INTRODUCTION:-
Couverture chocolate is high quality chocolate that has been enhanced with extra cocoa butter and possibly an emulsifier to help reduce viscosity. Lower viscosity is the main determination of couverture chocolate. Lower viscosity means the chocolate is less thick and sticky when melted. As a result, couverture is an easy melting chocolate that works well as a coating chocolate for hand dipped truffles. Couverture chocolate, unlike regular chocolate, is ground to a finer texture during the production process and contains a greater percentage of cocoa butter relative to the other ingredients. These produce a superior flavor and texture that makes couverture the preferred chocolate for tempering and enrobing truffles, bonbons, and other fine candies. According to FSSAI Couverture chocolate shall contain, on a dry matter basis, not less than 35 per cent total cocoa solids of which not less than 31 per cent shall be cocoa butter and not less than 2.5 per cent fat-free cocoa solids.
WHAT IS COUVERTURE?
Couverture chocolate is a very high-quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter (32–39%) than any other chocolates. This additional cocoa butter, combined with proper tempering, gives the chocolate more sheen, a firmer "snap" when broken, and a creamy mellow flavor.
COCOA BUTTER:-
Cocoa butter is an important component of couverture. Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some other products. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavour and aroma.
According to FSSAI, Cocoa butter means the fat obtained by expression from the nibs of the beans of Theobroma cocoa L. It shall be free from other oils and fats, mineral oil and added colours. It shall conform to the following standards:
STANDARDS OF COCOA BUTTER
MANUFACTURING OF COCOA BUTTER:-
Cocoa butter is obtained from whole cocoa beans. For use in chocolate manufacture, the beans are fermented before being dried. The beans are then roasted and separated from their hulls to produce cocoa nibs. About 54–58% of the cocoa nibs is cocoa butter. The nibs, which contain about 53 % cocoa butter, pass through refining mills and are ground between large grinding stones or heavy steel discs creating a cocoa paste. The paste is subjected to hydraulic pressure, and the cocoa butter flowing out is a pure and valuable fat with a marked aroma; after filtering and purifying it looks very much like ordinary butter. The heat generated by grinding causes the cocoa butter or fat to melt and form a fine paste or liquid known as chocolate "liquor". When the liquid is poured into molds and allowed to solidify, the resulting cakes are unsweetened or bitter chocolate.
The chocolate liquor is pumped into hydraulic presses weighing up to 25 tons, and when the pressure is applied, 80% cocoa butter is removed. The fat drains away through metallic screens as a yellow liquid, and then is collected for use in chocolate manufacturing. Cocoa butter, unique among vegetable fats, is a solid at normal room temperature and melts at 89 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit just below body temperature. With proper storage conditions, cocoa butter can be kept for years without spoiling. Cocoa butter is sometimes deodorized to remove strong or undesirable tastes. The cocoa butter has important functions. It gives the chocolate its fine structure, beautiful lustre and delicate, attractive glaze.
COCOA POWDER:-
According to FSSAI, cocoa powder means the powder which is the partially defatted product derived from the cocoa bean the seed of Theobroma cocoa L. It may be subjected to treatments during manufacture with alkali and/ or magnesium carbonate, bicarbonate, and with tartaric, citric or phosphoric acids. It shall be free from rancidity, dirt, filth, insects and insect fragments or fungus infestations. The product may contain food additives permitted in Appendix A. It shall conform to the following standards.
STANDARDS OF COCOA POWDER
MANUFACTURING OF COCOA POWDER:-
Pressing the cocoa bean will result cocoa butter and dark brown cocoa fiber as the two main ingredients. The "cake" made from pressing of chocolate liquor which is left during the cocoa butter manufacture may eventually be made into cocoa powder by being further crushed, milled and finely sifted. Three or five vertically mounted steel rollers rotate in opposite directions. Under heavy pressure, they pulverize the tiny particles of cocoa and sugar down to a size of approx. 30 microns.
CONCHING:-
This process develops flavors and changes the texture during controlled temperatures. It’s the last and most important refining process, which allows the separate flavors of the individual ingredients to combine. Conches are equipped with heavy rollers that plow back and forth through the chocolate paste, anywhere from a few hours to several days. Contemporary technologies can grind the chocolate particles extremely fine, which can reduce conching times. Swiss and Belgian chocolates, are conched as much as 96 hours. Some chocolates are not conched at all, or for only 4 to 12 hours. Under regulated speeds and temperatures, these rollers can produce different degrees of agitation and aeration to create distinct chocolate flavors. The process can eliminate any remaining bitterness by aerating the chocolate and expelling volatile acids. Additional cocoa butter and lecithin are added which help to achieve the characteristic velvet smoothness. And as the ultimate homogeneity of the ingredients is developed, a soft film of cocoa butter begins to form around each of the extremely small particles. The chocolate no longer seems sandy, but dissolves meltingly on the tongue. It has attained the outstanding purity which gives it its reputation. The last stage of conching Swiss or Belgian chocolate is a magnificent sight huge paddles rolling slowly through great vats of chocolate, smooth and creamy and thick. In some manufacturing setups, there is an emulsifying operation that either takes the place of conching. Emulsifying is breaking up sugar crystals and other particles in the chocolate mixture to give it a fine, velvety smoothness.
