Will it chocolate? Taste Test: Tree Berries!?

Is this the future of chocolate? Chocolate made from linden tree berries, carob and pepitas.
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Hi I am Ann Reardon, How to Cook That is my youtube channel it is filled with crazy sweet creations and food science made just for you. This week we are exploring linden tree chocolate made from the berries or fruits of the linden tree. We will also make chocolate from carob and pepitas to see if they are suitable substitutes for cocoa beans. Join me for creative cakes, chocolate & desserts, new video every Friday.
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[@Welgeldiguniekalias]

A lot of the flavour in chocolate comes from fermentation of the cacao. Perhaps these berries could also benefit from some kind of fermentation?

[@OYJluv]

I would like her to give another chance to the berries this way

[@dan13ljks0n]

I also wonder, since she picked them directly from the tree, were they ripe? That may make a difference too.

[@Ronsonpeters]

I was wondering that too? I was surprised because she made a super in depth video on chocolate a year or so ago!

[@felinemoonchild]

Isn't chocolate roasted? Or did I miss that Ann roasted them in the video?

[@kathleenj3647]

I haven't seen the whole video through yet, but I'm wondering if she watched the black forager's video on this. She thought the exact same thing and fermented, and I believe roasted, her linden. She's a botanist, and renowned forager/native plant expert, so I do have a fair bit of trust in her.

[@coconutcore]

“No. … They’re wrong.” Such eloquence. 👏 You gotta love those guys. They’re all so honest and sincere in their own way.

[@darcieclements4880]

I like the guy at the beginning of the video who says it doesn't taste like chocolate and then goes on to describe what chocolate tastes like as what it tastes like. I mean yes chocolate's a little bit more nuanced than that description but a little mocha with peanut sounds pretty darn close to chocolate to me😂 I've actually found the other notes of chocolate in other things so now I'm just kind of curious about maybe just giving reproducing chocolate a try with chemistry but first I'm going to watch the rest of this video😅 edit: I do hope that they give this a try with a few more different variables involved like just using the seeds and not the whole pod or ensuring that the pot is actually ripe before they write it off completely. I would also be inclined to use coconut oil instead of cocoa butter because cocoa butter's kind of cheating.

[@michaelcoetzee4344]

"Tastes like the fluff inside your pocket." How do you know what that tastes like...?🤣

[@marktwain8727]

😆😆

[@adulthumanfemale8666]

That was gold. So funny!

[@dianacourt377]

That comment was gold. I can hear my son saying the same

[@carriemiller6928]

This comment was so funny. I too could hear my son say the same thing which would cause me to ask the same question Ann did. 😂

[@sagesaria]

"You eat that?!" "Noooo... >>"

[@christinebravomom5711]

"I found the 1818 reference." One of the things I love about you is your commitment to getting the facts, all the facts, and nothing but the facts, regardless of how long it takes you to find a rare old book or how many microwaves you have to replace!

[@muhammad2uneeb]

Exactly! Now that's doing research

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

Pumpkin seed butter is a popular substitute for peanut butter in pumpkin country, and not just for those of us with peanut allergy. It's really good in its own right!

[@HowToCookThat]

It tasted really good

[@sporksto4372]

Ah yes, pumpkin, my favourite country.

[@zaza7594]

Now I need to know what pumpkin country is !

[@CelliniCreations]

@@zaza7594that would be Illinois. Morton, Illinois in fact. Just down the road from where I live. Home to Libby's pumpkin processing which produces 85% of the canned pumpkin in the country.

[@amyed3415]

@@CelliniCreationsI live in illinois and never heard of pumpkin seed butter LoL but I would like to try it. Sounds good.

[@scarletlamb]

The look of betrayal when he was told that someone said it tastes EXACTLY like chocolate. "No. They're wrong." Love that

[@KyleRDent]

The dark room makes it look like you're torturing a confession out of those poor guys 😂 "Admit it, or you get more of the lindenberry!"

[@qwertyTRiG]

Or more of the pocket lint?

[@WildArtistsl]

​@@qwertyTRiGnot the pocket Lint 😂

[@TomJakobW]

⁠@@WildArtistsl Slow down there, feller, or we‘ll escalate to the dingle berries! 🤠

[@estay.azimullah]

@@TomJakobW what the heck are dingle berries

[@feministmermaid4769]

I think you're supposed to use mature linden berries for this. They get very dark in the fall/winter and are pleasant.

[@katarh]

I was wondering about that. It's summer in Australia right now, no? I gave it a quick search and the recommendation is actually to harvest them in early spring because the sugar content will be highest - and one of the recipes for "chocolate substitute" also says the same.

[@treetzar1107]

Yeah, the old source said they were buttery where these aren't buttery, at least the guy with a little bit of success got them off the ground, so they were more likely to be ripe, and neither of those are close to the first girl who did it who had them in her garden, so it was a fruit she was familiar with. Sure maybe she could have explained how to get ripe fruit, but that doesn't debunk her. By this method you could debunk bananas, all you need to was to find a banana plant, pick the very unripe fruit and have your family complain about how nasty and astringent they are.

