469809 Sat Dec 15 17:12:53 -0800 2007 2 31 Home Cooking 0 3211357 I know how to temper chocolate and have done it many times in the past, but I always use it immediately. I'm in a situation now where I know the weather and life in general is going to seriously interfere with my tempering next week when candy and truffle making around here kicks into high gear -- so I'm wondering...is it possible to temper a few pounds now and then just reheat the chocolate back up to 88 degrees (bittersweet) when I'm ready to use it? Or do I need to go through the whole process again? Also, how long does tempered chocloate "hold" its temper? Thanks... Sat Dec 15 17:12:53 -0800 2007 72330 tsfirefly 1 3211489 No, it doesn't work that way. You buy tempered chocolate, then need to bring it above 120 and back into temper and hold it as a liquid. Once the chocolate has solidified, you will need to re-temper it when you melt it again. Chocolate will hold its temper for as long as you keep it in the proper temperature range, about 87 to 90. The viscosity may change, with crystallization due to time or stirring, I believe it is OK to warm the chocolate a degree or two to keep it workable. Sat Dec 15 18:20:08 -0800 2007 3211357 13150 babette feasts 2 3211702 Actually, if chocolate is brought above 120, it can't be correctly tempered. I just found a good video here on Chowhound on how to temper chocolate that confirms this. I buy untempered couverture chocolate. I've seen pretempered chocolate around, so that's why I was wondering if I could temper my couverture chocolate ahead of time. Sat Dec 15 20:40:51 -0800 2007 3211489 72330 tsfirefly