Merry Berry

I like your attitude haha. It is how we move forward in life. Of course, I am not sure if I want people to think of fish and fish scales when they are looking to buy chocolate, but it is a neat design. I would wonder if you could maybe cut out a design from something soft and flexible like shelf/drawer liners. Probably not since the detail would need to be too fine, but that would be the first thing I would try. Anyone else think of a quicker way?

Starters are so much fun and so hardy. I took two out of the fridge a couple of weeks ago to revive them and bake with them. They had been in the fridge since December 15th and forgotten about. Couple of days of feeding and they were ready to go. As stated KAF is okay for info on starters although I feel like The Fresh Loaf forums have better information. OP, try not to stress out too much on the feedings. I used to be so careful with my measurements and would drive myself crazy trying to get it right. Once you get used to it, you can eyeball it. Typically, when you feed your starter, you are trying to double the amount you start with. So in your case, if you started with 2oz, then you would want to add enough flour and water to make the total weight 4oz (assuming you are not throwing any out...I hate to waste things so I typically keep the part I would throw out and make pancakes or such with them). What flour are you using to feed it? The type of flour you use will affect how much water you end up using. I personally like rye flour, but it is so darn difficult to source where I live.

I would first be curious what the ingredients say on your instant espresso powder. Any drying agents in it to prevent it from clumping? Or anything else besides ground espresso beans?

Anecdotally, I have noticed you can count on many things to lose roughly 10° give or take as it leaves the nozzle. For the same reason, ServSafe says dishwasher sanitizing rinses using heat and water must do so at 180°F instead of 165°F since it could lose up 15° in heat before it hits the dishes. I saw this in action a while back, but for the life of me, I cannot remember exactly what I was doing. I want to say I was playing around with some type of nozzle, and measuring the surface temp of the liquid with an infrared. It had lost about 10 degrees in heat and I remember thinking about the ServSafe example. But obviously, take that for what it is worth since I cannot remember the exact scenario. I don't usually have any trouble with the cocoa butter cooling off since it is usually a quick process. If I have to, I hit the cocoa butter and/or sprayer with a hair dryer or heat gun. I have never heard of using 86°F. I would think that would be way too low, but as you said, if it works for you and an expert is telling you it works, then use what works. Maybe I will have to try it. That is probably one of my favorite things about being a chef. Sometimes there are so many ways to successfully do something culinary-wise that I always roll my eyes, when I work somewhere and they SWEAR up and down you have to do it their way or otherwise it will fail tragically. "Because I said so" is rarely enough science-based thinking for me to pay attention to haha.

What temp are you putting the chocolate into airbrush? I know when I put colors or chocolate through mine, I have to put it in at a higher temperature (95-99° ish depending on what it is) since it "tempers" as it rapidly leaves the nozzle. If I try to do it at the actual temper temperature, it is way too thick and sets up too quickly in the mold. I still want it to be "wet" so I can scrape it before it sets up. It should not crack or chip if it is not completely set up yet unless you try to keep scraping trying to make it perfect (I used to be guilty of this). Is that possibly what is happening?

Looks like what would happen when a student would invariably put a sugar product in the cooler overnight thinking it would preserve it. Just a wet, grainy mess the next day. How are you preserving them?

I could even see a port or other fortified wine working with it as well.

Is whiskey or bourbon an option?

I've never tried Genin caramels nor the recipe given in the thread. Are they really that good compared to say the Grewling recipe in his Chocolate Formulas & Theory book? I have made those and I find them quite acceptable. If they are better, what is it that people seem to like most about them? Mouthfeel? Taste? Just curious.

If you think the price for a case of chocolate is taking the fun out of things, then don't ever look up the price for a case of almond flour haha. And remember, you do not have to buy a bunch of molds yet. You can always start out making and selling truffles and dipped items. Although I am more partial to molds myself since I am a loon when it comes to trying to cut caramels or ganache for dipping.

