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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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As you likely know, s’mores as a flavor and product has become quite the consumer craze. This week’s blog tip is to capitalize on the craze and celebrate National S’mores Day which is Sunday, August 10. Here are a few fun s’mores ideas we found on Pinterest to help get your creative juices flowing. Remember, if you make your own marshmallow, s’mores are a great way to showcase it!
Tags:
Candy Holidays
Candy Making
Ice Cream
Marshmallow
Photos
Popcorn
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Truffles are a consistent customer favorite but their delicious centers also have a high water activity which means the shelf life is limited. This week’s blog tip is to consider ideas to decrease water activity and therefore extend the shelf life of your truffles.
One idea is to use invertase, an enzyme derived from yeast, as an ingredient to bring down water activity in your truffle centers. Additionally, syrups such as honey will work similarly. Or you may also use potassium sorbate. Talk to your ingredients suppliers to determine the right amount to use for your specific truffle recipes.
Do note that if you claim that your products are all natural, you should pay close attention to how you choose to extend shelf life of your products. See this story on a bagel company who received a warning from the FDA for labeling their bagel as all natural because their blueberries contained potassium sorbate.
P.S. You’re invited to join RCI at our Fall Regional Conference next month! We’ll be connecting in Las Vegas August 25-27 and you can register online now at retailconfectioners.org/fall. Register by July 25 to save $100 on full registration!
Tags:
Candy Making
GMP's
Natural
Quality Control
Truffles
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Nutter Butters are a delicious treat all by themselves. This week’s tip is to take this beloved favorite cookie, dip it in chocolate and create seasonally themed products throughout the year. Below are a few ideas but the possibilities are endless. Therefore, let these ideas just be a starting point for your creativity!
Tags:
Candy Making
Creativity
Holidays
Merchandising
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Have you heard of a Pinterest party? Based on ideas found on the online idea-sharing board, Pinterest, it’s a chance for “pinners” to get together for a time of crafty fun. They get the chance to bring ideas to life that they’ve found on Pinterest.
Hosting a candy-themed Pinterest party at your store is a great way to get new potential customers in your store and to showcase that your products make great gifts and crafts. You can choose some great pins from Pinterest and then create a space in your store to allow customers to get crafty.
After a quick Pinterest search for candy themed gifts and crafts, we found the following ideas to get you started:
So, how do you host a Pinterest party? There are a variety of ways! You could make it an all-day event; customers can drop in at their leisure to make a fun candy themed craft. Or, make it a more formal event that requires signing up ahead of time. Of course, which way you decide to do that will help determine your craft. A simple craft is better for drop-ins and a more involved craft is better for the latter. Either way, provide a coupon or shopping discount for purchases made in your store by anyone who participates in the party.
Happy Pinning!
P.S. We're in St. Louis this week for the RCI Annual Convention & Industry Expo. Check out photos on our Facebook page throughout the week!
Tags:
Candy Making
Holidays
Marketing
Merchandising
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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This week’s tip is quick and easy and may save yourself a headache as you temper chocolate in small batch tempering machines.
Are you using chocolate wafers as seed for your tempering unit? Before putting them in the feed of the tempering machine, quickly (don’t overheat!) use a heat gun on them to form one large clump or block of wafers. By doing this, you will help keep the wafers from sneaking through the blade and over-tempering your chocolate.
See? Quick and easy!
This week’s tip was shared during our Chocolate Boot Camp education course. RCI will be hosting a Creams, Fondants & Fudges course August 5-7 in Dayton, Ohio. Visit retailconfectioners.org/events to stay up-to-date with RCI's education course offerings in the coming year.
Tags:
Candy Making
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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You’ve made a delicious product covered in chocolate and now it is time to package it. Have you considered how the temperature of the packaging room or area will affect your product?
This week’s tip is to control the temperature of your packaging room or area in order to protect the integrity of your products. Oftentimes the focus of room temperature is on the cooking or kitchen area but the temperature and relative humidity of the packaging area is important as well. For example, conditions with high humidity will lead to moisture condensation which will eventually result in sugar bloom on the product’s surface. Additionally, conditions that are too warm could melt your products.
Confectionery experts recommend that the packaging area be maintained at 65° to 70°F with a relative humidity of maximum 65 percent. To help with control, install a thermometer that measures both temperature and relative humidity and assign an employee to check the measurements on a regular schedule.
Temperature control is one of many factors and variables that should be considered as you prepare product for customer distribution. The decisions you make about these items can help to prolong the beauty and shelf life of your confections.
Tags:
Candy Making
GMP's
Packaging
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Are you looking for a new variation on the standard truffle center preparation? Or, at least you have wondered if there is another way to do it. Why not try it whipped?
A light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth texture can be obtained by this method. After preparing your truffle center with the flavors, cream and chocolate, whip your cooled truffle center in a mixer until it becomes somewhat fluffy. The color will be noticeably lighter and the final density will be approximately 0.75gm/ml. After whipping, you can scoop or gently roll the center for enrobing.
This method is used in the hands-on lab sessions at our Chocolate Boot Camp® to show an alternative truffle preparation and it has been very popular with the students. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Tags:
Candy Making
Truffles
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Have you ventured into the land of chocolate covered pretzels? If so, we bet they’re a customer favorite! Saturday, April 26 is National Pretzel Day so this week’s tip is to celebrate! Below find a few fun ideas we found on Pinterest to use pretzels in confections. Do you have a unique idea for pretzels? Please share it in the comments below!
Tags:
Candy Holidays
Candy Making
Marketing
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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This week’s tip will help keep you on track for quality control. Take a sample of every product, label appropriately (lot code, date, etc.) and freeze it for a set amount of time. Then, if a customer calls and complains for any reason about your products, you have a frame of reference to be able to say this is the condition the product was in when it left our facility.
One RCI member does this and has a ziplock bag for each day. The company keeps the product for four months and then discards it. Regardless of how long you choose to keep the product, be sure that you have a system for organizing it within your freezer so that you can easily find the items and then also easily discard of them when the time period for keeping them has passed.
P.S. This week’s tip is from our Chocolate Boot Camp education course. Learn more about education courses offered by Retail Confectioners International at www.retailconfectioners.org/events.
Tags:
Candy Making
GMP's
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Looking to master moulding? We have a tip this week from the RCI Mechanics of Chocolate Moulding course held last September.
Moulds should be slightly cooler than the temperature of the chocolate you are putting into the mould. If your mould is too cold it will shock the chocolate and if it is too warm it will break the temper of the chocolate. Therefore, you should measure the temperature of your moulds before pouring chocolate into your moulds.
How do I measure the temperature of my moulds, you might ask? By using a thermometer, of course! Infrared thermometers measure the surface temperature of plastics and therefore are great for measuring your plastic moulds. A good rule of thumb is to aim for around 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
A variety of infrared thermometers are available for purchase online. The following companies are listed under Machinery & Equipment (subcategory: Utensils) in the RCI Buyer’s Guide and may also have the thermometer that you need for your candy kitchen:
Chef Rubber
ChocoVision Corp.
Hilliard’s Chocolate System
International Foods & Ingredients, Inc.
Linnea’s Cake & Candy Supplies, Inc.
Savage Bros. Co.
Union Confectionery Machinery
RCI members can access the RCI Buyer’s Guide online by signing in to the member side of the RCI website.
Tags:
Candy Making
GMP's
Moulds
Suppliers
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