more dangerous. And chocolate is dangerous to animals whether it is in the form of a cake, cookies or ice cream. Although theobromine is poisonous to dogs and cats alike, dogs are more likely to consume chocolate if left unsupervised.

If you suspect your pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate (or is feeling sick after eating a small amount of chocolate) you should take it to a vet immediately.
 

Tips for using chocolate:

Though bittersweet, semisweet and sweet chocolate may be used interchangeably in some recipes, milk chocolate (because of the milk protein) cannot. You are best off using product labeled "baking chocolate" rather than high-quality eating chocolate.

In general, the darker the chocolate, the more chocolate liquor -- from 100% in unsweetened chocolate to 10% or more for milk chocolate. The darkest  chocolate should provide the most chocolate flavor. To be labeled "chocolate," the only fat a product may contain is cocoa butter. Inferior products with labels such as "chocolate candy" may contain other vegetable fats instead.

Watch for products labeled "artificial chocolate" or "chocolate-flavored". Check to ensure that cocoa butter is a main ingredient; if it is not, the item cannot be considered legitimate "chocolate". A good place to get familiar with the various ingredients and differences in basic quality is at your local grocery store. Many grocery store chocolates are considered inferior, since (unlike couverture chocolate) they have additives to help stabilize and keep the chocolate in good shape for long stays on grocery shelves.

If your chocolate does not contain cocoa butter, the product is confectionery (or summer) coating, not chocolate.  This is true for all colors ... normal chocolate, white, red, etc., which are all considered "summer coatings" if they do not contain cocoa butter. High-quality chocolate has minimal ingredients; dark and milk chocolate contain real cocoa liquor and all contain cocoa-butter in proper proportions.
 

Shipping chocolate:

In hot summer weather conditions, all chocolate should be shipped via a fast method (2-3 days maximum). With slow shipment and no gel (ice) packs, you should expect any chocolate product from any supplier to be  melted, and be very happy if it arrives intact. Some suppliers who sell large quantities are able to offer insulated gel packs as part of the shipping fee; many cannot due to quantity or pricing restrictions and must charge separately for this very expensive shipping package. Whenever ordering chocolates during warm months, it is strongly recommended that you ensure shipment with insulated gel packs to protect from warm weather melting.

When your shipment arrives, place your package in a room-temperature area overnight prior to opening. Some people also prefer a quick set in the refrigerator for extra assurance, but keep in mind that any moisture present in the packaging may create bloom on the chocolates when condensation occurs from the refrigeration. If condensation occurs, let your bulk chocolate sit in a dry area until all condensation is gone, before attempting to melt or temper it.
 

Shipping is definitely expensive. Unfortunately, shipping costs are determined by weight. Bulk candy has a high shipping-to-product cost ratio. Our little heat wafer vials are neither bulky nor heavy, but we always pack well to protect from crushing, so the cartons are "normal-sized", resulting in "normal" shipping expense. If you opt for gel packs and an insulated carton, expect to pay more.

We do everything possible to safeguard against melting; part of our efforts mean that we will ship chocolate orders only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to make sure they will not sit at a postal facility over the weekend waiting to be delivered to you.

Keep in mind that weather-melted bulk chocolate is still good, tasty chocolate. Melted heat wafers are still perfectly useable. Either can be remelted and/or tempered with no adverse effects.

Caring for your chocolate:

Storing chocolate: Chocolate should be kept wrapped tightly in a cool, dry place with a temperature ranging from 60-75°F and a humidity of around 50% or less; keep away from sunlight. If the storage temperature exceeds 75°F, some of the cocoa butter may appear on the surface, causing the chocolate to develop the whitish cast known as bloom. The chocolate will still be fine to eat, however. In hot climates or during the summer, chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator, although this isn’t ideal since the chocolate may absorb food odors. And if there is any humidity in the chocolate package, condensation during refrigeration or freezing can also cause bloom. Since chocolate absorbs odors, so whether on a shelf or in your refrigerator or freezer, it should be kept in an odor-free environment.

If stored properly, dark chocolate and cocoa will last for years.  White and milk chocolate can only be stored for about 10 months because of the milk solids they contain.  When chocolate is not stored properly, bloom will appear (see above).

Chocolate and water:  While melting your bulk chocolate, let a droplet of water get into your chocolate, and you've got trouble. Even a tiny amount of moisture will cause real chocolate to "seize up" and form a granular globby mess. Some people say you can add a small amount of oil to "unseize" it, but this is usually not successful. If you seize up your chocolate, set it aside for baking, and start with a new batch for your confections.

Preservatives: Unless you are making something like chocolate-covered candies and intend to sell them (perhaps having them in storage for some time), preservatives are typically not recommended. If you do need preservatives, though, you would use a preservative such as potassium sorbate. Coco-Go-Loco does not currently sell preservatives; check with your local chocolate supplier (who may also have other choices) or search online.
 

Melting chocolate:

Chocolate melts at a very low temperature and burns easily. It is possible to place bulk chocolate into a microwavable bag, barely warm it in the microwave (careful! don't get it hot!) and knead it through the bag until it is all soft enough to be squeezed into your mold out of a corner hole which you can cut with your scissors. This works very well when adding a Coco-Go-Loco heat wafer to chocolate, but you must ensure that the chocolate is soft enough, and knead the chocolate for at least three minutes to completely blend your heat wafer with your chocolate. Note that melting is not the same as tempering.


