E-THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY 7/30/2009

Good day fellow vending enthusiasts! I hope everyone is well and wearing sunsreen! With all of the heat we have been having, I wanted to re-iterate a few steps to insure that your chocolate will be firm and vendable and not white when you put it in the machine. if any of you have any other ideas/ways that you keep your chocolate safe, please leave a comment so everybody will have the info as well.

1. Step 1

   Store your chocolate in a dark place. The first step to preserving your chocolate's structural integrity is to keep it out of the sunlight and away from excessive heat. Light is often associated with heat and energy which melts chocolate quicker. Putting your chocolate in a cupboard or cabinet should suffice as a dark place for storage.

2. Step 2

   Keep it below 70 degrees. Studies have shown that most chocolate melts between the temperatures of 75 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Storing your chocolate at a temperature below this will help to ensure that it does not melt. This is IMPORTANT!!
   

3. Step 3

   Refrigerate your chocolate. Place your chocolate in the refrigerator and keep it away from pungent odors that will invade your chocolate. Using a few layers of plastic wrap will help protect your chocolate from excessive aroma and insulate it from heat. Plastic wrap will also slow the evaporation process.

4. Step 4

   Place your chocolate on ice. Freezing it in a protective container or packaging is recommended. You may also place your chocolate materials in a plastic seal bag and put it in a cooler on some ice in case you are going out on a large route. Keeping your chocolate in a Ziploc bag will help prevent water from invading your stash.

Thanks for all of your support and business, if any of us here can be of ANY assistance, please call us. We would be happy to talk with you and help in anyway we can! Curt