Author: Trailblaze Marketing

The heat is high during these steamy July days. The last thing we want is for our chocolate to melt. So how can we store our candies so that they don’t lose their cool? Here are some helpful tips and tricks to keeping your chocolate in tip-top shape.

Environmental conditions can negatively impact the freshness and taste of your candies, and therefore must be carefully controlled to ensure your candy stays just as delicious as the day it was purchased! Extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity can accelerate aging and reduce the shelf life of candy products. You should avoided this whenever possible.

Storing Chocolate

Candy should always be stored in a cool and dry place. That being said, when transporting and storing your chocolate, it should never be in areas that are prone to wide variations in temperature and/or humidity. If you want to be technical, chocolate should be stored in a space maintained at a temperature of 55°- 56° Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 50%.

High temperatures and humidity can cause heat damage in chocolate, resulting in what we call “bloom”. Fat bloom is the seepage of fat in sugar-shell candies and melting and fusing of other confections. This essentially means your chocolate melts and resets improperly. Additionally, keeping candies at high humidity levels of over 69% can cause moisture damage to occur. This can cause sugar bloom and mushiness, limpness, and discoloration.

Transportation

Most difficultly, you should consider temperatures and humidity when transporting your confections. For example, after you purchase candy at the store, you need to consider the fluctuations in temperature and humidity on your way home. If left in the car for too long, your chocolate will melt and re-set, causing bloom. Therefore, you should always do your best to maintain a steady environment to best preserve the state of your chocolate.

Even further, you should take care to limit exposure of candy to excessive light, heat, and air. Be it in the car, or in the home, you should store chocolate away from sources of heat. This includes lights, windows, heaters, hot pipes, and direct sunlight.

When wanting to enjoy sweet treats this summer, it’s important to take this high heat into account. Ultimately, avoiding spiking temperatures and humidity is the best way to ensure that your candy stays fresh, tasty, and cool. To stock up on all of your favorites this summer, be sure to visit us online or call us at 855-8-ASHERS today!

Another month, another awesome employee highlight! Meet Rachel, a new team member that has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Rachel is a local, born and raised in Allentown. She loves dogs and has a bubbly and friendly personality. Prior to joining Asher’s Chocolate Co., Rachel worked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). She was a Executive Recruitment Coordinator for five years there.

This employee highlight started at Asher’s in December 2018 as a temporary Customer Service Representative, and she has been doing a phenomenal job since Day 1. In June 2018, we hired her as a full-time employee. Rachel has been an incredible addition to the Asher’s family. We could not be happier to have such a friendly and hardworking person join us. We have even heard many compliments and high praises of her work, such as below:

“Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for staffing your Customer Service Department with such a fine group of people. I am the Bakery Manager at a Giant Store, [and] call your Customer Service Department at least once per month to place an order for my store. I have had nothing but positive experiences whenever I phone. In the past a young lady by the name of Donna has been very helpful. Recently (I’ve ordered 3 of the past 4 weeks) I have dealt with a young lady by the name of Rachel.

Whoever hired her should be commended. They hit a home run! Rachel is friendly, pleasant, extremely helpful, and makes your customers feel as though they are speaking to friends. As someone who deals with the public daily, I know how difficult it can be to remain positive, upbeat, and helpful all of the time. I also know that when I call other businesses that we deal with to place orders, the service sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. My always get better when I call Asher’s and speaking to Rachel. Thank you for providing service second to none and whatever your screening process is for new hires, please continue to use it. The process works. Thank you for your time, your great service, and for Rachel and the rest of your staff.”

Thank you so much Rachel, and great work!

It’s no secret that food can trigger emotions, taking us back to a favorite family moment or treasured childhood memory. When the heat is high, and the sun is shining, we tend to reach for things that remind us of simpler times. These 5 classic chocolates have been around for years, but we never seem to tire of them. Here’s why!

S’mores

Most known as a classic campfire treat,
s’mores consist of perfectly combined graham crackers, filled with gooey marshmallow and chocolate. But what happens when you coat the entire sandwich in a blanket of chocolate? You end up with Asher’s Chocolates S’mores! This tasty treat has been a summer staple for years, and for good reason. It takes a classic and ramps it up a level.

