Saving melted chocolate for later use takes little effort. Simple techniques like refrigerating or freezing will harden your chocolate to its original state. If you are tempering chocolate to make chocolate-covered strawberries or chocolate-covered pretzels, letting the chocolate cool at room temperature will serve as an effective method for drying the chocolate.
Step 1
Expose melted chocolate to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. In this time, melted chocolate that is covering foods like strawberries and pretzels will set.
Step 2
Place melted chocolate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to re-harden.
Step 3
Place melted chocolate in a freezer-safe container and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Step 4
Do not heat the chocolate above 130 degrees Fahrenheit if you are purposefully melting the chocolate. Melting at too high of a temperature will scorch and ruin the chocolate before you intend to dry it.
Step 5
Add shortening to the chocolate to make it adhere to foods like pretzels, and to prevent the chocolate from quickly melting on your fingers.
Tips and Warnings
- Do not allow the chocolate to come in contact with water, as this will cause it to seize. Seized chocolate has a gritty, grainy and clumpy texture that can ruin a recipe before it hardens.
Things You'll Need
- Freezer
- Refrigerator
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