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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Once school is out for the summer, there is no doubt consumer’s social calendar will begin to fill up with pool parties, barbecues and family reunions. Impactful summer merchandising can help your business take advantage of opportunities for impulse purchases of your must-have summer treats!
An eye-catching, tropical summer-themed window display and photos shared through social media can encourage increased foot traffic in your store regardless of your location! Considering showcasing current products that incorporate tropical flavors, such as citrus, banana, pineapple, coconut and mango. Or introduce a limited edition of tropical-themed treats just for summer. Some options could be as simple as dried pineapple or mango dipped in dark chocolate or a tropical white chocolate bark made with toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and candied fruit, click here for a recipe courtesy of Shutterbean.com.
Don’t let your tropical ingredients hide out in the kitchen, let them shine in your retail space too! Pineapples, coconut and colorful citrus can be great, inexpensive props for your merchandising displays. Create a statement with a DIY tropical backdrop, click here for step-by-step instructions from Brit + Co.
Tags:
Bark
Candy Making
Creative Flavors
Idea Sharing
Merchandising
Seasonal
Summer
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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The season for s’mores is right around the corner. Variations of this classic summer treat continue to grow in popularity, but don’t let a rise in seasonal demand lead you rock-hard, dried-out marshmallows!
If you’re not enrobing the marshmallow, roll it in dextrose after it is cut to prevent it from drying out. For marshmallows bound for the enrober, adding a little dextrose to the top and bottom will also help the chocolate stick.
Some candy makers use powdered sugar for the same effect, however, the added sweetness from the powdered sugar may make your marshmallows too sweet.
Tags:
Candy Hacks
Candy Making
Marshmallow
Seasonal
S'mores
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Posted By RCI,
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Image courtesy of Mister GC at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Kick off grilling season by offering consumers something a little unexpected…cocoa!
If you’re a candy maker, you know a thing or two about cocoa. Put your knowledge of chocolate flavors to work and develop your own special blend of cocoa rub. When mixed with salt and spices, cocoa can make for a great, savory rub, which can be used on steak, chicken and pork.
Start by researching a simple recipe for cocoa rub, like this one from TheDomesticMan.com, then do some experimenting of your own to find the perfect mix. This can be packaged in a small, clear candy bag and tied with twine for a homemade and masculine look. If you’ve got some outdoor space by your store, consider firing up the grill and passing out samples to passersby – first, check with your local health department to ensure your following sampling guidelines.
Stir up some buzz, by sharing your new product on social media and write a press release for the local media. RCI President, Brian Pelletier of Kakao Chocolate, shared his recipe for Cocoa Grilled Pork and got invited to do a cooking demonstration for the local news. Talk about sweet exposure! Click here to view Brian’s interview on Fox News in St. Louis.
Tags:
Cocoa Rub
Creativity
Father's Day
Ideas
Recipe
Summer
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Get answers to even the trickiest questions directly from
confectioneryprofessionals through RCI’sList Serve. |
So, your business is required to provide nutrition fact labels for your products. Whether you’re looking for a solution or reconsidering your current solution, you can create your own FDA-approved nutrition fact labels without spending a fortune. Read the following recommendations from fellow candy makers through RCI’s forum, List Serve.
“My state health department offers a free service. I gave them my ingredients, package size and serving size and they built complete nutritional labels.” - W. Lewis, Chiammaya Custom Crafted Chocolates
“NutraCoster is a good program for creating nutritional and ingredient information panels. Another good one is Genesis R&D by ESHA Research. Both of these programs have generic ingredients to add, but you have the ability to use specific information on ingredients like chocolate.” – M. Koch, Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy “We use NutraCoster as well and like it okay, but I just learned about ReciPal, who will do individual recipes for $19. They also have monthly plans.” – B. Pelletier, Kakao Chocolate
Not sure if your business is required to provide nutritional information for your products? Click here to learn about the FDA’s requirements for nutrition labeling.
Tags:
FDA
Idea Sharing
List Serve
Member Recommendations
Nutrition Labels
Owning a Business
Packaging
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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| #BehindRCIChocolateBootCamp |
Make your business more relatable by offering glimpses behind-the-scenes through social media. In addition to sharing product photos, look for ways to tie in images that illustrate recipe development and testing, family dynamics (if you’re a family business) your company culture, and daily routines when appropriate. Plus, use a hashtag, like #behind>yourcompany< for followers to track all your insider footage in one place.
By welcoming followers behind the scenes, your business will feel more genuine and relatable than competitors who only share glamour shots of their products.
