Leaking in chocolate-dipped ginger and other centers

[Darienne]

The topic of leaking centers has been addressed before: "Leaky chocolate covered peanut butter balls" and "Leaky cherries", but I am dealing with candied ginger pieces in syrup and it's always a problem. (Funny...I googled the problem and found my own posts in eG.)

In the PB balls posts, Kerry suggests letting the ginger pieces dry out for a few days. Would that I had a few days. I bought the ginger in syrup today and it has to go out as a gift tomorrow. I have run out of time.

In my earlier post, I wondered about precoating the pieces in powdered sugar and cornstarch (and I never tried it).

Today I patted the pieces with paper toweling...satisfactory to a point.

Next, into a bag of cocoa, shake the cocoa on, shake the cocoa off, and spread on a paper towel. One hour later: most pieces look dry...a few look a tad syrup-ish. Not perfect.

Next, repeated above process with some cornstarch. Twenty minutes later: they still all look dry. They still taste just fine.

Who has a brilliant tip for me? Or will this latest attempt probably work? I will get back one way or t'other.

[Mjx]

What about draining the ginger and drying it a bit in a warm oven, or with a hair dryer?

Other than that, all I can think of is, does the ginger have to be the kind you get in syrup? I've always used soft candied ginger (the kind without sugar over it, or I rub off the sugar).

[Kerry Beal]

Never found the cornstarch method worked - instead I got little cornstarchy pearls oozing out! If I don't have the days to dry - I use the sugar covered pieces instead. You get a different texture in the dipped ones - but no pearls.

[Darienne]

Never found the cornstarch method worked - instead I got little cornstarchy pearls oozing out! If I don't have the days to dry - I use the sugar covered pieces instead. You get a different texture in the dipped ones - but no pearls.

It's the next morning. Minimal oozing. Checked a few pieces and it's not bad at all. (I'm not selling these.) However, kudos to you, Kerry, there are teensy weensy little white spots on some of them. The pieces go out today and so I'll watch them. And I'll NEVER do this again in this time period. Nope, I'll say, it can't be done so don't ask me.

I didn't have days to dry. And I had to use this kind of ginger because that's the kind the recipients want...not the other kind alas! Still these folks would eat the stuff happily no matter what I did or how it looked.

I did buy a few of the other pieces and dip them for us, and of course they are never any trouble at all. I love both kinds.

Perhaps the cornstarch pearls could be averted if the cocoa and cornstarch had been well mixed...??

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Perhaps the cornstarch pearls could be averted if the cocoa and cornstarch had been well mixed...??

Not in my experience. You just get little pale cocoa-coloured pearls leaking out instead.

[Darienne]

Perhaps the cornstarch pearls could be averted if the cocoa and cornstarch had been well mixed...??

Not in my experience. You just get little pale cocoa-coloured pearls leaking out instead.

Well, as they say, now I know.

They will still love them. :wub: So good that the mistakes in confections are still delicious and enjoyed.

[andiesenji]

I've never attempted dipping "wet" candied ginger in chocolate - it just never occurred to me to try it. I've made a note of your process and will try some the next time I make a batch of ginger.

My standard routine for candied/crystallized ginger in large batches is so ingrained that I am mostly on automatic pilot and it goes into the dehydrators as soon as it has drained sufficiently.

I also usually buy "young stem ginger" and slice it into small coin shapes if I am storing it in syrup.

I know the dried crystallized ginger slices keep well after dipping in chocolate. I can't have chocolate myself but have prepared it for friends and they have told me it will last for at least two or three months without the chocolate "blooming."

[Darienne]

I've never attempted dipping "wet" candied ginger in chocolate - it just never occurred to me to try it. I've made a note of your process and will try some the next time I make a batch of ginger.

My standard routine for candied/crystallized ginger in large batches is so ingrained that I am mostly on automatic pilot and it goes into the dehydrators as soon as it has drained sufficiently.

I also usually buy "young stem ginger" and slice it into small coin shapes if I am storing it in syrup.

I know the dried crystallized ginger slices keep well after dipping in chocolate. I can't have chocolate myself but have prepared it for friends and they have told me it will last for at least two or three months without the chocolate "blooming."

You are definitely my go-to-glacee mentor in eG.

As for buying young stem ginger. I've never seen it for sale as such and don't think we can buy it period. I've seen only the larger mature kind.

But folks seem to love the more tender cubed ginger purchased sitting in syrup and my problem was allowing myself to get hooked into something I should have refused to do. Gee, that sounds so unusual!! Still it's done.

[keychris]

I think the problem with dipping things that are soft and syruppy is that the chocolate contracts around the product, squeezing it. When you have a ganache or similar filling, it's fine, nothing can leak, but when you have these soft caramels and syrups, the liquid doesn't like being compressed so looks for a way out - any tiny crack and voila! Out it comes.