Here's The Key To Coating Strawberries In Melted Chocolate

Don't get me wrong, strawberries are great on their own. Nothing compares to biting into a red berry so ripe that the juices run down your chin. However, few things in life cannot be improved with a bit of chocolate to take the indulgent factor over the edge, and strawberries are one of chocolate's best flavor pairings.

While chocolate-covered strawberries often feel like a strictly romantic treat reserved for Valentine's Day, they are actually a cinch to make at home for your significant other — or even just for yourself, any time of year. There is no shortage of ways to use fresh summer berries, but chocolate-covered strawberries are one of the simplest and most delicious ways to eat them.

Only a few steps stand between you and a plateful of chocolate-covered strawberries whenever the craving hits. It might seem like a minor detail, but making sure your berries are dry is how you can ensure they look like they came from a professional chocolatier. 

It takes less than an hour to make chocolate-covered strawberries in your home kitchen, and if you need to make a big batch of them for a party (or just to keep snacking on them) you can make them up to two days in advance.

For one pound of strawberries, which usually means about 20 well-sized berries, you will need four ounces of chocolate. Wash the berries and, as mentioned before, make sure they are well-dried. After chopping the chocolate into small pieces, there are a few modes of melting it down. One way is to melt the chocolate in the microwave, heating it in a glass bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate is smooth. You can also put the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl — either metal or glass — and make a double boiler by placing the bowl over a pot of simmering water to let the steam gently melt the chocolate.

After the chocolate is melted, prep a baking sheet by covering it with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, and then you are ready to get to dipping. Simply pick up the berries by the stem, dip them into the chocolate (rotating the berries to ensure full coverage), and place them on the parchment. All you need to do now is pop the berries in the fridge to harden before you can dig in. You can also try this with milk, dark, or white chocolate — anything your heart desires.

Remember how important I said drying your berries are? It may not seem like such a crucial detail but it ensures that the chocolate adheres to the strawberries and doesn't slide off after it hardens. If you've ever had the chocolate shell shatter and fall off strawberries when you went in for a bite, those strawberries were not fully dry. The small details make for a world of difference when it comes time to eat the berries. Moisture on the berries can also trap condensation and make your berries "sweat" as the water pools on the chocolate surface, or, worst-case scenario, the added moisture can make your chocolate seize up while dipping, making the chocolate chunky and unusable.

Thankfully all it takes is a good kitchen towel to make sure all the berries are bone dry. Something I like to do in my kitchen when I'm making chocolate-covered strawberries is to leave the berries out on a baking sheet for an hour or so after washing and drying them to make sure any residual moisture has evaporated.