Chocolate Tips and Terms

Tips for Storing Your Chocolates

"Store them?" you ask, "I'm just going to eat them!" Yes, but if you need to store your chocolates, there are a few things you should know:

• DON'T REFRIGERATE! Chocolates absorb odors very easily. Also, excessive moisture in the fridge can cause sugar bloom, meaning the sugar rises to the surface, causing discoloration.
• Chocolates need a cool, dry place away from sunlight and strong odors. When chocolates are kept at a consistent temperature less than 70°F with humidity less than 55%, the cocoa solids and cocoa butter emulsion will stay stable for months. Solid milk chocolates will last nine months and dark chocolates will last for a year. Filled chocolates, such as truffles, will last about four months.
• If you need to keep chocolates for a longer period of time, we recommend freezing them in an airtight container. When you're ready to eat them, allow them to thaw inside the container before enjoying. Opening the container before they thaw will expose them to the air and cause them to bloom and/or perspire.
• Always eat chocolate at room temperature, especially truffles.

Chocolate Terms

All-Natural - our chocolates are all-natural; no preservatives, no additives, no extenders - no junk, no kidding!

Allergens - our products may contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and milk products.

Baking Chocolates - milk, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and white chocolate sold in one-pound blocks for baking

Bitter/Unsweetened Chocolate - chocolate liquid cooled and molded into blocks

Bloom - a whitish-gray discoloration due to a temperature or humidity change

Buttercream - flavored mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs

Caramel - fresh Vermont cream, butter, sugar, and vanilla, slow cooked in copper kettles until it's thick and creamy

Chocolate Liquid/Liquor - the basic raw material of all chocolate products, it comes from ground nibs (nibs are the "meat" of the cocoa bean); also known as cocoa mass

Cocoa Beans - the source of all chocolate, cocoa beans are found in the pods (fruit) of the cocoa tree, an evergreen that grows primarily in the region twenty degrees north and south of the equator

Cocoa Butter - the yellowish-white vegetable fat that is removed from chocolate liquid under high pressure

Cocoa Powder - a general term for the portion of chocolate liquid that remains after most of the cocoa butter has been removed

Couverture - (pronounced koo-vehr-TYOOR) - a glossy, coating chocolate

Dark Chocolate - made by combining chocolate liquid, cocoa butter, and sweetener

Dutched Cocoa - cocoa powder which has been treated with alkali to neutralize the natural acids; it is darker in color and slightly different in flavor from regular cocoa

Feuilletine - a delicate, light, European cookie crunch

Ganache - (pronounced gahn-AHSH) - a blend of the finest Belgian chocolate, fresh Vermont cream, sweet butter, and inspired natural flavorings

Gianduja - (pronounced john-doo-yah) - a combination of hazelnut paste and milk chocolate couverture

Gluten - a protein found in wheat

Kosher - Jewish dietary laws pertaining to the preparation and handling of food products; most Lake Champlain Chocolates are Kosher

Milk Chocolate - made by combining chocolate liquid, extra cocoa butter, milk or cream, and sweetener

Nibs - the "meat" of the cocoa bean

Pistoles - milk, dark, or white chocolate chips specially formulated for tempering

Pralines - a blend of milk chocolate and hazelnut paste, also known as gianduja (pronounced john-doo-yah)

Semisweet and Sweet Chocolate - made by combining chocolate liquid with varying amounts of sweetener and added cocoa butter

Temper - the visible appearance of chocolate, which varies by cooking method; properly tempered chocolate will have a high-gloss sheen and clean snap when broken; the trick to tempering is to control the temperature of the melted chocolate very precisely, first cooling it and then reheating slightly

Truffles - velvety-smooth, incredibly flavorful ganache centers enrobed in chocolate

Unsweetened/Bitter Chocolate - chocolate liquid cooled and molded into blocks

Vegan - a term used to describe food that's free of any dairy or animal products; our dark chocolate products are vegan, but may contain traces of milk chocolate and milk proteins

White Chocolate - made by combining sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin, and vanilla; not a true chocolate as it contains no chocolate liquor