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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Now that you’re finished with those Valentine’s Day moulds, it’s time to clean and put them away until the next holiday season. Be sure to follow these steps courtesy of RCI associate supplier member Tomric Systems, Inc. to take the best care of your moulds:
Because moulds are made of plastic, upkeep is minimal. At the end of the season, moulds need to be washed, well rinsed, dried and stored in a cool, dry location. If maintained, the moulds will have a shiny finish and release a nicely glossed piece of chocolate.
- Wipe with soft cloth in clear, warm water.
- DO NOT use an abrasive cleanser. If moulds become coated with cocoa butter, wash with a mild grease-cutting detergent. Use detergent sparingly and avoid scratching the inside surface of the moulds.
- Rinse in clear, cool water.
- Dry and store in a cool location.
- Use moulds at room temperature.
RCI Members: Our recent Kettle Talk publication contained an article with these step-by-step instructions. Access this and other member-only Kettle Talk articles by signing in to the RCI website as a member.
Tags:
Candy Making
Cleaning
GMP's
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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We’ve seen the pictures on Facebook and Twitter and we know many of you have your stores beautifully merchandised and decorated for Valentine’s Day. This week we want to remind you to keep plenty of those Valentine’s goodies in stock until the beloved holiday.
Typically, Valentine’s Day sales are last-minute purchases, mainly the last 48 to 24 hours. Therefore, you want to be sure you have enough product available in store until the final day. Avoiding out of stock situations will help those last-minute customers know they can count on your candy store to be there for them year after year when they need it.
Worried you’ll have lots of product left over? Use ribbons and cello caddies to carry out the Valentine’s theme because they can easily be swapped out for Easter colors to avoid having to place the product on your after-holiday clearance shelf.
Tags:
Candy Making
Holidays
Marketing
Merchandising
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Super Bowl is a week from this Sunday and according to this infographic on 2012 Super Bowl parties, more than $50 million will be spent on food for Super Bowl parties across the country. That’s why this week’s tip is to join the madness and incorporate a few Super Bowl themed items in your candy store.
While you can’t legally use the logos and likeness of the competing Super Bowl football teams, you can use their team colors to create beautifully themed hostess gifts and party platters. How about football shaped cookies using icing with team colors? Or, try football shaped chocolate moulds with a stick in them to make football pop bouquets. Since eight million pounds of popcorn were consumed at Super Bowl parties last year, consider making salty snacks such as popcorn and pretzels mixes. The product possibilities are endless!
Be sure to spread the word among your customers using your website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and whatever social media networks your customers are accustomed to, and encourage them to come to your store for their Super Bowl party treats. Remember, great pictures speak a thousand words so be sure to post beautiful pictures.
Do you have other ideas for joining Super Bowl madness and your candy store? Please share them in the comments below!
Tags:
Candy Making
Colors
Holidays
Marketing
Merchandising
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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We have just a week until Christmas so this week’s tip is to actually stop making Christmas-themed products and packages. I know, it sounds crazy, but we promise it makes sense. If you instead focus these next few days on putting together winter-themed items (think snowmen, snowflakes, etc.), then your items will still be applicable gifts after the holidays and into the New Year.
Below find some snowman-themed ideas we found on Pinterest to get your creative juices started. Be sure to share any winter themed product ideas in the comments below.
Merry Christmas!
Tags:
Candy Making
Holidays
Marketing
Packaging
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Most candy makers would probably agree it’s easier to keep a super-clean facility when the bows and boxes aren’t flying during the holiday season. But how is your staff doing with keeping the cleaning schedule when there seems to be no extra time in the day?
One way to stay on top of this is to test the cleanliness of your facility on a regular basis. We don’t mean a visual test where you look to see if the area appears clean but an actual scientific test for allergens, sanitation, etc.
You can buy sample test kits and do an on-site test of a variety of areas in your production zone. During one of our recent Kettle Talk panel forums, a member recommended buying sample test kits from Neogen. Using their food allergen tests you can do on-site tests to detect the target allergen ( see list of allergens here) in ingredients, liquids, clean-in-place rinses, finished foods, and on environmental surfaces. They also have sanitation tests to detect the amount of food residue and other organic matter, such as bacteria, yeast and mold, that may remain after cleaning.
Please note this is just one company that was recommended from one member to another at our event and others are likely available to you by searching online. If you also want to send swabs off to a lab to be thoroughly tested, Silliker Labs, who presented at the 2012 RCI Spring Regional event, also provides food testing and sanitation information for confectioners and food facilities.