Tags:
Behind-the-Scenes
Family Business
Social Media
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Get things poppin’ this summer with the surprising addition of Pop Rocks® to your favorite summer recipes! Put a little unexpected zing into your truffles or sprinkle on top of chocolate-covered potato chips, chocolate-covered strawberries, barks or really anything, by incorporating this fun and festive candy into your Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day celebrations! The fun nature of the Pop Rocks makes these products great to sample during busy traffic days or promote on social media.
Keep in mind, Pop Rocks may react to the water content found in heavy cream or other ingredients used in the above recipes. To avoid this, simply coat the Pop Rocks in cocoa butter to protect the “pop” until it hits consumer’s mouths!
Tags:
4th of July
Bark
Candy Holidays
Candy Making
Holidays
Ideas
Labor Day
Memorial Day
Patriotic
Strawberries
Truffles
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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We’ve all seen the statistics on the effect of education on one’s personal income, but have you considered the effects continued education can have on a business?
Whether you’re investing in your own personal education as a business owner or manager or training for your staff, these investments can make a significant impact on the success of your business by helping you improve business practices and remain relevant in your industry.
Are you interested in attending an educational course or convention in the confectionery industry, but aren’t able to due to financial hardship? The Allured Fund for Confectionery Education awards grants of $500 to attend educational functions sponsored by the American Association of Candy Technologists (AACT), Professional Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA), Retail Confectioners International (RCI), the National Confectioners
Association (NCA) or the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA).
Click here to learn more about the Allured Fund for Confectionery Education and download an application form.
Tags:
Education
Owning a Business
Scholarship
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Suffer from sweaty sea salt caramels? Take tips from fellow candy makers and RCI members on how to avoid this common problem, as discussed through RCI’s member forum, List Serve.
“We are looking for a high-quality sea salt for our caramels. We experience problems when storing salted caramels in our cool room (50 degrees – 50% humidity). The sea salt seems to sweat or become clear on the caramel when stored.” - M. Mootz, Michael Mootz Candies, Inc.
“We do not store our sea salt caramels at a reduced temperature due to similar issues, we store [sea salt caramels] at factory room temperature.” – T. Hicklin, Candy House Gourmet
“Some salts are harder than others. Pink Himalayan sea salt is harder and more dense. It is less likely to absorb moisture.” – R. Hofberger, (retired)
“I would recommend dehumidifying to at least 40%. If that can’t be done, shrink wrap the boxes/cases. Completely enclose the product and then store. It works very well.” – Marty Lyp, Peterbrooke Chocolatier
Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member?
Tags:
Candy Making
Caramel
Caramels
List Serve
Owning a Business
Problem Candy
Productivity
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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If you spend a lot of time behind a keyboard, it should be no surprise that germs can make a home out of all those nooks and crannies. In fact, keyboards, along with phones, water fountain handles and microwave door handles rank at the top of the most germ-contaminated spots in the office. Need a more compelling reason to host an office cleaning party this week? According to a study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba with University of Arizona, “the average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.” Do you have a disinfectant wipe in hand, yet?
Whether you hire a cleaning service to keep your workplace clean or not, there’s a good chance some areas of your office could use a little extra cleaning. Consider scheduling a brief “office cleaning party” (15-minutes to an hour, depending on your need), for all office staff to address key areas within their personal workstation (e.g., keyboards, phones, computer monitors, etc.) and delegate individuals or teams to tackle public spaces like the break room (e.g., coffee maker and microwave), restrooms and lobby (if necessary). Few people enjoy cleaning, but there are ways to make it more fun by playing energizing music and making sure you have all the supplies needed to get the job done. By giving the team a reason to move around and change up the day-to-day monotony, you might be surprised to find, not only, a cleaner office, but a more motivated and focused team.
Click here for seven “handy hacks” from Staples.com to make your office cleaning party a breeze!
Tags:
Cleaning
Hacks
Owning a Business
Productivity
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Pesky air bubbles often cause grief to chocolatiers, especially when using chocolate moulds. Tapping a filled mould by hand or using a shaker table or other equipment, can effectively release trapped air from the chocolate. The frequency of this motion can play a critical in forcing air to the chocolate’s surface.
Did you know that very high frequency pulses or taps to the mould can have the adverse effect by increasing the depth of the chocolate’s surface tension layer, trapping air and pushing it to the bottom of the mould? To the chocolatier’s dismay, unsightly hollow spots or huge bubbles will later appear on the face of the moulded chocolate.
For best results, experiment with tapping filled mold at rates between 5 and 20 times a second produce, depending on the viscosity of the chocolate and the mould’s shape.
Tags:
Candy Making
Chocolate Production
Moulds
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