In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned why making ganache ahead of time was not a great idea.
In case you missed that, here’s why you shouldn’t make ganache ahead of time:
- First, because you’d have to repeat the whole emulsification process (so you’re not actually saving time).
- Second, because you might have to add more hot water to the recipe to help emulsify it, and that could tamper with your formulation and shelf life.
But I get it, sometimes we miscalculate and end up with some leftover ganache.
And just because reusing ganache is not ideal, this is not a valid reason to throw your product away.
So if you’re ever in this situation, here’s what you can do with leftover ganache:
- Weigh your leftover ganache and freeze it right away.
- The day before you’re going to make a new batch, take the leftover ganache out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Before you start making the new batch, deduct the amount you will add from the leftover ganache. For example, if you have 1 kg of leftover ganache and you normally make 10 kg of ganache, adjust your recipe to make only 9 kg of fresh ganache.
- Make your fresh ganache using your favorite method.
- Melt the leftover ganache over 35°C (to make sure the cocoa butter melts and it’s ready to be emulsified again).
- Add it to the fresh ganache while they’re both over 35°C and emulsify them with a hand blender for at least 1 minute.
- Allow the ganache to cool down to its working temperature (32°C for dark; 30°C for dark and milk ganache; 29°C for milk; 27°C for white).
- Pipe.
You shouldn’t do this often because you’re mixing different batches, and that can lead to traceability and quality control issues if there’s ever a problem with your ganache.
It’s a last-resort practice, but kitchens do it, and it’s good to have it in your back pocket if you ever need it.
-Melissa