Do you have other tips for maintaining a clean food facility in the midst of your busiest production schedules? Please share with our blog community in the comments below!
RCI Members: Access additional materials on Good Manufacturing Practices on the member side of the RCI website. Our new website being revealed in January will have a page dedicated to just this topic.
Tags:
Candy Making
Cleaning
GMP's
Holidays
Owning a Business
Quality Control
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Especially as the holidays come upon us, candy makers are busy. That’s why this week’s tip helps you manage your time and maintain the quality of your candies.
This past year, we had a Good Manufacturing Practices series in Kettle Talk, our quarterly newsletter magazine for RCI members. The most recent article included a great tip for quality control we just had to share:
Set your candy thermometer with an alarm for a degree or two lower than your cooking time to ensure you don't overcook.
It’s brilliant, right? Now when you start a batch of caramel and walk away to work on packaging, you’ll be alerted to the candy cooking process with enough time to remove it or begin the next step before it gets even one degree too high.
Looking for suppliers of thermometers with an alarm? RCI members can access RCI Buyer’s Guide on the member side of the website or call the RCI office to be connected to a supplier.
Tags:
Candy Making
Holidays
Productivity
Quality Control
Seasonal
Technology
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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This week’s tip is just a few lines but promises to bring a significant return for your store.
Are you looking to make your boxed chocolates more high-end without drastically increasing the cost per box?
By adding just one premium or expensive piece of chocolate and centering it in your box of chocolates, the value of your box immediately goes up, including the perceived value by your customer. By adding a high-end piece, you also may be able to raise the price and potentially increase your profit margin.
Tags:
Candy Making
Marketing
Merchandising
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Image from RCI 2011 Fall Regional Institute Candy Clinic
One of the great things about Rice Krispies treats is that they can be formed and cut to take on a plethora of shapes. In preparation for Halloween, this week’s tip is to shape your treats into a variety of Halloween-themed shapes. From pumpkins to candy corn to witch’s hats, many Halloween shapes are easy to form and then you can use colored white chocolate and/or coating to “paint” them and use other candies in your store to add fun embellishments. A variety of sizes, from snack-size to a full-size serving, will give your customers options.
Extra tip: Place the treats on a lollipop stick and you can create a bouquet of Halloween-themed treats that will make a great display for your store and catch the eye of your customers.
Tags:
Candy Making
Fall Regional
Holidays
Merchandising
Seasonal
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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A few weeks ago we shared tips for incorporating fall flavors into your mix. One of the most-loved fall flavors is pumpkin. This week our tip is to think outside of the box for incorporating this flavor. Actually, we want you to think inside the box, or pumpkin in this case, and use pumpkin seeds in your product mix.
We know there are lots of ways to incorporate pumpkin seeds but here are just a few to get your creative juices flowing:
· Top your chocolate bark with pumpkin seeds. For the sweet and salty flavor we all love, first salt your seeds before putting them on the bark.
· Create a trail mix using pumpkin seeds, dried fruit and chocolate chips.
· Mix pumpkin seeds into your brittle for an added crunch. (This idea was shared at a recent Candy Clinic idea-sharing session. RCI members may watch Candy Clinic videos on the member side of the RCI website under ‘Past Education Sessions’.)
· Candied pumpkin seeds add just enough sweetness to not overwhelm the great flavor of the seeds. You can find a variety of candied pumpkin recipes by doing a quick internet search.
If you have other great ideas for incorporating pumpkin seeds into your product mix, we’d love to hear it!
Tags:
Candy Making
Marketing
Merchandising
Seasonal
Social Media
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
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Fall is just around the corner so today’s tip is to be inspired by this beautiful season and incorporate some of the flavors, scents and colors of fall into your product mix. We’ve gathered a few fantastic fall flavors to get your creativity flowing.
Ideas: pumpkin spice truffles, pumpkin seed bark
Ideas: pomegranate-infused ganache, chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds
Ideas: caramel apples (of course!), chocolate-covered freeze-dried apples
Ideas: caramel popcorn balls, rice krispie treats dipped in caramel (even better, cut them into fall-themed shapes such as pumkins or leaves!)
Ideas: add cinnamon to a variety of products from popcorn to truffles, chocolate-covered cinnamon sticks
Ideas: dried cranberries and chocolate bark, nut mix with dried cranberries
We’ve also seen quite a few stores mix seasonal flavors for a unique and fun flavor experience. For example, a cranberry and pomegranate bark or cinnamon-infused caramels. Have fun with it and your customers will thank you for it!
Tags:
Candy Making
Merchandising
Seasonal
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