To add to this, many quantities of one type of mold can get you far in the beginning. I am like you EmmMax in that I am currently trying to bootstrap a chocolates/pastry business. I filled an online cart the other day with all types of fun molds with 3 of each type. Like I do many times, I will fill a cart and then wait a day or two to give me a chance to step back and think about such a large purchase. It occurred to me I would be stuck doing small runs of each mold ( <100) at a time) which feels like a waste of my time. Something such as a tall dome polycarbonate mold can be decorated in so many ways that customers will probably not even notice they are all the same size and shape. I still want all those other molds ( I think I must absolutely have a set of heart molds haha), but they can wait until after I have established a strong business. One or two types of molds will be easier in the short-term. Boxes for packaging do not have to be all different sizes and such. Pictures and production runs are easier. As you search this site, you will see many ideas on how to start low cost. As mentioned above, a bowl with a heating pad and a few layers of towels and a heat gun/hair dryer can keep your chocolate at the correct temperature. Not sure where you are trying to establish a business, but I would say do a business plan to see if it is going to be viable and what your break-even amount will be. Think of every startup cost you will incur such as licensing, equipment, marketing, packaging, logo design, salaries, legal/CPA fees, insurance, etc and then double it since you probably forgot something or will incur unforeseen expenses. For me, I am lucky that I can use a friend's bakery space when they are done for the night so rent will not be something I have to worry about in the beginning. From what I can tell, I would need about $10k to startup comfortably, and $5k to be startup risky and hope everything goes right from the beginning (and i doubt it will). So that means I really probably need closer to $25k to really make a go at it. Which is cheap considering what many startups cost. So the business plan needs to be picked apart by various people and amended where necessary since it will be what helps me secure investments/debt to make this business a reality. If you are in America, check out your local Small Business Administration (SBA). They are free (relatively) and invaluable. They have free business plan templates on there to get you started. Obviously, my needs may be much different than yours and maybe you can start cheaper and smaller than I am. Either way, good luck, and keep asking questions here.

On page one of this thread Michael Laiskonis (whose advice I have utilized before on the subject of pate de fruit) says when using something either low in natural pectin or high in acid that you have to strengthen it with fruit purees higher in pectin or use more pectin itself. I know in most recipes the use of an acid at the end is used to delay the gelling of the pectin which I imagine happened here. Too much of the acidic lemon juice kept the low amount of pectin from doing its job. Glad it worked out for you finally. How did your bonbons come out? They sound delicious.

KB -- Stop by any time you like!! PG -- Luckily TN changed most of their food laws a few years ago to match ServSafe standards which I am certified as an Instructor/Proctor. However, there will definitely be a few miscellaneous food laws I may be unaware of so I will be in contact with the Health department to cover those areas. Quiche is probably a food I will stay away from for those reasons you stated and they might be a tough sell around here anyway. I agree with you on the niche part and that is what I am going to focus on. I kick myself for not attending last year to see what was new with the food vendors, but it will be pretty easy to see what is available by the first couple of weeks. Depending on the weather, the first few weeks can be macarons and chocolates if the weather acts like it should that time of year. Unfortunately, the weather here is nothing like it used to be and it could be pushing 80's or 90's by then.

Yes, it is possible I could get away with until sometime near the end of May. There were a few times we went in April when it was downright cold and like you said, Mother's Day is the perfect day to sell those types of things. Thank you very much for the ideas PG. I think I can have a lot of fun with the market. Do you do something similar in Seattle?

That is a great question JD and one I am going to talk with the organizers about at the vendor info session in a couple of weeks. We used to go fairly regularly 10 years ago, but fell off about 3 or 4 years ago since you start to see the same stuff every year and find other things to do on pretty Sundays. I kick myself for not paying closer attention back then. I know coolers are very common, but I am sure many people utilize Cambro containers and such.

Hey PG, it is April - November every Sunday 11-4. I think it will be a lot of trial and error to see what sells and what does not. Most food stalls are received pretty well there. Spot on with the tartlets as I was thinking something along those lines too. Along the usual suspects of bars, cookies, muffins, cakes, etc. The nice thing about it, is you can kind of play around with your offerings in the beginning and find your groove. I would love to do chocolate items, but I agree with you all that it is just not feasible. Thank you for the advice thus far.

