pastrygirl

2 liters won’t fit in the bowl? I know it’s smaller capacity than a regular 5 qt KA bowl, but if it holds at least 3 qts, that’s more than 2.1 liters. (1000 ml is about 4.25 US cups)

On the subject of keeping things warm, the oven on my commercial gas range maintains about 93F with just the pilot light on. I find it useful for keeping tempered chocolate warm between batches, or keeping things warm that I'm about to mix into tempered chocolate. Not just for proofing bread dough!

TJ does have freeze dried fruits!

Do you recall what temp that cabinet was at? On the rare occasions that it’s so cold in the kitchen that I want to warm my molds, I just wave a hair dryer over them for a few seconds.

Sure, but you could do that for real with valrhona strawberry inspiration. And it would be a beautiful red, not that (I find it ugly) pink. And actually taste like strawberry.

If there's no sign of a handle ever being on it, it was probably not meant for saute-ing ... cold it be an insert to something else, such as this bun-warmer? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wear-Ever-Monkey-Lidded-Bun-Warmer-Pot-With-Chimp-Handles-And-Oil-Heater-170/173779889594

Nah, it's only a one-star. Their tasting menus are 85 and 135 Euro, or about US$95-150. Maybe most of us can't afford to be regulars, but it's within reach for a special occasion or splurge. Mere mortals may be allowed. https://www.restaurante-riff.com/en/

I like an open kitchen or sushi bar and watching some other sucker sweat it out on the line.

I have a vague recollection from early in my career of needing some permit or license number for the very occasional liquor store runs. It was a coffee shop, so we didn't have a liquor license, any spirits would have been used in layer cakes. I worked in restaurants with full bars for so long it fell of my radar, and it's really not something that anybody talks about - the county health dept doesn't care, and the FDA food labeling guide doesn't mention alcohol. And yes, it seems ridiculous when I have vanilla extract at 35% alcohol and lemon extract that's much higher! I don't have the license now, but sounds like I should, especially if I can save on the sales tax!. I tried to buy a bottle of something at Restaurant Depot once and they wouldn't let me because I didn't have a license, being able to buy liquor at wholesale prices would be nice, i might use more Sounds like I should add a sticker saying 'contains less than 1% ABV' to my one product where it applies, or if I make boozy bonbons for Mothers' Day. I have all my food allergens labeled but didn't know I needed to call out alcohol. I have had a couple of people ask about alcohol at events, but far fewer than the vegans or any food allergy. I definitely agree with not poking the bear, but I think the bear is poking you. The license to produce goods with more than 1% alcohol might actually be worth it for you in the long term if you have a couple of good winery customers or want to go after all the craft distillers in the state and produce their custom whisky bonbons. You could corner the market - now we know why nobody else is doing it!

Agar, like pectin and gelatin, is also inhibited from setting by high acid.

Thanks for explaining, it's unfortunately not uncommon to have sudden staff changes that leave the remaining staff with a challenge. It's hard to give general rules for everything, we might be better at helping you with specific questions. Some of it depends on your equipment. Many things scale up just fine. With 200lb of bread, the bigger challenge might be shaping and baking it all without it over-proofing. But does your mixer fit 200 lb and can you wrestle it out of the bowl, or would it be better to mix 2 x 100 lb or 4 x 50 lb? What is the max capacity of your ovens, and do you have room to store bread in the walk-in of it needs to wait for oven space?? The leavening in cakes might need adjusting when you're going from a 8" round to a 12" round, but not if you're just making tons of 8" rounds. With cakes it's the pan size more than the batch size. If you're putting out a dessert buffet for 500 people, you don't need 500 of each item. If people eat 2 things each on average, 200 each of 5 different items should suffice.

With new orders, I hope!

The one we're using is very similar to this, with the roll of film below. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Down-Paper-Reel-Sticky-Loose-Product_60386176392.html?src=sem_ggl&mark=google_shopping&src=sem_ggl&mark=shopping&cmpgn=1675096474&adgrp=63830955303&locintrst=&locphyscl=9033538&ntwrk=s&device=c&dvcmdl=&position=1o3&pla_adtype=pla&pla_mrctid=129440162&pla_channel=online&pla_prdid=60386176392&pla_country=US&pla_lang=en&pla_group=293946777986&pla_localcode=&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2L7jBRCBARIsAPeAsaP-jkueAmAMph_oYgLslxn0zoHb4z03C9NtV7Ti6Evo-FHo6WnoViUaAoWYEALw_wcB#shopping-ads I don't know if the film in the pic is wrong or if that's just another way, but on ours the film goes all the way to the end of the left hand side then pulled back through a channel. The film is guided into a trough shape and you place the candy on top of the film at regular intervals. The edges of the film are pushed up and pass through one set of rollers to make the top seam then there is a set of heated crimpers that seal and cut the ends. I can only keep up with about 40 pieces a minute but others can go faster, and it can help to have someone at the end watching the finished product for quality control.

