Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Milk Chocolate to White Chocolate
Do you like making chocolate covered strawberries?
Dipping a juicy ripe strawberry in chocolate is a healthy treat for the kids...
...and those tasty treats easily transform into exquisite works of art for any occasion..., from birthday celebrations to a delicious coax into a romantic evening. It's one of my favorites!
Maybe you want to know how to make chocolate covered strawberries from the very beginning. No problem...
Here's what to you can do..., in a few easy steps.
Decide what type of chocolate you like to use. I've covered strawberries with real chocolates, compound chocolate, and even chocolate chips! So don't be afraid to try them all.
Inspect The Strawberries
You already picked out some plump red fragrant strawberries to cover in chocolate...
...and you made sure to inspect them for signs of damage, insects, mold, aging, etc., right!
By the way, Organic strawberries have better stability over conventional berries, and may last a day or two longer. See the chart over here at the health benefits of strawberries.
Washing Strawberries
Okay..., be gentle! They bruise easy. Gently wash the strawberries (leave green hulls on) and put the berries in a bowl of cool water a few minutes..., gently roll & move them to remove sediment and other particles & pesticides.
Should you use soap to clean strawberries?
Keeping a strawberry as natural as possible... for health sake is always a good idea! But, don't use soap. Strawberries are a porous fruit, made up of about 80% water...
...water seeks its own level, and the taste of the cleaner will draw into that level. It's not a good idea even if the soap is specifically designed organic soap - for fruits & vegetables.
Should your recipe for melting chocolate for strawberries include adding liquids such as flavoring, cream, etc., see "Problems & Solutions" under How To Prevent Melted Chocolate From Seizing.
Drying Strawberries
Remove them to a clean dry towel (spread evenly - single layer), allow to dry (30 minutes or so) while they warm to room temperature.
From there, I like to wrap each individual berry with a paper towel to help draw the remaining moisture.
Wrapping them helps to avoid small amounts of water from getting into melted chocolate..., chocolate absorbs the moisture, which could cause the chocolate to seize up..., regardless of the type of chocolate.
Melt Chocolate for Strawberries
Then you will need to melt the chocolate for strawberries. There's different ways to melt chocolate. Try the link I just mentioned, or if you want to melt chocolate as I did while making chocolate covered strawberries, look here in the microwave oven.
Getting Low on Chocolate while Making Chocolate Covered Strawberries
As you can see in the pictures of white-chocolate covered strawberries, I melted a small amount of white chocolate (vanilla) to cover my strawberries with, and didn't have enough to actually dip the strawberries into...
...so, I simply rolled the berries in the white chocolate instead of dipping.
Here is the finished white chocolate covered strawberry.
There were only six strawberries at the time and I knew if I moved right along, heat would not be an issue.
It's ready to eat or add some touches like drizzling a complimenting color (compound chocolate maybe), adding transfer designs, or simply add a beauty mark to make it an elegant gift idea for that special someone!
Happy Covering!
Return from here to Melting Chocolate For Strawberries
Return from here to Chocolate Strawberries
Return from making Chocolate Covered Strawberries to the Home Page
|
FYI
Contaminants from other foods are easily avoided if you're mindful of the work area..., keeping it clean and sanitized.
USDA recommends washing utensils, cutting boards and countertops with hot water and soap between the preparations of raw meat.
Follow up by sanitizing periodically with a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water.
Even so, making chocolates where bacteria may linger is risky, and it could result in food-borne illnesses such as Escherichia coli (E. coli).
From a business perspective, USDA & Department of Health prohibits making chocolate candies in the kitchen while other foods are prepared.
It's a good practice to use different kitchen utensils & countertops altogether. Simply avoid making chocolate candy where you have prepared, or are preparing products such as raw beef, poultry, seafood, etc.
Keep your family and others safe from those food-borne illnesses.
| 
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.