Yahoo Lifestyle The Genius Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Tricks We Wish We'd Known About Sooner
With Valentine's Day on the horizon, it's time to celebrate all things love—including our love of food. Valentine's Day is a time to make the dishes you and the special people in your life love, whether that be a fancy pasta dish, a well-cooked steak, a giant vat of mac and cheese or maybe chocolate-covered strawberries.
The combination of chocolate and berries is iconic and delicious, but there are times when the store-bought version isn't up to par. Maybe the chocolate coating is too thick or the berries are less than fresh or there's just too much stuff going on. What's a food-loving home cook to do? Take matters into your own hands and DIY it.
To help us do just that, we reached out to Driscoll's, the berry company that you'll see at pretty much every grocery store. They suggested we chat with food writer and cookbook author Ali Rosen, who also happens to be a romance novelist, so not only does she know food but she also knows a thing or two about love.
Her smart tips and tricks for making the best chocolate-covered strawberries are sure to make your loved ones swoon.
Related: The Genius Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Trick Fans Are Calling ‘Perfection’
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How to Make the Best Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Before you head to the store, take a look at Rosen's tips and tricks for making the best version of this classic treat.
1. Be a choosy shopper.
"For such a simple recipe, you really want to make sure you buy great strawberries and chocolate," she says. "If you wouldn’t enjoy the strawberries or chocolate on their own, then don’t expect more of them in this recipe!"
"Because you can’t taste test every strawberry, you want to ensure you have a high-quality batch of strawberries before you begin. It’s why I look for brands I know, like Driscoll’s, before getting started. If you buy unknown berries, they’re not going to suddenly be great just because you covered them in chocolate. Go with a trusted source."
2. Pay attention to the ripe stuff.
For the best chocolate-covered strawberries, "you want ripe but not overly ripe berries," says Rosen. "If the berries are too soft they won’t hold up well. Because they’ll be coated in chocolate they won’t ripen much further, so don’t try to use under-ripe berries and hope they’ll soften if you leave them for a couple of days."
3. Prep your berries properly.
"To begin with, your strawberries need to be at room temperature," she says. "Also, make sure your strawberries are washed and completely dry before you get started, otherwise the chocolate won’t stick properly."
Related: How to Store Strawberries So They Last, According to a Berry Expert
4. Baby your chocolate.
For the best chocolate coating, pay attention to the chocolate as it melts. "You want to heat the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently to avoid overheating," says Rosen. "There’s no wrong kind of chocolate here. If you love white chocolate more than dark, then pick what you love. The key is to pick a chocolate you enjoy eating and avoid overheating it. If you’re using a bar of chocolate rather than chocolate chips, make sure to break it into pieces and heat it slowly. I like to use the microwave and stir every thirty seconds."
You also might want to consider one small addition to the chocolate dip. "I like to mix a little bit of coconut oil into my melted chocolate," she says. "It won’t affect the chocolate’s flavor and will give it a better consistency for dipping. It will also give the strawberries a beautiful sheen once dry."
5. Do the dip.
"To begin dipping you want to be sure your strawberries are at room temperature and completely dry, otherwise the chocolate won’t stick properly," says Rosen. "Then as you’re dipping, make sure to shake off excess. I know it’s tempting to have as much chocolate as possible, but it won’t sit properly and dry smoothly if there’s too much."
6. Store them smartly.
"You don’t need them to be airtight when storing, just make sure the chocolate-covered strawberries are completely dry before doing anything with them," she says. "If you move them or place saran wrap over them when they’re still damp you might ruin all your hard work!" Also, try not to store them for more than a day. You don’t want them to degrade.
7. Don't forget to have fun.
A classic chocolate-dipped strawberry is great, but it's also nice to mix things up a little bit. "I like doubling down on strawberry flavor and love sprinkling the chocolate with crushed freeze-dried strawberries over the chocolate while it sets," says Rosen. "It’s not only delicious but it adds an extra pink hue that makes them look even more festive!"
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