[@BaglessUpright]

Yes! I think the linden chocolate tasted bad because those fruits were under-ripe! The fruits of linden trees aren't berries; they're nuts! They're not supposed to be green, slightly soft, slightly juicy berries - that's just what they look like when they're immature. Mature linden nuts are brown, dry, and very hard. When they're ripe they fall from the trees. That's why the one guy was sweeping them up. If you have to yank a fruit from its stem, it's not ripe. The finished product probably tasted gross the same way any very under-ripe fruit tastes gross. Try it again with RIPE linden nuts! I bet it will taste better. And I bet the seeds of ripe linden nuts have more fat in them, too.

[@AmyLSacks]

@@BaglessUpright Dang I want to see this sequel now!!

[@whitneysanders6996]

⁹⁹⁹⁸⁸⁸​@@BaglessUpright

[@Foodgeek]

As a former bean-to-bar chocolate producer, I will say that cocoa beans are the only thing that 'chocolates' 🤣

[@HowToCookThat]

why former? what made you stop?

[@Foodgeek]

@@HowToCookThat It was a lot of work and I'd have to scale it to keep going. I won four international awards for the chocolate that I made, so I felt that it had proven itself succesful. I miss eating my own chocolate, though 🤣 So, I chose to stop and start on KZbin instead

[@starcherry6814]

Which makes sense. Everybody wants to recreate the wheel

[@melikatalks7676]

​@@starcherry6814 I believe the saying is "reinvent the wheel"

[@AMPProf]

What about coco worms?

[@AmyLSacks]

There was something of a carob candy "craze" in my part of the U.S. in the 1970s. I agree with a friend who says you can appreciate the flavor of carob better only when you let go of expecting it to be like chocolate. lol.

[@beckyfrichek8190]

Yes, I grew up with carob “chocolate” as a common treat in my 80s childhood. It’s not chocolate, but it definitely has its applications.

[@jools1978]

@@beckyfrichek8190 As a child of the 80s, my main objection to carob was the time a friend's parents asked me if I wanted some chocolate, and then gave me carob. It wasn't horrible when you accepted it for what it was, but expecting chocolate and receiving carob is a cruel thing to do to a child!

[@junbh2]

Yeah, I liked carob chips as a child. But they were always labelled from the start as carob chips, not chocolate chips.

[@djs_specs]

I only tried carob for the first time when they had some carob easter eggs a few years back. I went into it knowing it wasn't chocolate and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I do not, however, enjoy how much more expensive it is than chocolate.

[@InvadeNormandy]

It's in the class of food I have a life grudge against, like raisins. I pray that I never see a molecule of carob ever again.

[@rankinchelsea]

Have you ever done a compilation video of Dave and the kids trying your concoctions? Just their reactions. I'd love to see them all put in one video together. It's my favorite part of these videos.

[@HaliaStone]

I'd pay to see a compliation of every time Dave tries a nasty debunking recipe xD

[@HOTD108_]

R.I.P. Dave

[@roxelanaorc4065]

Agreed.

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

Poor abused family 😅. They are definitely good sports.

[@jemdragons3120]

Oh great idea!

[@tasha2297]

My other half is allergic to chocolate, when we discovered carob a few years ago on a trip to Morocco it was kind of mind blowing. We managed to find a manufacturer for bars that tasted almost exactly like chocolate (I taste tested!) and had such a smooth texture - it is a shame that these alternatives are not as easily available. The company we bought from is now out of business, and my other half is missing out. Thanks for the great video Anne, I'd love to see some experimentation with carob in baking!

[@kelseysparrow]

Idk where you are, but in the US, the dog “chocolate” treats are made with carob…

[@tasha2297]

@@kelseysparrow I doubt my other half would be impressed if I suggested he eat dog treats 😂

[@gray_mara]

If you are in Australia, carob is sold at nearly every chemist.

[@annieclark6535]

I had the same thing!

[@michele-33]

@tasha2297, Carob candy can be ordered online - also the Carob powder to make your own candy or cookies 😋🍫🍪 God bless 🕯️ ps: just Google "Where to order Carob candy" We don't want your other half missing out !

[@levitalevel8426]

Best part about working overnights in the US is that it works out with Australian timezones. So happy to see another one of your videos, Ann!

[@HowToCookThat]

I hope nightshift goes fast for you levitalevel8426

[@DDS_1117]

I second this! 🤩

[@m4rz585]

​@@feudelacroixim British and tired

[@danimyte3021]

As someone from a culture where Carob is used in food (mostly dessert), I've never thought of it as a chocolate substitute. I've always loved carob cake for it's rich and uniquely distinct flavour.

