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Need some ideas


choux

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I'm hoping to get some ideas for keeping molded chocolates and truffles cool outside. I sell my chocolates at our local outdoor Farmer's Market, and with the weather heating up, it's hard to not have melting. The chocolates are normally stored in a plastic tower of drawers, and it works pretty well. It's light and easy to transport, and I can keep all of the different kinds separate. The last two weeks have been pretty hot, 31*C, which is too warm without cooling.

But how? A regular cooler would be a pain to take things in and out of constantly (I've tried it), and a mini fridge would be too cold and I fear condensation on taking them out.

I'm out of ideas, are there any suggestions?

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there was a neat idea I've seen just recently. Lining sheet pans, half sheet pans, hotel pans, etc. with plastic wrap, then filling them with water and freezing it. After that wrap it again with alluminum foil. Place your chocolate on there and they should keep for a while. Maybe have a few back ups to change out?

Dean Anthony Anderson

"If all you have to eat is an egg, you had better know how to cook it properly" ~ Herve This

Pastry Chef: One If By Land Two If By Sea

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You could try using jellpaks in pizza boxes. Putting foil overthem to keep chocolates dry. Or put them on cookie sheets inside the box on the jellpaks (or dry ice).

Mark

www.roseconfections.com

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We took a cooler turned it sideways and added some drawers that we made out of plexiglas. The ice packs are in the bottom. If we did it again we would put the ice packs in the top.

gallery_20935_3191_371680.jpg

the only time that we had problems was on really humid days and we got some sugar bloom because of condensation. We have used it in 110 degree weather

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We took a cooler turned it sideways and added some drawers that we made out of plexiglas.  The ice packs are in the bottom.  If we did it again we would put the ice packs in the top.

gallery_20935_3191_371680.jpg

the only time that we had problems was on really humid days and we got some sugar bloom because of condensation.  We have used it in 110 degree weather

That is brilliant!!! You could also do the same with a cooletron cooler which plugs in to your 12 volt cigarette lighter.

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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Wow Llyod, complete brilliance. That looks like it would be fairly light as well, I know I could get a wine cooler, but don't want to lug one of those around. Would it be asking too much if you have a better photo of the shelves or a description to set my husband to work on?

I don't need to keep them super-cold, just cool enough so they won't melt. It's not a problem in October, but July and August can be hot. Next week it could be 10* and raining and I'll be out there in my down jacket.

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I looked at the thermoelectric coolers, bot none of them were large enough. Each drawer holds 4 24 pc insert trays from modpac. They are made with plexiglas and I use metal drawer slides that I got from a cabinet makers supply house--they have them in hardware stores too. Thed drawers are just rectangular boxes. The hard part was fitting the frame (also plexiglas) into the existing cooler. The drawer fronts are white plex glued to the drawers to dress them up.

Notice the strip of foam on the inside of the lid. That presses against the drawer pulls when the lid is closed to keep the drawers from rattling. I used trunk latches to keep the lid closed.

Lloyd

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Very cool Lloyd! I wish I was more handy with that type of work...do you want to make somre more???

I also have been doing Farmers Market this summer. Our first day out we had chocolate products on the table and lost everything that was out...

Now we have everything in coolers and little 5x7 plastic sign holders with photos of all our products as well as some dummy boxes.

I would love to be able to hand pack boxes by request but I think that will be just too much for the summer. This fall however, when we start the holiday craft fairs, we are going to do a "chocolate shop" type display and hand pack boxes.

One last tip, for samples at the market, I use a large blue ice pack on the table and place my sample container on top of that. Even in the 98 F heat last Saturday, my molded truffle samples were just fine.

Patrick Sikes

www.MyChocolateJournal.com

A new chocolate review community

PS I Love You Fine Chocolates

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