I am making chocolate dipped "tuxedo" style strawberries for a jack and jill shower cake this week. What is the best type of chocolate to use, so that it will harden on the berries? Also, any idea how many days they will hold up once I dip them and should I refrigerate them until needed?
You could do a couple of different things for your berries. One is to use Almond Bark coating to dip them. This is the least expensive route, but the coating sets up very well. If you use real chocolate, add a small amount of Gulf Wax to the chocolate when you melt it, it will help the chocolate to set up and stay firm and shiny on the berry.
I would not make the berries more than the night before, because they tend to macerate in the chocolate (like a chocolate covered cherry will do) and will begin to weep strawberry juice. I would also keep them refrigerated until service. HTH!
I am also so new at this but ill give you what i think.
I personally dont like the wilton chocolate. I think that the merkins(sp) is preatty goo. I usually dont have a problem with too much melting whle on the strawberries.
I wouldnt refridge them after they have been dipped. They will sweat and start to leak some.
i would try and dip them the night before.....you definatly want them to be as fresh as possible.
I also see your in MA...what part? I am outside Providence RI. We are neighbors 
I agree, Merckens is the best for that. It hardens really quick. I wouldn't do them too far in advance though. I made them for a party a little while ago, twice actually. I dipped them the night before and refrigerated right away and they were fine, they may sweat when you first take them out but they'll dry. Strawberries, at the least the ones in my area, go bad really quick. I usually only have a day or two at most before they start to go bad so I purchase and dip them no sooner than they night before.
For what it's worth, I'd use a better tasting chocolate. Merckens, Peters, and some of the other decorating chocolates ("chocolate coating") taste chalky and waxy to me. I'd use a good quality chocolate and temper it so that it retains its shiny gloss. However, I don't know what you've quoted for a price. Merckens and Peters are much cheaper than a Valrhona, Ghirardelli or Callebaut.
I've used Baker's white chocolate many times mixed with a tiny bit of Gulf wax for shine. It hold up beautifully and you should be able to find it in the bakery isle at your grocery store.
dkelley- you can get merkens at diannes sweet tooth in Lincoln. she hsa tons of stuff fro chocolate making and there is a palce called JAR in Lincoln too thats great for cake supplies. they sell stuff you cant get at michaels like better chcolate and fondant.
I grew up in seekonk. i just pm'd you. how funny is that!!
~Shannon
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