I sent this query to my brother who is not currently practicing as a lawyer but who has passed the bar in 3 states, and he said go by what is current according to WA legislature, the 1% specified here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=66.12.160 Don't worry about what was repealed, that no longer exists, and the federal 0.5% only applies in states that have not made their own rules. I agree that it sounds like BS that he wants to examine every component separately, and no layer can have more than 1%. The product is a finished piece, and sounds like yours are normal small bonbon size. Is he some kind of fanatical teetotaler?

AFAIK, it shouldn't matter if your ganache has milk fat, coconut fat, or bacon fat, it simply needs less available water. Try less of the liquid and/or more sugars. It's too bad the Aw meters are so expensive, we each need one!

@YetiChocolates this says 1% or less with a label is OK without a liquor license. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=66.12.160

Yes, here in WA each piece has to be individually sealed in 4 mil plastic film. I work part time for such a company, we have a flow wrap machine with a couple different sizes of film for different sized items. Once the pieces are wrapped they can go into regular paper boxes.

Ugh. I agree, the liquor license would not be worth it. This guy must have his own agenda or be on a power trip or something. It looked to me like the limit for WA is 1%, if he’s insisting it’s 0.5%, that definitely needs clarity. I use very little alcohol myself. I have a hazelnut truffle with about 125 g frangelico to 2 kg other stuff, that should be safe. I might make a rum caramel bonbon or something every now and then but I’ve mostly lost my enthusiasm for alcohol.

So in that example the kahlua ganache is only part of the piece? There’s another layer of ganache and the shell? So the 2.5 grams might have 2% abv but it’s only a quarter of the truffle, making the whole finished piece 0.5%? Can the LCB give you any guidelines on how they want you to calculate it? if you are over the limit and you do want to continue, looks like you need the grocery store with a snack bar license and alcohol in candy endorsement. Edited to add -or maybe that’s only for the seller and there’s a different license for producers. The tasting room obviously already has a liquor license so LCB is looking at you as a producer. https://lcb.wa.gov/publications/licensing/forms/LIQ-180-Retail-Liquor_License-Endorsement-Descriptions-and-Fees.doc Maybe you need the liquor producer license - is it worth $500? https://lcb.wa.gov/publications/licensing/forms/LIQ-181-Non-Retail-Liquor-License-Descriptions-and-Fees.doc I hope it was a good event otherwise.

Which is it, 2-9% or under 1/2? Or do you mean 2-9% of your ganache by weight is a wine or liqueur that might only be 15-20% alcohol? If 10% of your recipe is 40 proof (20% alcohol) spirits, doesn’t that make the whole recipe 2% abv? Updating the labels is a pain but can probably be accomplished with a sticker. Boozy chocolates came up elsewhere recently. Most states have strict rules, not just us. http://www.crowncandies.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/alcohol_confectionery.pdf the above list is a few years old but says WA allows 1%, not half. I wonder if you could send a sample to the same labs that do all the cannabis testing. Or do you have any contacts at WSDA or your local health dept who could help you with the calculations?

Couple more thoughts - You don't have to childproof each piece, just seal the bag? Is the silica packet required? I think most confections don't really need desiccant and it may even be detrimental. If you can get away without it, that saves a few cents and a step.

Hmm. Well, first of all, do the sticker-ing ahead of time, if possible. You should be able to get those bags hot-stamped, at least on one side. There is a cost, but stickers and labor cost money, too. Here is an example of custom fees ... https://glerup.com/custom-packaging How many pairs of hands can you have on this at once? I'd try an assembly line, one person puts the silica packet in, maybe two people are weighing/counting product and filling, a third closes and heat seals. Many hands make light work.

Oh, ok, I misunderstood. If you dust the cavities (and don't blow it all of with an airbrush), it will stick just due to static but you have little control - can't paint a design. Otherwise, I still think cocoa butter would be the better medium, but if you're willing to experiment, please share!

And you want to paint a design, not just dust all over? Since it's on chocolate, you could try cocoa butter. To answer your question, isopropyl alcohol directly on food kind of disturbs me. It should evaporate, but chocolate may be more porous than polycarbonate, and it does say external use only. You're right, regular 40 proof vodka still has a lot of water. Look for 80-100 proof or higher, even Everclear, or Bacardi 151 proof rum, to evaporate more quickly. You can also use alcohol-based lemon extract but it will leave flavor as well.

Quiche, with its egg and milk custard, is not something that would be great to sit out all day on a warm summer afternoon. The health dept would want it to stay chilled. Which is possible, but ... MB, as you go through your inspections, make sure you know what they'll allow to be kept at outside temp for the day. "Dry" baked goods are safe - cookies, biscuits, bread, cake. I know I suggested a cheese biscuit above, but there may be concern about high-moisture cheeses. A hard cheddar or parmesan baked into or on top of a scone is one thing, obviously you wouldn't leave cheesecake out all day, and softer cheeses like fresh goat cheese or mozzarella may also be forbidden. Also see what other food vendors have and try to find a unique niche. If someone else specializes in 25 flavors of macarons, maybe you don't need macarons too.