# Shelf Stable Chocolate Sauce - Cocoa powder Q



## pastrygirl123 (Apr 23, 2014)

Hello!

So with my dessert co. I have been trying to produce a shelf stable chocolate/fudge sauce. I had an original recipe I had sent, that got OKed for shelf stability with a very safe Ph level and water activity. My problem now, is I will make the sauce, strain it, and do the hot fill method to jar my sauces. I find once my sauce has cooled and I open the jar, it is very grainy. At first I suspected it was sugar crystallizing but after a few more tests, and looking on the internet I am thinking it is that I add bittersweet 60% chocolate to the mix.

In my sauce I use: water, sugar, cocoa powder, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and bittersweet chocolate.

I am OK with removing the bittersweet chocolate and getting it re tested, I just was wondering if you all had any advice or thoughts if it made sense what was causing this graininess was in fact adding the bittersweet chocolate.

Also I have been searching high and low for how hot I can heat cocoa powder to and can't find any answers if anyone happened to know that as well.

Also on a side note with the sauce, I have to heat it to around 210 degrees to jar them safely, the sauce isn't lumpy when I heat it and I even strain it before jarring.

Will cutting out the bittersweet chocolate help fix my problem?


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Well, since there is no water in chocolate, the sugar in your 60% has not dissolved, it is in a very fine powdered form, but not in  solution.  Add this to your water and sugar, and there is a good possibility of graining or crystalizing .

Try subbing 10% of your sugar with a doctor like corn syrup, honey, molasses, or brown sugar.

H T H


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