TEMPERING:-
Tempering chocolate is the process of pre-crystallization of cocoa butter to make the chocolate suitable for processing, this assurance a perfect finished product with hard snap and glossy finished. This thickens the chocolate and imparts the right flow properties for filling the moulds. This complex operation is performed in the tempering plant and is necessary to give the final chocolate product a delicate composition, a uniform structure and a well-rounded flavor. The storage life is also increased in this way. The still warm conched chocolate is placed in a tempering machine so that it can be slowly and steadily cooled. Cooling chocolate at a fixed rate keeps the flavor from being compromised, and prevents separation when the chocolate is poured into bar moulds. Proper tempering also results in a silky sheen and crisp "snap" when broken another sign of a superior quality chocolate bar. The tempered chocolate is poured into moulds of many sizes, from individual sized bars to a ten pound blocks used by confectionery manufacturers. This process gives the chocolate a smooth and glossy finish, keeps it from easily melting on your fingers, and allows it to set up beautifully for dipped and chocolate-covered treats.
TYPES OF COUVERTURE:-
There are 3 types of couvertures available in market,
1. Dark chocolate
2. White chocolate
3. Milk chocolate
MILK CHOCOLATE COUVERTURE:-
Milk Chocolate Couverture shall contain, on a dry matter basis, not less than 25% cocoa solids (including a minimum of 2.5% non-fat cocoa solids) and not less than 14% milk solids (including a minimum of 3.5% milk fat) and a total fat of not less than 31%. "Milk solids" refers to the addition of milk ingredients in their natural proportions, except that milk fat may be added, or removed.
Milk chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate. It actually contains only ten to 40 percent cacao mixed with sugar and milk (either condensed milk or milk solids). Milk chocolate is much, much sweeter than dark or bitttersweet chocolate and has a lighter color and less-pronounced chocolate taste. However, milk chocolate isn’t great for baking because it’s prone to overheating.
MANUFACTURING OF MILK CHOCOLATE:-
Chocolate Liquor: 14%
Whole Milk Powder: 16% - Buttermilk powder is a wonderful option
Sugar: 46.5%
Cocoa Butter: 23%
Lecithin: 0.30%
Vanilla: 0.20%
Chocolate liquor should be milled. Conche your liquor paste to a point of fluidity. Go heavy conche at 185F continuously. Add in extra cocoa butter slowly once all cocoa mass is fluid. Cool to 120F before unloading to the temperer. It is recommend aging your chocolate for at least 2 months to allow all flavors to harmonize.
DIFFERENT FLAVOURS OF MILK CHOCOLATE:-
Milk chocolate with mixed fruit and nut
Milk chocolate with Caramel
Milk chocolate with Mint methane
Milk chocolate with Peanut Caramel
Milk chocolate with Crunchy Cocoa Pieces
Milk chocolate with Oreo
Milk chocolate with Hazelnut
Milk chocolate with Roasted almonds
WHITE CHOCOLATE COUVERTURE:-
White Chocolate shall contain, on a dry matter basis, not less than 20% cocoa butter and not less than 14% milk solids (including a minimum milk fat in a range of 2.5% to 3.5% as applied by the authority having jurisdiction in accordance with applicable legislation). "Milk solids" refers to the addition of milk ingredients in their natural proportions, except that milk fat may be added, or removed. Where required by the competent authority, a minimum content of cocoa butter plus milk fat may also be set.
White chocolate does not contain chocolate liquor or any other cocoa products besides cocoa butter. It doesn’t have a very chocolatey taste, but resembles smooth vanilla. White chocolate contains a minimum 20 percent cocoa butter, a maximum of 55 percent sugar, and about 15 percent milk solids. It is used for coating these dipped chocolate cookies or white chocolate shortbread cookies. White chocolate makes a creamy addition to peanut butter cookies with white chocolate chunks and blueberry cookies with white chocolate too. And it makes the most decadent white chocolate pots de crème.
