Tempering
Tempering is a cooking term with two main meanings, both about controlling temperature. With eggs, it means gradually warming them with hot liquid so they blend smoothly instead of scrambling. With chocolate, it means melting, cooling and rewarming so it sets shiny and crisp.
Tempering eggs
Egg proteins begin to set around 62–65 °C / 144–149 °F for whites and 65–70 °C / 149–158 °F for yolks. Dump cold eggs into a pot of simmering milk and the outside of every bit of egg cooks instantly into lumps.
Tempering avoids that:
- Whisk the eggs (often with sugar, which raises their setting point).
- Slowly ladle in about a third of the hot liquid while whisking constantly.
- Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pot.
- Cook gently, stirring, until thickened.
Used for custard, crème anglaise, pastry cream, avgolemono and carbonara-style sauces. Custards thicken around 80–82 °C / 176–180 °F; above 85 °C / 185 °F they curdle.
Tempering chocolate
Cocoa butter can crystallize in six forms. Only Form V gives glossy chocolate with a sharp snap that melts in the mouth but not in the hand. Untempered chocolate sets dull, soft and streaky (a type of fat bloom).
Classic temperatures:
| Chocolate | Melt to | Cool to | Work at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark | 45–50 °C / 113–122 °F | 27–28 °C / 81–82 °F | 31–32 °C / 88–90 °F |
| Milk | 40–45 °C / 104–113 °F | 26–27 °C / 79–81 °F | 29–30 °C / 84–86 °F |
| White | 40 °C / 104 °F | 25–26 °C / 77–79 °F | 28–29 °C / 82–84 °F |
The seed method is easiest at home: melt two-thirds, then stir in the remaining third as chopped chocolate to cool it and supply ready-made Form V crystals.
Tempering spices
In South Asian cooking, tempering (tadka) means frying whole spices such as cumin, mustard seed and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee for 30–60 seconds. Heat releases fat-soluble aroma compounds, and the flavoured oil is poured over the finished dish.
Tempering steel
You may also see "tempered" glass or knives. That is a metalworking process and unrelated to food, though a tempered knife blade is tougher and less brittle.
Questions
Why do you temper eggs?
Adding a little hot liquid to beaten eggs first raises their temperature gradually, so the proteins don't set into lumps when they meet the full pot of hot liquid.
What does tempering chocolate do?
It encourages cocoa butter to form only its most stable crystal type (Form V), giving chocolate a glossy finish, a clean snap and resistance to melting in your hand.
What is tempering in Indian cooking?
Called tadka or chaunk, it means frying whole spices in hot oil or ghee to release their fat-soluble aromas, then pouring the oil over a dish like dal.
What are the temperatures for tempering dark chocolate?
Melt to 45–50 °C / 113–122 °F, cool to 27–28 °C / 81–82 °F, then rewarm to 31–32 °C / 88–90 °F before using.