Why Would This Happen

[Callisto in NC]

I had a recipe for orange chocolate bark (1 pkg white choc chips, 1 cup semi-sweet choc chips, 1 tsp orange extract). I did it last night and it was great. Tonight I tried it again substituting raspberry extract and when I poured it into the white chocolate it turned it into a gummy pastey glob. I tried heating it to the point it broke my glass bowl. Why did the raspberry extract effect the white chocolate so differently than the orange? Anyone know? I originally thought I read you could substitute but I guess I was really wrong. Now I'm out the money for the white choc chips and the bowl (one of my faves). Any thoughts?

 

[CharlieD]

Check the ingredients. That might be the key.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Actually it was more of a chemical type reaction. The white choc was smooth and when I put in the raspberry extract it immediately turned to a gummy weird consistency. Wondering if one of our resident scientists know.

 

[pdswife]

Did the chocolate get tooo hot?

 

[Callisto in NC]

The chocolate was smooth and creamy and then I added the raspberry. I don't think it was too hot, it was smooth and creamy. I added the extract and it immediately went gummy. Basically I did nothing different other than change raspberry for orange extract. I did notice there isnt an indication that you can substitute raspberry on this particular recipe like there is on others.

 

[affable_artist]

I don't know the answer - but it got me really curious.... according to this website Red Raspberry:Bramble, Gauriphal, Reapberry, and Hindberry.Red Raspberry Extract.Rubus idaeus extract,CAS.NO.084929-76-0.Red Raspberry leaf extract.Raspberry leaf Extract.Wild Raspberry.soothing and relaxing to inflamed skin.natural antibiotic.Narrat one cup of red raspberries per day prevents cancer cells from developing....

 

[jabbur]

Maybe it was when it was added. Perhaps if the raspberry was added more toward the beginning of the process and heated up along with chocolate while melting you wouldn't get the same reaction. Might be worth a try with a small batch. Hopefully someone better qualified than me will answer. I know that in some things the order of addition is important to maintain consistency so that may be part of the problem.

 

[sage™]

I think maybe raspberry has more water in it and maybe orange is more oily

 

[jabbur]

Sage has a good idea. Maybe adding the raspberry to to a small amount of butter or light oil (Maybe coconut oil for another layer of flavor) first then adding it will take care of the problem.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Sage has a good idea. Maybe adding the raspberry to to a small amount of butter or light oil (Maybe coconut oil for another layer of flavor) first then adding it will take care of the problem.

I'm thinking that may be the issue. I don't think it was the timing, it was definitely the consistency of water and the orange was more oily. I guess it's just a thought I'll have to pass on. Maybe raspberry syrup would work instead.

 

[Callisto in NC]

So Sage is on to something:
Orange extract Ingredients
ALCOHOL (79%), WATER, AND OIL OF ORANGE.

Raspberry extract Ingredients
WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, ALCOHOL (20%), EXTRACTIVES OF RASPBERRY, CITRIC ACID, FD&C RED 40, AND NATURAL FLAVOR.

Between the water, the lower alcohol content, the citric acid, no wonder the chocolate turned to gum. The raspberry syrup idea is sounding better and better.

 

[CharlieD]

See I told you look at the ingredients.

 

[auntdot]

Water, even a little bit, will cause chocolate when heated to seize.

 

[sage™]

lol..I just know your not suppose to get water in melted chocolate..seizes it up..I know there's a lot of oil in orange skins and raspberries probably have no oil in them, so it would have to be water based..the syrup might not work either.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Water, even a little bit, will cause chocolate when heated to seize.

Well, let me tell you, there was no recovering from what happened, then to have my bowl break, just heartbreaking.

Charlie ~ I swear last night when I read that I thought you meant the ingredients of the chocolate and the extract, not the list of ingredients on the bottle of extract. My head was spinning last night.

Sage ~ I was thinking with the syrup, it would have a sugar base, not water. It might be cost prohibitive though and who knows if Wally World even carries raspberry syrup. I got spoiled when I lived near Knott's Berry Farm and could just go there for syrup and jellies.

Now the question comes down to what if I added the extract before melting, would it seize then??

ETA ~ here are the ingredients in Raspberry syrup:
Ingredients
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, WATER, RED RASPBERRY PUREE , NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, PECTIN, XANTHAN GUM (THICKENER).

 

[jabbur]

There has to be a way to add raspberry flavor to chocolate since you see it sold in stores. Maybe there is a raspberry liqueur that would work since it would have a lower water content and higher alcohol content. Or maybe try raspberry preserves.

 

[Callisto in NC]

There has to be a way to add raspberry flavor to chocolate since you see it sold in stores. Maybe there is a raspberry liqueur that would work since it would have a lower water content and higher alcohol content. Or maybe try raspberry preserves.

That's why I was thinking syrup. I can't use Chamborgh because, well, I'm giving it to kids and I don't need mothers killing me for giving their kids booze.

What's interesting is it says you can add food coloring to the white chocolate in this recipe McCormick Recipes - Double Peppermint Bark - Dessert but these are the ingredients in food coloring.

Ingredients
WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, FD&C REDS 40 AND 3, AND 0.1% PROPYLPARABEN (PRESERVATIVE).


What is up with that?

 

[jabbur]

Wouldn't part of the alcohol evaporate with the heat of the chocolate and natural evaporation during cooling? Maybe not enough though. Give the kids the orange and save the raspberry for the grownups!

 

[Callisto in NC]

Wouldn't part of the alcohol evaporate with the heat of the chocolate and natural evaporation during cooling? Maybe not enough though. Give the kids the orange and save the raspberry for the grownups!

There's no cooking. You heat the chocolate, add the extract, chill. I don't think the 1 minute in the microwave even if you added the liquor before would burn off 80 proof alcohol.

 

[CharlieD]

Well, let me tell you, there was no recovering from what happened, then to have my bowl break, just heartbreaking.

Charlie ~ I swear last night when I read that I thought you meant the ingredients of the chocolate and the extract, not the list of ingredients on the bottle of extract. My head was spinning last night.

Sorry, my foult I should have been more specifik. I meant to compare orange and rasbery extracts.