Adding Crisco Or Vegetable Oil To Chocolate

by Cathy
(West Virginia )

Will adding Crisco or vegetable oil to chocolate keep the chocolate shiny vs. tempering which is time consuming?

I've seen some recipes that add either Crisco shortening or vegetable oil to chocolate and I just wanted to know if it works.


I just like to dip things from time to time on a whim and don't want to go through the tempering process for something spur-of-the-moment.

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Hi Cathy,

Yes, I know what you mean. Being able to quickly melt a bit of chocolate and dip strawberries, pretzels, cookies, or other tasty treats is a must for true chocolate lovers like us.


Of course, you aren't going to get the same stellar finish on the candy if you don't temper the chocolate, but that has to be expected.


I don't know if you are aware of the fact that some chocolate is already "in temper" so if you are careful when melting it and don't let the temperature get too high, the chocolate will stay in temper.


That would probably be your quickest solution to the problem you've raised.


On the other hand, yes, you can add try adding Crisco or vegetable oil to the chocolate to help give it a shiny finish. When you add a little shortening or oil to the melting chocolate, it generally works if everything else is done correctly.


A third option is to add a bit of food grade paraffin wax to your melting chocolate in order to achieve that shiny finish without tempering.


Some people don't like the idea of adding and actually eating paraffin wax in their chocolate, but it's a matter of personal preference and completely up to the individual. :)


I have to be completely honest with you. Unless I'm making chocolate candy for a very special (posh) occasion, I rarely worry about having an exquisite finish. Is that terrible?


As long as my chocolate treats taste fantastic, I'm generally pretty happy, and I don't get many complaints. :) No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them, I guess! Smile.


Why don't you give one of the above options a try and let us know what kind of results you get. If you are satisfied or disappointed, etc.


Others can also use the comment link below to add their own experiences with adding Crisco or vegetable oil to chocolate.


Blessings,
Angie


P.S. I thought I'd better mention that if you place the chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer to set, you probably won't end up with shiny chocolate no matter what method you use. There's a very good chance you'll end up with chocolate bloom.