In 1993 my husband (Claus) and I came from Denmark back to Canada, to help out wmy aging parents.
We finally settled into the small coastal Town of Gibsons, which was a ferry boat ride from Vancouver. We finally rented a 2 bedroom top suite in a house overlooking a small protected harbor, filled with boats of every kin The city was nestled in a protected harbour facing out to an Island as short distance away.
The idea of making our own treats was because Claus and I were not eating much sugar, but loved chocolate, so we decided to make our own.
In our first attempt, we started with a hand cranked meat grinder that was screwed from a bottom clamp, onto the counter. We decided to put the nuts and fruit through the grinder, but had a very difficult time continually turning the cranking handle as all the nuts were continually tougher than the meat it had been used to, usually used to make hamburgers along with soft onions and mushrooms, etc., the chopping of nuts proved to need a little bit more muscle power. After this step, We then Coated them in chocolate, melted down from some very thin layered semi sweet chocolate cubes. This was our treat for the movie nights.
Gradually, we got tired of the hand cranked grinder, and advanced to a plug-in, small electric grinder.
In our first attempt, we started with a hand cranked meat grinder that was screwed from a bottom clamp, onto the counter. We decided to put the nuts and fruit through the grinder, but had a very difficult time continually turning the cranking handle as all the nuts were continually tougher than the meat it had been used to, usually used to make hamburgers along with soft onions and mushrooms, etc., the chopping of nuts proved to need a little bit more muscle power. After this step, We then Coated them in chocolate, melted down from some very thin layered semi sweet chocolate cubes. This was our treat for the movie nights.
Gradually, we got tired of the hand cranked grinder, and advanced to a plug-in, small electric grinder.
As we increased the volume, determined by our taste buds and our desire for these sweet treats, We had to make them, not just movie nights, but started sharing them with friends, who made quick work of them, so we needed more and more as time went. And our production increased.
Soon, the little electric grinding machine started to smoke and got exhausted. The nuts proved too much work for the little guy, So we advanced to a larger electri Grinder, which Didn’t take long to burn out also.
Claus had worked for a fellow that had been given a large heavy old meat grinder (Who we named Olga) that has been retired from the butcher shop long ago. On receiving “her” back to our home, we proceeded to take her completely apart, scrub down with steel wool and finally got it back together again. We then tried her out…. she hummed and purred along, and could take anything we fed her, including lots of nuts and fruit that we put in her feeding tray above the large, turning auger that she contained in her center. Olga was a trooper. She has been used in the Butcher Shop for many different purposes, so what we fed her was no problem and she is still around today and has become part of this history.
Soon, the little electric grinding machine started to smoke and got exhausted. The nuts proved too much work for the little guy, So we advanced to a larger electri Grinder, which Didn’t take long to burn out also.
Claus had worked for a fellow that had been given a large heavy old meat grinder (Who we named Olga) that has been retired from the butcher shop long ago. On receiving “her” back to our home, we proceeded to take her completely apart, scrub down with steel wool and finally got it back together again. We then tried her out…. she hummed and purred along, and could take anything we fed her, including lots of nuts and fruit that we put in her feeding tray above the large, turning auger that she contained in her center. Olga was a trooper. She has been used in the Butcher Shop for many different purposes, so what we fed her was no problem and she is still around today and has become part of this history.
Our next challenge was Our chocolate coating because once you Melt chocolate it does not set up the same, so normally companies use hydrogenated oil to keep it hard at room temperature however, this is not a healthy edible oil so we needed them to learn how to temper our chocolate. There was a trick to this which was known by very few chocolatiers. However, with the tempering machine this could be done. prior to tempering or chocolate, we had had one Failure after another.
My story continues on my next post.
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