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Bacon in chocolate
I read the discussion under shelf life and it touched on bacon and food safety. I wondered if anyone is making chocolate with bacon and what techniques to use. The food science dept. at a local university said I need to get the water activity to under 8 but I don't have a hydrometer to measure water activity. I was planning on caramelizing the chocolate first which seems like it should cook out any water but I am feeling cautious. I did like the suggestion to get it to taste and feel like I want it to and have a very short period on the shelf. Still ideas from those experienced with bacon would be helpful. Thanks
Bud
Bud
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sebastian on -
I hope your food science didn't tell you go to to an Aw of less than 8 - i think they meant 0.8
8-)
Also, it's worth noting that, in the US, the FDA wants to become involved - or treat you as a meat facility - if you include meat (including bacon) in your products at a 2% or > level. Vosages Haut is having to deal with this presently.
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Permalink Reply by MelodyB on -
HI,
I have been experimenting with this as well. First, I tried baking the bacon and then dipping it chocolate...so good. Then I tried putting inside a mold with a ganache type filling, again decadence. Since I make on demand there really hasn't been any problems but would love to hear how long a product like this is good for.
~Melody
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Permalink Reply by Lana on -
I don't think you have to worry too much about getting your bacon under 0.8 if you're cooking it crisp. Here is a great study on the safety of bacon left out at room temp. :
http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents2005/bacon-aw-study.pdf
This discussion was going on at another forum some time ago. One of the members had made some bacon bark and tested it with her hydrometer (didn't know that was the word for it - thanks!) and the aW was 0.47. Pretty darn low.
Sebastian, interesting news about the chocolate shop turned meat facility!
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Permalink Reply by Warren Laine-Naida on -
I have cooked the bacon to leech out the fat and then blended that into a ganache instead of the butter. It is a good taste!
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Permalink Reply by Warren Laine-Naida on
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here a couple of meaty links ...
http://www.likecool.com/Bacon_Chocolate--Food--Body.html?utm_source...
http://post.primatage.co.uk/baconchocolatewin
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Permalink Reply by Erin on -
The Food Channel show Unwrapped had a 2008 show titled "Candy Bar Bonanza" that talks in more detail about the Vosage bacon in chocolate process. I know that it showed again on 10/25/10 at 7:30PM. Not certain if you could Hulu it or find it some other way. Hope it helps.
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Jones on -
I have always cooked the bacon crisp and prepared within 24 hrs of taking to an event.
Now someone wants in their boxes of Easter Truffles. It would be eaten within a week.
Safe?
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Jones on
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If the bacon is cooked & dipped within 24 hrs of delivery, I would think I would be safe. However, there is the question of how quick the folks that receive the gift would eat the bacon truffle. So maybe I need to shy away unless it is for a party and prepared just before the event.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth Atkinson Kendrick on -
In Utah, we can't add bacon at any level without becoming a meat processing facility.
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Jones on
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In NC you have to purchase precooked bacon or go to a restaurant facility to cook the bacon.
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