Tinting Chocolate

by Carmen
(Goshen, IN USA)

I have had some trouble tinting chocolate.

In the past, I have used Wilton wafers and the Wilton paste to tint the white.


What I got was a big, gritty blob. I don't know that I want to use that again.


Did I do something wrong? What alternative do I have?

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Hi Carmen,

Well, there are two things that I can think of that may have caused your problem.


First of all, is it possible that you got a little steam or moisture in your chocolate while melting? That really does cause the chocolate to get all stiff and gritty.


The second problem may be in the paste itself. Check to see if it is water based or oil based. There are different types of coloring. Some are for icings and aren't suitable for chocolate. You don't want to use a paste that has water in it because it can ruin your chocolate (not the taste, just the texture).


My alternative suggestion is to just use the specific candy colors at Candyland Crafts that are made for chocolate tinting.


You shouldn't have any trouble with that working for you. Do be careful about any other moisture getting in the chocolate. That's one of the most frequent causes of problems in making chocolate.


The other common mistake is overheating the chocolate. Chocolate doesn't like water or getting burnt. Kind of like a lot of us, huh? :-)


Don't give up on chocolate making. It's just too yummy and too much fun!

Angie