Janel Hart didn't set out to become a chocolatier--she had studied fashion merchandising in college. Her life direction changed in 1998 when the business she was managing closed and she heard the local chocolate shop was for sale.
Twenty years later she is still in the chocolate business as owner of Bemidji's Chocolates Plus. "We are downtown right across from the playhouse on Beltrami Avenue," says Janel. "The store has been around since 1984. We do a lot of our own chocolates in-house, we sell lots of bulk candies, lots of gift items--coffee, tea, baby items--we have chocolates 'plus' a whole lot more."
Chocolates Plus sells fair trade chocolate that originally comes in wafer form. It has to be tempered in a tempering kettle before it can be made into individual chocolate candies. "Real chocolate has cocoa butter in it," Janel explains. "You can't just melt it. It has to be tempered or the fats--there are six different fatty acids--will separate. Tempering gives chocolate snap, shine, and its great mouth feel."
Making chocolate look good is as much an art as making it taste good. Chocolates Plus makes about 20 different types of truffles, including one representing Bemidji's famous Babe the Blue Ox. "It has a classic milk chocolate center, dipped in a blue confectionary coating, and then decorated like Babe--it's adorable!" Truffles have a ganache center encased in couverture chocolate. The centers contain chocolate, cream, butter, and sometimes a little alcohol, natural oil, or an infusion.
The folks at Chocolates Plus also make several varieties of fudge. When asked what candy is her personal favorite, Janel says, "It varies day by day. I love truffles. And we have a toffee with caramel on top of it called the Mary Ann. That's one of my favorites because it's got the crunchy and the chewy. It kind of depends on my mood for the day...but I usually eat chocolate at least once a day."
Valentine's Day is busy at the shop, but not as busy as Christmas, which is longer and more drawn out. Janel describes Valentines Day as "more intense." The Easter rush lasts about two weeks. Holiday time is busy. If there are breaks in serving customers the staff can restock the shelves. "If something you're looking for isn't on the shelf, ask," says Janel.
You can learn much more about the chocolate business from Janel Hart in the full interview below. For more information about Chocolates Plus, visit their website, their Facebook page, or their shop at 315 Beltrami Ave NW in Bemidji.