Cordial Cherries

These delectable treats date back as far as the 1700s, but that doesn’t mean that they have lost their thunder. Cherry Cordials are so luscious that they are the perfect temptation for those that love to snack but don’t want to sacrifice quality and taste. Tangy cherries and sweet syrup are covered in creamy milk or dark chocolate, creating a rich and scrumptious candy perfect for any summer day.

Nonpareils

It always seems as though Nonpareils make our list of must-haves, but that is because these snackable little chunks of chocolates are not only easy-to-eat but are a favorite all-around. Droplets of either milk or dark chocolate are places on top of candy seeds, leaving the most delectable bite-size treats.

Mint Patties

We’ve all had a Mint Patty, and there is nothing better when the temperature outside is high. Our handmade patties are the perfect balance of decadent dark chocolate against chilly peppermint, acting as the perfect respite from hot temperatures.

Almond Bark

Creamy and crunchy has always been a classic combination, which is why Almond Bark has made our list of top 5 Classic Chocolates. Milk or dark chocolate is loaded up with crunchy almonds, creating a treat so addictive that you won’t be able to eat just one piece.

So when you’re craving a sweet treat during the summertime heat, reach for these 5 Classic Chocolates from Asher’s Chocolates! Nothing says summer fun like a bit of chocolate. To get all of your favorites this summer, be sure to visit us online or call us at 855-8-ASHERS today!

It’s that time of the month again where we highlight an employee that has demonstrated exceptional performance and work ethic. This month we would like to introduce our employee highlight David Foster!

David has been working at Asher’s Chocolate Co. since 2010 in our receiving department. He has been a wonderful contributor to our team! He has demonstrated this particularly through his diligence regarding safety. When making a decision, this employee highlight has been incredibly conscious about how it will affect safety.

For example, we are always working to improve our efficiency.  Recently, we had been discussing the benefits of ordering 100 lb. bags instead of 50 lb. bags of ingredients. This change may seem like a great idea on paper, as it would lessen the amount of times a bag would need to be grabbed. However, David looked at it from another angle. He brought up the point that it would be too strenuous on a person’s back to lift 100 lb. bags instead of 50 lb. bags.

David has also made efforts to improve our current processes. An example is that he lifted our bags of ingredients off the ground, setting them up on a pallet. This allows for our cooks to not bend to lift the heavy bags, adding strain to their backs.

Lastly, David has been actively ensuring that our employees are properly trained in equipment use. In preparation for an upcoming forklift training, David took the initiative to contact the forklift company to make the proper adjustments for training needs. This allowed him to accurately prepare for training sessions, leading to a better training session and a safer environment.

We could not be happier to have such a considerate member on our staff. Thank you so much David, and great work!

It’s the recurring battle of the taste buds: sweet vs. salty. When you ask people what they most crave, usually they respond with either sweets & candies, or the crunchiest, saltiest snacks. But what happens when you combine these flavors into classic sweet & salty snacks?  Something magical.

Whether it’s chocolate covered pretzels, sea salt caramels, or even chocolate dipped potato chips, the combination of sweet & salty snacks has been heralded as the perfect snacking flavor. What is it about this combination that is not only crave-worthy, but addicting?

The Science Behind Sweet & Salty Snacks

It’s no secret that taste buds allow us to taste and enjoy our food, but what you may not know is that each taste bud has 50-100 taste cells, which are actually what are responsible for our sense of taste. Each cell responds to a different flavor profile: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami. In addition, the way we perceive taste is wholly dependent on the chemical reaction our taste receptor cells have with the components of what we eat. Even further, scientists have found that our tongues have a certain number of sweetness receptors; as a result,  some receptors only react to sweetness when sodium is present. This explains why sweetness is accentuated by salt. These additional receptors only activate when salt accompanies sugar. It is this reaction that makes goodies like Sea Salt Caramels and Chocolate Smothered Pretzels so delectable and enticing!

At Asher’s Chocolate Co., we love the combination of sweet and salty! That is why we have so many options for these types of tasty treats. From our Chocolate Smothered Pretzels to our Chocolate Covered Potato Chips, you can be sure that an Asher’s snack will satisfy every one of your cravings. To get all of your favorites this summer, be sure to visit us online or call us at 855-8-ASHERS today!

