Why does chocolate seize

a Whole Foods Market Customer
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ChefOno May 6, 2012

Two reasons: Too much heat can cause chocolate to scorch -- a total loss.

The usual reason though is that a single drop of water can cause melted chocolate to seize. Melted chocolate may look wet but it's actually very, very dry. The water acts as a binding agent causing the clumping.

Unintuitively perhaps, adding more liquid can save a batch of seized chocolate. If your recipe calls for additional liquid, you can add that or start over and convert the seized chocolate into ganache by adding heavy cream.

 
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