Homemade chocolate lollies and other products

hiya folks i am new to the forum so hopefully i get this correct

i am wanting to make some home made chocolate products i have bought some dark milk and white belgian chocolate callets i melted it in the microwave and also tried in a double boiler when i leave the melted chocolate that i placed in the moulds to cool i then try to remove it from the moulds it doesnt have a shiny surface well not all over anyway it seems to leave a very thin layer in the moulds is it because it hasnt cooled properly or something else i could really do with some help please if any one knows what i am doing wrong i have been told to place it in the freezer for either 5 or 10 mins but am not sure

thanks in advance
dave/ darkangel

Hi darkangel,

Welcome to CU. Sorry you have not had a reply on this, but I am not an expert on chocolate, but shouldn't you lightly oil the moulds first? Just a thought!

A.

Hi Darkangel,

There is couple things that you can try that I have found in my candy making that make a difference in the candy being shiny looking.You need to make sure that you keep the temperature constant when you're melting the chocolate. It's also important that you stir the chocolate frequently. Chocolate will scorch or burn easily if you fail to do so.
Or you might not of had the chocolate molds all the way cooled. To cool the molds faster, you should put them in the freezer. You need to make sure that you put the chocolate candy molds in the freezer before the chocolate starts to harden. If you don't, it will look foggy instead of shiny. You should also make sure that you don't leave the molds in the freezer too long because chocolate is moisture sensitive and will pick up other flavors and moisture in the freezer.
Also make sure your molds are completely dried since chocolate is oil based it and water won't mix well and that will also cause the chocolate to look foggy!
You shouldn't have to put oil in the molds cause they are already oil based and usually come out really easy.

Hope this all helps you out some!
Lou

thanks for the reply folks will try the suggestions and post back what happens

can anyone explain why my chocolate ends up looking this this any help would be appreciated as i am a total beginner but would love to learn
thanks for looking

now done a little bit of googling think this might be called blooming but would still like some help please

hi darkangel,

You are right, it is called bloom. I reckon there might not be very much that can be done.

The text below is only what I found online while googling myself. So I am simply copying and pasting it here.

The blooming of chocolate is probably the most common problem that can occur with this piece of candy. Fat bloom is the accumulation of large cocoa butter crystals on the chocolate surface. It is often accompanied by numerous small cracks that also give the chocolate a dull appearance.

Sugar bloom is the crystallization of sugar that is often caused by high humidity and the formation of condensation (sweating) when a cold product is brought into a warm environment. Wiping the surface can generally remove fat bloom, but not the sugar bloom.

While poor tempering (the controlled cooling of melted chocolate) can cause bloom, it can also be caused by improper cooling, poor storage conditions, and exposure to high humidity.

Here are some of the most common situations which can cause the chocolate to bloom:

A chocolate product that is removed from cold storage, like a refrigerator or a freezer and then is exposed to high room temperatures. You should gradually expose the chocolate to moderate temperature change. This will prevent condensation, which is the primary cause of chocolate bloom.

When the temperature exceeds 25-32°C the chocolate will start to melt and the likelihood for fat bloom is very probable.

The only way to prevent this from happening the next time is to store your chocolate in a cool place but not in the fridge.


Hope this helps.
Alexia

Hey darkangel,
If it is Sugar blooming which is what it looks like it is then all you need to do is If you are cooling you're chocolate molds in the freezer or fridge try wrapping them in a towel and let them come to room temp. gradually that prevents it if it is sugar blooming. The blooming won't make it taste any different it just makes it not as pretty as it could be!

Here is a link to the website that I like to use to get my chocolate from for my moldings and just about any candy making I have done! Hope some of this helps you out!!
www.anoccasionalchocolate.com/molding-chocolate.html

LindaLou