Oozing/Cracking Chocolates?

[Nikkic9922]

I recently got into molded chocolates, and I've searched nonstop as to why this keeps happening. To no avail, I still have oozing chocolates. 

It only happens to these two, the Mango Ganache and Strawberry Ganache. They're not runny ganaches, so I'm not sure as to why they're cracking. Other chocolates that I've done that almost have a runnier consistency seem to be perfectly fine. 

 

Any ideas?

[choux]

The fruit puree is probably fermenting. Need to work on your recipe to reduce the water activity.

[gfron1]

Choux is probably right on, but just in case...shelling chocolate not quite in temper, poured too thin, storage temperature stress, but again, since you specifically have fruit fillings...fermenting.

[Chocolot]

Do they crack immediately or after a few days?

[Kerry Beal]

Also - what is the temperature of your filling when you pour it in?

[Nikkic9922]

Thanks for all of the input! I think it may be fermentation.. I was hoping it was something else   

Regarding the filling temperature, I let it sit at room temperature overnight if not 24 hours. They taste great for the first few days, and then after, they kind of lose their flavor. I thought maybe it could be the temperature of where I store them, but it's a pretty cool room, and the rest of my chocolates are fine. When you say to work on the recipe to reduce the water activity, how do I go about it? 

 

For my strawberry filling, I cook them down with a little sugar until it's basically a thick puree (nearly minutes from being a burnt sticky mess... I try to get it as thick as possible). Strain out the seeds and chunks, add it to my ganache, and let it sit. I also have a snowball business here in Kuwait so I have a boat load of flavor concentrates... I usually add a few drops of the strawberry concentrate to give it more of a punch. But I don't think the concentrate is the culprit as I've used it to flavor caramels and they seemed fine as well. 

Thanks again for the help... I'm kind of lost here. Our storefront opens in less than 2 weeks, and I'm trying to get my inventory up to par, but I've put the fruit filled chocolates on hold in fear they'll just be a big oozing mess. 

[Nikkic9922]

Also, I've tried other recipes regarding the ganache... infusing the cream with fruit by letting it sit in the fridge over night... but it just didn't have enough flavor. I've tried fresh strawberries... frozen.. real mangoes... mango pulp... nothing works. 

Also, how long on average should I keep fruit filled chocolates in a chocolate case?

 

Sorry for all of the questions... I'm just worried I may be in over my head! 

[Lisa Shock]

Have you tried freeze-dried fruit? If you can get that and crush it to a powder, that adds a lot of natural flavor.

[Chocolot]

You are adding the fruit to the ganache, rather than using it as part of your liquid? I think you need to get a good formula and work with that.

[Nikkic9922]

I haven't been able to find any sort of freeze dried/dehydrated fruits here. I'd try ordering it online, but trying to get any sort of liquid or food into this country is ridiculous. 

I'm not adding the fruit directly to already made ganache. I add the fruit puree to the cream, then the white chocolate and glucose. 

[Kerry Beal]

What Ruth said - you need to come up with a ganache recipe that incorporates the fruit as part of the liquid.  Are you using milk dark or white for the ganache - would you be willing to share the recipe that you are using that is giving you trouble and we can help trouble shoot it for you?

[Nikkic9922]

Hey Kerry... sure! 

I usually use a white chocolate ganache as the base for the fillings. 

It's 12oz Lubeca White Couverture

3oz heavy cream 

1oz glucose. 

I mix my fruit puree into the cream, add the white chocolate, heat it until the chocolate's melted, and whip it by hand until I have the right consistency. 

I've tried using more white chocolate to get the right consistency right off the bat, but it then tastes too sweet and more like a white chocolate ganache rather than a fruit filling. 

Thanks for the help and input

[Kerry Beal]

How much puree?

[Nikkic9922]

I use 8oz of fresh strawberries with a 1/4 cup of sugar until it's cooked down. After straining I end up with a little less than half of that. 

[Kerry Beal]

Just for fun - try using just your puree, no cream, same amount of glucose and 1 ounce of neutral oil. I'd make a part batch and see what your texture is like to start.

[Nikkic9922]

Ok will do! If I could afford using straight strawberry puree, I'd consider it... but strawberries are astronomically expensive here. An 8oz container is around $10! But I'll still try what you mentioned to see if maybe it'll make a better puree. Choux mentioned adjusting the water content of the ganache...does he mean of the puree that I'm using or the ganache as a whole? I'm wondering if maybe the heavy cream here is the issue? All of the dairy products here seem to be a step down from U.S. products regarding fat content. Like their full fat is more like U.S. 2% and their heavy cream is a little heavier than U.S. whole milk. There's stuff here called "Thick Cream".. I'm wondering if maybe I could use that instead?

[Kerry Beal]

I'd say of the whole ganache. Does your heavy cream list fat %?

[Nikkic9922]

Unfortunately, no. When I first moved here, I had to redo a lot of my recipes that I had previously used in the States. A lot of my  recipes were coming out strange, and come to find out, all of their "butter" here is vegetable oil based. But of course you won't find that on the label. 

[Lisa Shock]

Can you get commercial fruit purees designed for use by chefs? They come frozen, so you can just use what you need and keep the rest frozen. The benefit is that the manufacturer keeps the moisture content consistent. They are also available year-round.

[pastrygirl]

I also have to question the

 

I mix my fruit puree into the cream, add the white chocolate, heat it until the chocolate's melted, and whip it by hand until I have the right consistency. 

 

I wonder about this, are you whipping air into the ganache to thicken it, or just stirring until everything is smooth?  Adding air could hasten spoilage.

 

I'm not familiar with the white chocolate you use, but some manufacturers have formulated less-sweet white chocolates.  Consider Valrhona Opalys or Callebaut Zephyr if available. 

 

Adding some pectin to to your fruit will thicken the puree and should help lower available water.  (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong.)

[Kerry Beal]

I'm not sure if pectin lowers aW or not. It's a polysaccharide so probably does. I know solutes will - so sugars, salts - but fats don't. 

[Jim D.]

Kerry,

In the discussion above, you wrote about a water ganache and said:

 

try using just your puree, no cream, same amount of glucose and 1 ounce of neutral oil.

 

I have noticed previously that you mentioned oil as an ingredient, and I am curious as to what purpose it has.  There is a black currant ganache from Wybauw that uses just black currant purée as the liquid and an apricot ganache somewhere on the Callebaut website that uses apricot purée plus puréed dried apricots as the liquid (no oil/fat in either one, aside from the chocolate, of course).  I just wanted to know if the oil helps with the emulsion or has some other purpose.  I do find that when I am not using cream, it takes an immersion blender to help the emulsion along. 

[Kerry Beal]

Replacing the cream with puree and 35% oil to mimic the composition of cream.

[ChocoMom]

HI,

Its been a while since I've looked at the books to know exactly where this came from...but I recall (maybe from Notter or Shotts?) that the fruit puree was mixed with Confectioner's sugar and then added into the cream.  Ratios, I don't completely recall...something like 250g or 260g puree to 40g or  50g of Confectioner sugar. I remember cooking the puree until boiling, sifting in the confectioner sugar, stirring until smooth, and adding to the cream, then pouring over the chocolate. Of course, the glucose or  invert sugar goes in as well as the butter.  But, I've done this with all kinds of berries and other fruits- and not had any crack and ooze. 

 

Its such a shame to lose such wonderful confections to cracking, esp. with the price you pay berries! Though, I wouldn't mind eating the rejects.=)  

I wonder if you might be able to get some Boiron purees?  I know they're available on Amazon, or L'epicierie.   Hope that helps you some.  Best wishes with your shop!!

[Urag]

Those look good.