Transform & Preserve

Temper

Ease two mixtures together by temperature to avoid curdling or seizing

Tempering gently raises the temperature of a delicate ingredient — like eggs — by whisking in a little hot liquid before combining fully, so it doesn't scramble. The same word covers controlled heating and cooling of chocolate for a glossy snap. Go slow and whisk constantly.

Tempering covers two different but related kitchen feats, both about easing a delicate ingredient through a temperature change so it doesn't seize up. Tempering eggs means gradually warming them with a little hot liquid — whisking in spoonful by spoonful — before combining fully, so they thicken a custard or sauce instead of scrambling. Tempering chocolate means carefully heating, cooling, and reheating it through precise temperatures so its cocoa-butter crystals set in the right stable form, giving a glossy finish and a crisp snap. Both demand patience, a thermometer (for chocolate), and constant attention.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Types & varieties

Tempering eggs

Slowly warming beaten eggs with hot liquid before combining, for custards and egg-thickened sauces.

Tempering chocolate (seeding)

Melting chocolate, then stirring in solid tempered chocolate to set the right crystal structure.

Tabling chocolate

The classic method of spreading melted chocolate on marble to cool it into temper.

How to do it

1
Eggs: beat first
Whisk the eggs (or yolks) smooth in a bowl before any hot liquid touches them.
2
Eggs: stream in hot liquid
Ladle in a little hot liquid while whisking constantly, raising the eggs' temperature gradually.
3
Eggs: combine and cook gently
Once warmed, pour the eggs back into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened — never boiling.
4
Chocolate: melt
Gently melt chocolate to its target high temperature, stirring smooth.
5
Chocolate: cool and seed
Stir in solid chopped chocolate to cool the melt and seed stable crystals down to the working temperature.
6
Chocolate: test
Smear a little on parchment; properly tempered chocolate sets quickly, glossy, with a clean snap.

The science

Eggs thicken because their proteins unfold and link up with heat — but raise them too fast and they bond too tightly into scrambled curds. Tempering warms them slowly so they set into a smooth thickener instead. Chocolate temper is about crystal form: cocoa butter can solidify in several crystal structures, and only the stable 'Form V' gives gloss and snap. The heat-cool-reheat cycle (or seeding with already-tempered chocolate) selects for that form.

Common mistakes

Both kinds of tempering punish haste and heat.

Adding hot liquid to eggs too quickly or all at once, scrambling them.
Letting an egg-thickened sauce boil, which curdles it after all your care.
Overheating chocolate or letting water touch it, which causes seizing.
Skipping the test smear and finding out the chocolate is out of temper after it sets dull and streaky.

Common uses

Custards, crème anglaise, and ice cream basesEgg-thickened sauces and lemon curdGlossy dipped and molded chocolatesChocolate bark and decorationsCarbonara and other egg-finished saucesPastry cream

Tips & pitfalls

Whisk eggs constantly while streaming in hot liquid — momentum prevents scrambling.
A thermometer takes the guesswork out of chocolate tempering.
Keep every drop of water away from melting chocolate.
Seeding with chopped tempered chocolate is the easiest home method.
If a custard threatens to curdle, pull it and blitz with an immersion blender to smooth it.

Good to know

Tempering eggs: Whisk in hot liquid a little at a time to warm them gradually
Egg curdle point: Eggs scramble around 70 °C (160 °F) — keep custards below
Dark chocolate temps: Melt ~45–50 °C, cool to ~28 °C, rewarm to ~31–32 °C
Seeding method: Stir in solid tempered chocolate to seed stable crystals
Sign of temper: Glossy surface, crisp snap, no dull streaks (bloom)

Also called

temper eggs · temper chocolate