Leaky Cherries

[cheripie]

I'm making chocolate covered cherries and they're leaking. I'm drying cherries (with stems), covering them with invertase laced fondant. Letting the fondant crust a bit, them dipping them in tempered chocolate. A few hours later some liquid is leaking through the chocolate where the stem is. Any ideas?

[naes]

I've never made chocolate covered cherries with the stems still attached, but after having thought about this for a couple minutes the best explanation I can come up with is that tempered chocolate contracts as it cools and sets. If you're covering the cherries with the chocolate just to where the stem meets the fruit, then this may cause the chocolate to pull away from the stem as it contracts, thus opening up a crack for the liquifying fondant to leak through.

The other thought I had is that using fresh or even only partially dried cherries could be part of the problem. I've only ever used candied cherries. If the cherries still have moisture in them then the sugar will draw that out and cause problems with your chocolate, I'd think.

[SundaySous]

no idea about leaking.

curious how did you remove the pit and leave the stem?

[annecros]

I've done those - years ago.

Did you double dip? I think I ended up triple dipping, and didn't wait an hour in between.

[jcho]

I dip maraschino (sp?) cherries, dipping pretty far so the stem is well-covered in chocolate as well as the cherry, and only about 1 out of 20 leak. Closing off that opening at the stem is just too unsure without dipping the stem too, and besides I like the look of the chocolate way up on the stem.

Jennifer

[Tri2Cook]

I do the same as jcho with stem on maraschino cherries and I get an occasional leaker as well but not too many. I dip them well up the stem then put them in a tray that I've covered with a layer of unflavored poprocks to set. I call them cherry poppers.

[cheripie]

I bought the cherries without the pit (maraschino).

I didn't really want to double dip because I thought it would come out too thick.

I think I covered the stem, but certainly didn't try to make sure it was covered. I'll make sure next time...

The pop rocks idea is great! Now I'm thinking I could dip them in nuts too. Doesn't solve my leakers, but a great thought.

Thanks

[SondraG]

I'm making chocolate covered cherries and they're leaking.  I'm drying cherries (with stems), covering them with invertase laced fondant.  Letting the fondant crust a bit, them dipping them in tempered chocolate.  A few hours later some liquid is leaking through the chocolate where the stem is.  Any ideas?

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Have you tried refrigerating after dipping or rolling in fondant? And I suspect that you need to double or triple dip them in chocolate as well. It's been ages since I last made them, but I seem to remember rolling in fondant, refrigerating on wax paper for a bit.

[pagosselin]

I'm making chocolate covered cherries and they're leaking.  I'm drying cherries (with stems), covering them with invertase laced fondant.  Letting the fondant crust a bit, them dipping them in tempered chocolate.  A few hours later some liquid is leaking through the chocolate where the stem is.  Any ideas?

←

Have you tried refrigerating after dipping or rolling in fondant? And I suspect that you need to double or triple dip them in chocolate as well. It's been ages since I last made them, but I seem to remember rolling in fondant, refrigerating on wax paper for a bit.

←

I also double dip in chocolate and sometimes I double dip in the fondant. I agree that you need to go slightly up the stems but sometimes there will still be a leaker. One other thing I do first is dry the cherries with a heat gun or hair dryer.