DIFFERENT FLAVOURS OF WHITE CHOCOLATE:-
Raspberry rose white chocolate
Oreo Slab / cookies and crème
Peppermint white chocolate
Orange raspberry white chocolate
Mango truffle white chocolate
Praline passion white chocolate
Strawberry white chocolate
Butterscotch truffle white chocolate
Cardamom white chocolate
DARK CHOCOLATE COUVERTURE:-
Dark chocolate contains chocolate liquor, sugar, and cocoa butter. It also commonly includes lecithin as an emulsifier and vanilla for flavor. Dark chocolate does not contain any milk solids. The amount of cocoa in dark chocolate bars ranges from 30 percent all the way up to 80 percent. Bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate are also technically “dark chocolate,” but are used for baking purposes. Basically it means all non-milk chocolates. The FDA defines dark chocolate as having a minimum of 15% chocolate liquor as an ingredient. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa than other types of chocolate. Typically in chocolate making and fine candy making a bittersweet chocolate (something with greater than 50% cocoa solids) will be used.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE:-
Bittersweet chocolate must contain at least 35 percent cocoa according to the FDA, but most bittersweet bars contain 50 percent, with others having as much as 80 percent cocoa. This type of chocolate often has a deeper, more bitter flavor than other types of chocolate. Bitter Chocolate shall contain, on a dry matter basis, not less than 40% total cocoa solid (including a minimum of 22% cocoa butter and a minimum of 18% fat-free cocoa solids).
SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE:-
Semi-bitter Chocolate shall contain, on a dry matter basis, not less than 30% total cocoa solids (including a minimum of 15% cocoa butter and a minimum of 14% fat-free cocoa solids). Semisweet chocolate falls somewhere between bittersweet chocolate and sweet dark chocolate. This type of chocolate is most commonly used for baking.
SWEET GERMAN CHOCOLATE:-
Sweet German chocolate is a dark baking chocolate created by a man named Samuel German, who gave it it’s name. He created this chocolate to be convenient for bakers and added sugar directly to it. Therefore, it’s sweeter than semisweet chocolate. This type of chocolate is most commonly used in German Chocolate Cake, a rich cake with three layers of chocolate cake with sweet, gooey frosting in the middle and topped with coconut and pecans.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF DARK COUVERTURE:-
Chocolate Liquor: 50%
Sugar: 35.5%
Cocoa Butter: 14%
Lecithin: 0.20%
Vanilla: 0.30%
Mill the chocolate liquor. Refine your paste to a particle size of 0.0006 inch. Conche till fluid at 150F - go medium to heavy. Cool to 120F and offload to your tempering machines. It is recommend aging your chocolate couverture 3 months before using it in production. The aging process allows all the flavors to harmonize.
DIFFERENT FLAVOURS OF DARK CHOCOLATE:-
Dark cholate with fruits & nuts
Dark chocolate with various amount of cocoa (70%, 50%, 90%)
Dark Chocolate Mint Creams
Dark Chocolate Coconut Almonds
Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberries
Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels
Sweet German Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar
ENROBING:-
Enrobing is a process that involves covering a confection or snack with chocolate or chocolate coatings. Traditionally, this process was slow and involved manually dipping the pieces into melted chocolate by hand. As demand for chocolate-coated sweets increased, it became impractical or impossible to employ enough people to dip sweets into melted chocolate to keep up with production demand. Enrobing can be carried out with chocolate coatings. After enrobing, the product enters a cooling tunnel to allow the coating to harden. The chocolate coating and the filling are cooled down to approximately 18°C to ensure trouble-free packaging. Some typical examples of enrobed products include wafer bars.
BLOOMING PROBLEMS:-
Processing a real chocolate always requires a tempering unit. Whether fitted with a temperer internally or externally, enrobers have the same basic components. It is important that the centres entering the enrober are maintained at 21-24°C, and that the enrobing chocolate has the desired viscosity and rheological properties. Warmer centres may lead to possible bloom problems due to the residual heat increasing the chocolate temperature of the enrobed sweets. Cold centres can lead to blooming and cracking of the coating shell due to expansion of the centre mass as it warms. Fat bloom develops in different ways. Automatic crystal conversion on the one hand caused by incorrect and/or insufficient tempering; on the other, it may be caused by fat migration from the filling where this fat penetrates the chocolate coat and causes the cocoa butter crystals to rise through the surface. If the dew point is lower than room temperature, moisture could condense on the product and cause sugar bloom during storage. Loss of temper can also be due to heat damage. To avoid blooming problems, temperature changes in the tunnel should be gradual, and the relative humidity properly controlled.
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ENROBED PRODUCTS:-
Physico-chemical properties of enrobed products are important for two reasons.
1. If the crystallisation or flow properties are incorrect this results in a poor quality product being made, which may have to be sold cheaply as a misshapen product or perhaps has to be reworked.
