When I try to make chocolate covered strawberries I melt the chocolate in a double boiler and the first four or five turn out perfectly smooth but then the chocolate starts getting lumpy and I have to "force" the chocolate onto the strawberries and they look awful. Does anyone have any suggestions? Am I leaving the chocolate on the stove too long? Should I make sure the strawberries are room temperature before dipping? All advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,
Natalie

sounds to me like the chocolate is being overheated...

Have your tried melting the chocolate in the microwave? I put it in there for about 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted. I reheat as necessary. Hope that helps!

I also melt my chocolate in the microwave and have had no problem. When it starts getting cold just reheat it. Works great.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. When I make them the same thing happens. And I use candy melts.

You may be getting moisture or water in the chocolate!!

I have never had that problem. Do you pat your strawberries with a napkin the get all of the moisture off of them?

Are you keeping the chocolate warm? It could be that you heated the chocolate too much, or that the cold strawberries are making the chocolate cold. Either that or because the strawberries are cold, they are sweating and that moisture is going into the chocolate.

NExt time this happens, add shortening..that would make your CHocolate smooth again...it overheated

Shortening also thins it down a bit, so don't add too much. It does give it a nice smooth consistency though!

my mom and I have made chocolate dipped goodies for years... We melt the chocolate (candy melts or bark), put it on a VERY low setting (just to keep it warm without scalding it) and continuously stir it every few dips. Also, if you are using strawberries... after you wash them, keep them at room temp. and have them dry (on both sides) on a paper towel to get rid of all the moisture before you start dipping them. I hope this helps!

I just heat the chocolate up in the microwave but not until their melted. Take them out before they melt and then stir like crazy! Once I left the microwave to answer the phone and when I got back the chocolate was in there too long and when I was trying to stir it up it became lumpy.

Water on the strawberries will stop the chocolate from sticking to the strawberris. I wash then lay them out on tea cloths or absorbant cloths not just dish towels with paper towels on the cloths with a fan on them! Crazy, huh? That's because I am always last minute.
Then I remove the paper towels and lay them again on the absorbant towel. Sounds like a lot of steps but it flows.

bj

A great tip I learned from here is to use one of those mini crock pots to keep the chocolate warm. It works great! I also use a little crisco in the chocolate.