what type of cocoa butter?

[Zing]

I have a round plastic jar of cocoa butter (from Whole Foods). Scraping it out with a spoon is really difficult and time-consuming and leaves my hand sore. What type of cocoa butter is easy to work with and where do you get it? I'm in the midwest USA. Thanks!

 

[soapmaker]

I'm surprised you you can scrape it out at all. I get mine from WSP in Ohio. It comes in chunks in a plastic jar and you can pick out the size piece you think you will need, but you will still have to divide it somehow. I keep mine in a cool room and when I need a smaller piece I use a paring knife to stick into it and it just cracks apart.

 

[lsg]

I buy mine in by the pound when it is on sale at Wholesale Supplies Plus or one of the other online suppliers. I use a cutter such as the one in the link to cut off what I need. I usually store my butters in the refrigerator and freezer.
http://www.soap-making-resource.com/straight-soap-cutter.html

You might try to set the jar of cocoa butter in hot water to loosen it from the jar.

 

[dixiedragon]

Pastilles are probably the easiest.
https://www.brambleberry.com/cocoa-...tYoLVpXCL3Jq8AprcDRr0nyLHkRh1L3IaAno4EALw_wcB

I get mine in big cubes from Soaper's Choice, or in a bag o' chunks from Camden Grey. If I have a big cube, I hit it with a hammer until I get chunks. I definitely wouldn't want to scrape it out of a jar. What is the jar made of? Possible put it in a hot water bath to melt the cocoa butter?

 

[shunt2011]

I too get mine in big cubes from Soaper's Choice. I just use a knife and a small mallet to break off chunks.

 

[amd]

I get mine in big cubes from Soaper's Choice. I melt mine down at a very low temp and divide it as soon as I get it. I put it in baggies while liquid and then when I need it I can just peel away the bag. Right now I am measuring out to the amount that I need to masterbatch for soap. When I use it for bubble scoops or lip balms, I have to cut it with a meat cleaver, which really results in more of "shaving into crumbly chunks". The next time I do a huge cube, I will probably plan out a few smaller bags specifically for bubbles and balms.

My first pound of cocoa butter I got from iherb.com, it came in a plastic jar like you are talking about. It was a much softer consistency (something in between shea butter and the cocoa butter from SC) and I was able to scrape-scoop it out of the jar. As I got closer to the halfway mark, I did start putting it in a hot water "bath" to melt/soften.

 

[earlene]

Where I get it doesn't matter as much as how I get it out of the container and what type of container it is.

Some vendors sell it in solid blocks, wrapped in Plastic. Essential Depot is one of those vendors who sells large blocks that way. Many vendors sell smaller amount in plastic jars. With the large blocks, I use a very sharp kitchen knife to cut off smaller chunks, then put those chunks into another container for storage. The chunks inside my plastic container are easy to get out and weigh.

When I have CB in smaller containers (I don't usually, but have in the past purchased that way), I do what others above mentioned, the hot water bath to soften the CB enough to cut bits out of the jar. If I know I"m probably going to need all or most of what's in the jar, I just melt it all in the jar and pour it into my mixing vessel on the scale to get the desired weight.

After the jar is mostly empty, I use the residue as a hand softener. I love cocoa butter for that, more so than any of the others I use for making soap.

 

[Zing]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions, I'll check into all of them. I'm so thankful for all the helpful people on this forum! My first recipe with cocoa butter is curing and I'm anxiously waiting until I can try it! It killed my hand getting it out of the jar -- BUT felt sooo good on my fingers....

 

[lyschelw]

I was wondering if you could gently melt it out of the jar into something like an ice cube tray? Then you would be able to re-use it at will. Does anyone know if re-heating it would be a problem?

 

[BrewerGeorge]

If you can find it in pastilles, it is super easy to measure. Probably not the most economical way to buy it, but I don't use much (a pound will last me a year) and it's worth it to be able to just pour.

 

[dixiedragon]

could you take a box cutter and cut off the bottom of the jar?

 

[SunRiseArts]

Is your jar is plastic, and has no metal at all, like around the rim or something. Place it in the microwave for 20 seconds, and you will be able to scrap it easily.

I too use the one from WSP, but I do not use cocoa very much in my soaps. maybe once a year.