Tempering chocolate:

Why should you temper chocolate? With life being so complex nowadays, you shouldn't if you don't need to. For example, for quick family get-togethers, picnics, etc., you and your guests might not care about whether your chocolates look perfect.  And if you have kids of any age who love quick-fix treats like chocolate-oriental noodle drops, bloom may not have time to develope before your candies are all eaten, anyway. You may also not be concerned about how quickly your chocolate sets up, if you can leave it set overnight or all day.

But if you want your chocolates to set up quickly, have a smooth texture, look nice, and remain pretty, you do need to temper. Un-tempered chocolate will look dull, take a long time to set up (if it even does), have a more coarse feel in your mouth, and develop chocolate bloom. Bloom is simply un-stabilized cocoa butter which has not remained evenly distributed throughout the chocolate and has risen to the surface (still perfectly edible!). The solution for bloom: Properly temper your bulk chocolate, maintain workspace and room temperature before and after using, and store well. Coating chocolate (summer chocolate) normally does not require tempering, although it does not have the wonderful flavor of high-quality chocolate.

How to temper:
Some quality chocolatiers will tell you to carefully use a microwave for tempering (be careful of spot-overheating and moisture collection), others will say you must use a double-boiler (be careful of moisture and overheating) or that you may use a plastic dish set on a towel in your electric frying pan (again, be wary of moisture rising from the towel, and you may need to experiment with the heat settings), others will tell you the only way to go is to use a tempering machine. Keep in mind that if your tempering does not work properly, you can allow the chocolate to cool and then retemper it, as long as you have not added anything to it (such as getting moisture in it, using it for a fondant coating, etc.)

Tempering is quite precise and involves bringing the chocolate up to a certain temperature, cooling it back down to a certain temperature, and then bringing it back up to a certain temperature and holding it there while you work. If this is not done correctly, your chocolate will simply be "melted", not "tempered". (There are many preferences over what those exact temperatures should be).

For what it's worth, here's one simple method: Melt the chocolate evenly to 115 -120 degrees F (115 is the maximum high for milk and white chocolate and 120 is the maximum for dark chocolate --- some recommend you stay 5 degrees lower since overheating is not a good thing), cool it down to around 80 to 84 degrees F stirring occasionally (you may add pieces, shreds, or a chunk of tempered chocolate to speed up the cool-down process), then bring it up to about 86 to 91degrees F to make it suitable for working with. You may keep your chocolate at this temperature indefinitely while working with it with no adverse effects, but if your chocolate cools too much, you have to retemper.

Having noted the above, it should be mentioned that proper tempering can be a nightmare to accomplish since it involves proper temperatures of both the chocolate, other items you may be adding (such as nuts or fondants), and the room temperature as well as low room humidity. Before you try any method, you should do your homework. There are a lot of online sites with tempering details that will probably scare the devil out of you ... partly because everybody recommends different temperatures and different procedures. Study them anyway so you understand the issues. Then decide on the method you feel most comfortable with.


Then, of course, there's the easier way ---

Chocolate tempering machines:

There are several small makes and models available for the home user ($400 or so for a 1# size or larger), but if you are serious about buying a tempering machine for home, retail or small manufacturer use, the x3210 from ChocoVision (at $1,500 or more) is a good choice for relatively small batches of up to 10 pounds, and has many of the features that make tempering easier. If you need something larger, there are brokers of new and used chocolate equipment that can help; search for "chocolate tempering machine“ or "used chocolate tempering machine” on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Clusty, etc.

Make sure you’re not getting a chocolate melter, since these require far more knowledge of chocolate tempering ... they're not automatic (some advertise as temperers, but are actually melters). Other brands in a smaller size range include Hilliard, JKV, LCM, ACMC, along with ChocoVision. Be careful when buying on auction sites ... and know a machine's new price before you bid so you don't end up paying more than the machine is worth.

Chocolate info pages:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Please note that some of the free info
has been passed our way by acquaintances,
and we have no clue as to its origin.
If you can lay claim, please do email us ...
we'd be delighted to give credit where credit is due.

Product Overview:

Coco-Go-Loco is Federal and state licensed,
produces heat wafers,
and provides related products
including bulk chocolate, portion cups
(with or without our prepared heat-treated chocolate),
retail display and information sheets, etc.
 

Coco-go-loco chocolate
heat wafers
are produced by Coco-Go-Loco
from quality chocolate spiked with pure sensory heat.

Our heat wafers
are way too hot to eat, and are
for production purposes only.
These heat wafers
are to be added
to your bulk chocolate
while melting or
during the tempering process,
to produce pure creamy chocolate that's naturally hot.


But if you prefer ready-mixed,
our pre-treated bulk chocolate
or
individual chocolate
portion cups
are perfect!

Great with a variety of items,
from dipping pretzels or chips
 to dipped orange jellies, crispies, chocolate-covered walnuts, or gourmet truffles
and you can even mix it
in cake frosting!
Whoa!
Hot cake frosting?
Yes!

Your heat-treated chocolate is also great
as a melted warm dip
with many
of your favorite munchies.

Great for parties.
Family get-togethers.
Everyday enjoyment.
Special treat.
Gifts.

With our heat wafers,
you control
how much heat is added,
so your heat-treated chocolate
can be hot enough for the chilihead gourmet,
or smooth and comforting
for those who love a lesser bite.

Coco-Go-Loco heat infusion
produces an excitingly-extreme
chocolate product.

*And -- surprise! --
it's just "chocolate", with
no pepper flavors,
chunks, or specks!


*(Be sure to check ingredients listings
which will differentiate between "true chocolate"
and "coatings". Also note,
that those with sensitive palates
may experience a slight aftertaste with plain chocolate,
but are unlikely to do so when combined with other flavor ...
as with nuts, munchies, jells, or truffles).
 

Go to Coco-Go-Loco
products page

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