Yep, Pastrygirl, I agree with all that. I think I will focus more on things that will hold and sell better. Chocolate during the summer is a tough sell. Like I said, I am going to sell more than just chocolates, so I can come up with plenty more stuff to sell that can withstand the heat. Luckily the market is pretty diverse in stuff that is sold and people that attend it. While there are some farmer market booths, they are actually in the minority compared to everything else that is sold there. And rarely do people in the South find reason to only buy healthy haha. As I said, I know it will be a slog, but the recognition businesses get there is pretty great. I know of several that jump started their business by attending for a year or two. If you do an image search for Chattanooga Market, you will see how large the pavilion is and it stays packed nearly the entire time it is open.

Yep, you both make good points, and I tend to agree with you. I am with you that it would make more sense to focus on other products and just get my name out there. Definitely do not want to begin with a bad mark against me. I have witnessed it sink many would be sellers in the beginning of their career.

There is an old thread about this sort of topic, but it was last updated around 2013. I can bump it, if preferred as there is some good info in there, but thought times and ideas might have changed since then. Where I live, there is a weekly outdoor Sunday market which attracts huge crowds every weekend. While making money is always a goal, the main thing I want out of this is the exposure. Vendors I have talked with in the past have said it was invaluable in getting their name out there. Unfortunately, I live in the South which means the temperatures can be brutal from April to November which is when the market runs. I am thinking I can devise a system of small, shallow hotel pans filled with ice or gel packs which I then cover with a decorative cloth and place a plate or a tile on top of that with the product for sale sample. As for the product to sell, keeping it in a Cambro transportable container is probably for the best. I guess my questions are: 1. Is this doable for selling chocolate bonbons/truffles especially given the heat here? Anyone with experience of this type of setup? The basic premise is the vendors who have shown up the most in the past get first shot at the prime real estate under the pavilion which provides air flow and shade. Those who are new are oftentimes relegated to booths outside the pavilion under the sun although I will have a tent and tables. I go to a vendor's info session in a couple of weeks to find out more and see if this is still the case. 2. My commercial entity will be selling more than just chocolates such as pastries, confections, cakes, etc. Should I try to push those more as the summer months start to get above 90° F? 3. Does anyone have any experience with this type of selling and have any general advice? I plan on having business cards and a newsletter signup sheet. 4. I am in the process of getting the necessary licensing and inspections so those should be covered before the market starts. Anything else, I might be missing here? I have a million other questions, but do not want to overload this topic all at once. Thanks for any help you might have. ~Sweet MerryBerry

I 2nd this as someone who is getting ready to do something like this. I am trying to be a sponge on everything I can when it comes to online ordering and delivery.

I used this one a couple of years ago as a filling for bonbons. I cannot remember if I found it on here or not, but if so, sorry for not giving you credit. Obviously the sparking wine can be whichever champagne you wish to use. Mimosas 100g Hvy Cream 50g Glucose or Corn Syrup 50g Sparkling Wine 20g Orange Juice Concentrate 460g White Chocolate in temper 10g Cocoa Butter, melted in temper 1. Bring just a boil first 2 ingredients. Take off heat and add wine and juice. Cool to 105°F 2. Combine Chocolate and cocoa butter 3. Emulsify both mixtures 4. Cool to room temperature and pipe in shells

I like to tell my students to think more along the lines of what flavors you CANNOT put in chocolate making. Sky is the limit to be quite honest. Ganache, buttercreams, curds, caramels, mushrooms, liqueurs, fondants, and many, many more. Have fun with it. You cannot go wrong with those books and there are many recipes I have utilized on this site and others. Start simple if you are unfamiliar with the process and go from there.

Little more info here https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-05/chocolate-gets-first-addition-to-color-palette-in-80-years-ruby Looks like they are wanting to break the China market open with it. And get the millennials on board <eye roll>

I am a little skeptical, but I always enjoy trying out new things. So anyone wants to go ahead and ship me some gratis, I will test it for you haha. I wonder where this falls on the GMO scale and how heavily "engineered" it is. Not all GMOs are bad, but it definitely makes me want to conduct more research on it before I start using it.. Anyone with any insight?

With that much fruit, I would definitely second the paste, compote, or puree. When I have mass quantities of a fruit, I usually make them into a puree that I can freeze and use later for things like pate de fruit, ganache, etc. If you are looking to save them and use later, that is the route I would go. I love seeing the ideas on here. Some great ideas for figs. Wish I had your problem too!! haha