2. Sensory attributes are critical to the consumer’s appreciation.
One important visual characteristic of enrobed products is gloss. This is determined by the reflected light. If the surface is flat with a lot of small crystals, which happens with correct tempering and cooling, the product appears shiny.
MACHINES USED IN CHOCOLATE FACTORY:-
The chocolate making process in the factory includes the following steps:-
Surgar grinding → melting → feeding→ refining → sifting → storage → temperature → casting molding → vibration → cooling hardening → demoulding → packaging
In the above process, there are mainly 7 chocolate machines required by the chocolate factory.
SUGAR GRINDING MACHINE:-
All kinds of chocolate are made of granulated sugar, with a general content of about 50%. By grinding granulated sugar into powder, the product structure will become delicate and smooth, at the same time, it also affects the taste and sweetness of chocolate to a certain extent.
CHOCOLATE MELTING TANK:-
Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa butter substitutes are solid at room temperature. Hence before feeding, they need to be melted then they can be mixed for refining.
Sugar grinder and melting tank belong to the pretreatment of raw materials before mixing.
CHOCOLATE CONCHING REFINING MACHINE:-
In chocolate production, ingredient conching is the basic production link. Fine grinding makes all kinds of materials mix evenly and reduces the fineness of materials. The average fineness makes the taste delicate and lubricated. The refining time is generally 16-22 hours.
CHOCOLATE STORAGE TANK:-
It is mainly used for heat preservation storage of chocolate slurry after fine grinding to meet the technological requirements of chocolate production and to meet the needs of continuous production.
CHOCOLATE TEMPERING MACHINE:-
The purpose of temperature regulation is to make cocoa butter crystallize into stable beta crystals in slurry and express them in black luster. This process is to prolong the shelf life of products.
CHOCOLATE MOULDING LINE:-
Modern chocolate casting is completed by continuous moulding line. It is a fully automated chocolate production line with complete cycle. It can be used for pouring monochrome, bicolor and sandwich chocolate. The chocolate moulding machine also has the functions of automatic baking, automatic pouring and full vibration. It has the advantages of wide template, low labor intensity, convenient operation and maintenance, simple and reliable movement, etc. Chocolate moulding machine is an important device for chocolate factory.
CHOCOLATE PACKAGING MACHINE:-
Choose the appropriate chocolate packaging machine according to the requirements. After that, the finished chocolate products can enter the market from the factory.
USES OF COUVERTURES IN FOOD INDUSTRY:-
Chocolate curls:- Chocolate curls are made by coating the underside of a sheet pan with a thin film of tempered chocolate. When the chocolate begins to set, push the chocolate with a bench scraper or flat palette knife. For ringlet-style curls, the chocolate should be almost set. For tight cigarette curls, the chocolate should be a little softer.
Chocolate leaves:- Chocolate leaves are made by brushing the underside of cleaned, nontoxic leaves with warm tempered chocolate. The chocolate should be thicker by the central vein and thinner towards the edges. Once the chocolate sets, peel the leaf away.
Chocolate bowls:- Chocolate bowls are created by coating the inside of shaped molds or bowls with a thin film tempered chocolate, letting it set, then gently loosening it from the bowl.
Chocolate shavings:- Chocolate shavings are made with a vegetable peeler from a block of chocolate. The chocolate does not have to be tempered. Chocolate shavings can be sprinkled on top of cakes and pies.
Ganache:- Basic ganache is a mixture of heavy cream and chocolate. The ratio oi chocolate to cream is 1 : 2. Ganache made with mostly cream can be whipped into a silky, stable whipped cream.
Truffle:- Boiling cream and chopped chocolate in the ratio 2:3. Sets to a dark creamy paste. Warmed slightly till it becomes flowy. Used as a filling to produce dark chocolate truffle cakes etc.
CONCLUSION:-
Couverture chocolate is a higher quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than other chocolate. Couverture chocolate available in dark, milk and white to the fresh fruity flavours of origin chocolates. Couverture is used by professionals for dipping, coating, molding and garnishing. Hence couverture Chocolate is the no.1 choice of chocolatiers and bakers around India and all over the world. It is the finest grade of chocolate with a solid, intense and perfectly balanced taste. Couverture chocolate, in which cocoa butter from the purest and the richest cocoa beans from around the world, has various health benefits. Cocoa butter helps in anti-aging, and improved skin health, etc. Couverture is ideal for tempering and dipping, and this is where it really shines. Use it in any candy recipe where you want a coating with a deep chocolate flavor, a beautiful shine, and a healthy "snap" when you bite into the candy. It is used to make chocolate bars, cover truffles, or make clusters or barks.
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