The Best Way To Shop For Chocolate Covered Strawberries

By Gordon Granby

I've made chocolate covered strawberries on a number of occasions. Sometimes plain, other times adding a sprinkle of coconut, candy or crushed nut here and there. But if you don't have the time, there are also a number of companies doing interesting things with the berries. I wanted to write some comments about what I saw in comparing some of the different vendors to help others make a wise decision.

For some people, it might not be an issue to know what ingredients a company uses as the dipping material for the strawberries. But if you're going to part with some money, tasting as great as can be should be a requirement for them. So take a moment if you'd like and check out the store or company uses real chocolate. Some dipped chocolate is full of artificial additives, extra preservatives, and hydrogenated oils. Why ruin a good bit of chocolate fun like that?

The finer the chocolate, the better the entire taste of the whole berry will be. It only makes sense. Your recipe, no matter how exquisite your technique and skill, can only be as good as the quality of the original ingredients you put in. So be an informed consumer and demand a good quality product.

Some companies may go less on the chocolate to save some money. Let's also hope they use a good strawberry to begin with. And think about the volume of strawberries covered with chocolate made every day. A one half inch reduction in chocolate coating makes a big difference in volume of chocolate used. Others take the chocolate more near the top and cover everything but the stem. That means more chocolate for you to eat. So there's one big difference in styles right there.

Check the shipping policy of the companies. Some will be using gel packs. They may only package the berries in a standard size box with minimal support or insulation. Others will have a more insulated container and may use multiple ice packs, dry ice, or a combination of the two. Some offer overnight shipping for reduced rates. Be sure that there is enough cold material to keep the chocolate from melting and the berries fresh.

Did other customers give nice reviews of the store or company? Or were they not impressed by one aspect of the purchase process? True, this isn't a large or really important purchase like buying something of great value. But you still want to get it right the first time! And personal experience is the best way to find out naturally.You may even decide to get out the kitchen pots and cookie sheets and setup a weekend afternoon to make some chocolate covered strawberries for your own enjoyment! - 17273

About the Author:

Gordon Granby loves to be inspired by foods and also likes to sometimes have a go at Sending Chocolate Covered Berries and also likes to write about Chocolate Covered Strawberries.