Here at Asher’s Chocolate Co., we consider ourselves all family. We work hard because we love what we do. It’s like we always say: “You can’t work in chocolate and not love what you do!” As a result, we have a magnificent staff that have continuously demonstrated how passionate they are for their work. Our staff goes above and beyond the call of duty, constantly leaving us impressed. They go the extra mile to show our customers how much Asher’s cares about them. Therefore, we are instilling a monthly employee highlight to share how proud we are of our team and how thrilled we are that they are a part of our family!

Without further ado, meet Kris Derstein!

Kris will be reaching her 18-year anniversary with Asher’s this fall! She has served with us in a variety of different positions and departments. She grew up in Lansdale, PA, just around the corner from the Asher’s Chocolates Souderton Factory. Eventually, our employee highlight moved north near our Lewistown Factory, where she lived on and maintained a 150-acre pig farm.

After living there for four years, she moved back to southeastern Pennsylvania and started working at Asher’s! She started working part-time on weekends and holidays in our Souderton Factory Store. She then eventually transitioned to our website in 2007.

Since then, she gradually moved to a full-time position and is now heading our website! Kris has been doing a phenomenal job driving our website presence and fulfillment. We have also heard many customer compliments of this employee highlight’s hard work, such as below:

“I am emailing you this morning to make you aware of a wonderful experience that I had last week working with Kris Derstein regarding an allergy concern that I had with respect to your labeling. Kris was very prompt in contacting me about my concern. [Kris] actually called to let me know that though she didn’t have an answer to my question and that she was looking into it. She didn’t want me to feel forgotten or ignored but she knew that it would take some time for her to have an answer to my question. [Kris] truly went above and beyond to get me an answer to my question.

She also took the time to discuss how the verbiage on the label was what concerned me and she listened with genuine interest to why it concerned me and to my suggestion on how labeling in a slightly different way might increase customer comfort and understanding regarding product safety especially since you are taking the time and making the effort to create safe gluten free products. I was so impressed with her prompt attention, genuine concern, and excellent customer service. A response like hers isn’t seen very often (and I call a lot of companies to confirm allergy safety!) and she should be commended for providing a top notch customer experience! Thru this interaction she has created a lifelong customer!”

Great work Kris! We are so proud that you are a part of our team!

We’ve all had it happen. We open up a piece of chocolate, excited for the sweet joy that is awaiting us, come to find that there is a hazy white coating on our beloved candy. What is this coating? Did your chocolate “go bad”? Can you still eat it, cook with it? This is called chocolate bloom. Although bloomed chocolate is still safe to eat, it does pose some problems.

Bloom: the plague of the chocolate world. It’s unsightly and can even affect the way chocolate tastes. But what it is exactly? And how can you prevent it?

This whitish coating is considered one of the main concerns in the production of chocolate. There are two types of bloom: fat bloom and sugar bloom. But essentially, bloom occurs when chocolate is not cooked properly.

Fat Chocolate Bloom

Fat bloom, the most common type of bloom, is typically caused when chocolate is exposed to high temperatures and allowed to reset improperly. For example, have you ever had a piece of chocolate melt in the car, and once it has cooled tried to eat it? That white coating is bloom! The cocoa butter inside your chocolate melts and separates from the rest of the ingredients when it is in a warm environment that is not properly managed. As a result, it then rises to the surface and settles, thus creating the off-white bloom.

Sugar Chocolate Bloom

On the other hand, an excess of moisture causes sugar bloom. This excess causes the sugar in the chocolate to crystalize, creating a speckled appearance on the surface of the chocolate.

Ultimately, bloom doesn’t really harm the favor or shelf life of your chocolate, and you can still eat it and cook with it, but it is unsightly. Overall, the best way to avoid both types of bloom is to store your chocolate in a consistently cool, dry place.

At the end of the day, you can rely on Asher’s Chocolate Co. to make chocolate of the highest quality. We go through a strenuous and detailed process to ensure that our products are tasty and chocolate bloom-free! To get all of your favorites, give us a call at 855-8-ASHERS, or visit us online!