[@jennifert8542]

Some dog food places used carob as a chocolate substitute for dogs

[@GirlTalkTheOfficial]

​@@jennifert8542 I was gonna say the same thing! Carob is dog safe "chocolate"

[@DaemonInWhite]

I love that Ann's boys (and Dave) never hold back with the reactions 😂

[@vanclemmons]

I love Dave’s “unpleasant”. There is so much in that single word 😄

[@evapreu3011]

It must be thrilling to be her taste testers, there's really everything possible from completely unedible to phantastic and you never know what you'll get 😄

[@liriosogno6762]

They are so kind and sweet about it too 😂

[@mariyamak]

Growing up in the USSR, we had "soy chocolate" as a cheaper substitute for chocolate (you can still buy it in Russia), made with soybeans. I think it still has some cacao in it as a flavoring. It was slightly softer than a regular chocolate bar and tasted like carob chips (we didn't have those). The difference vs chocolate was very obvious but it was still delicious, probably because of the ton of sugar added!

[@pokepkata]

It was delicious cause we didn’t have an alternative… :)

[@john-doe-r]

@@pokepkata кроме "шоколадной плитки" был ещё сливочный шоколад, у которого выштамповка на шоколаде никогда не совпадала с рисунком на золотинке. В Свердловске не был дефицитом, не знаю как в остальном СССР. До иностранного молочного не дотягивал по моим детским воспоминаниям.

[@awesome220]

And don’t forget the cow blood chocolate

[@B00M-]

​@@awesome220Yes, Hematogen

[@corenisveryconfused]

​@pokepkata I mean a hell ton of chocolate comes from child slavery so that may of been for the best... Maybe it's time to move away from chocolate generally.

[@ijlayugan4149]

I clicked to figure out if Tree Berry chocolate is legit or not, but ended up learning about nut fat (and pumpkin seeds possibly being a good substitute for peanut butter). You never disappoint!

[@SunnyMorningPancakes]

There is a brand called "freenut butter" which is I think sunflower seed and a reasonably solid substitute 🙂

[@ownsacat]

I love sunflowers. Bet that would taste good

[@MissRora]

@@SunnyMorningPancakes For the Americans, there's Sunbutter, also made from sunflower seeds. A coworker of mine used to work at their plant and they're so serious about keeping the facility nut free that she couldn't even bring nut products in her lunch. Solid product too, definitely recommend.

[@giantduck8097]

Ann having to find a berry tree to make chocolate really shows how far she takes her research ❤

[@jebemvasvsetkych]

In Eastern Europe we make tea from the linden flowers. My grandma would make it every year from the tree in front of her house. It ends up being a very light colored steeped infusion without caffeine (of course) with a slightly sweet aftertaste. More often though, it's one of the herbs my family would put into these herbal tea mixes that kind of just come from whatever is around the garden and can be made into herbal tea. If you still have flowers left, dry them out and try it in an infusion 🥰 Love your videos every week 🥰

[@Call-me-Al]

I really love linden flower tea, but I stopped drinking it after finding out drinking it too much can worsen heart issues - while I don't have heart issues yet i am on a lot of medications that can have heart problems as side effect so i figured it was better to try to stay safe. Enjoy the deliciousness for those of us that can barely have it anymore

[@electronblue8334]

True, linden blossom tea used to be quite common in Germany, too. But I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing anything with the berries...

[@OrlindeEarfalas]

We do the same thing in the countryside in France! The name for the tree is "tilleul" :D I remember helping the village grandmas separate the flowers from the leaves and then spread them out to dry in the sun. Same, I've never heard of doing anything with the seeds

[@raimondasakyte4919]

@@Call-me-Al I've never heard of that side effect. Where I'm from we use it to cure(or prevent) common cold. It really helps with the cough.

[@Call-me-Al]

@@raimondasakyte4919 it's not really relevant for most people :) It's like how too much cinnamon or too much licorice root is bad for your liver or in smaller amounts if you have serious liver damage. That isn't something most people have to care about because they don't consume too much nor do they have very sick livers.

[@Kasamira]

Your kids are so sweet! I love how the youngest one tries so hard to be nice even when you can tell they don’t like it.😭 fantastic video as always Ann, I really adore your videos

[@Vickie-Bligh]

Your family is priceless. I love how they readily participate in your experiments and their unfiltered reactions & responses. I have such a huge grin on my face right now. Thanks for this, Ann.

[@crumpsyjay]

Carob whirls were what we enjoyed in primary school canteen in the 90s, 1c each, if we managed to get a dollar, we'd get 100 and the staff would have to count them out..loved them.

[@fscolli93]

I went looking for this comment! They were 5c at my school though 😁

[@saiyasha848]

"Like the fluff you find in your pockets" "You eat that??" "...No?" When your mouth is faster than your brain🤣

[@garymarshall5296]

You know he totally has eaten that.

[@EssentialBlue]

​@@garymarshall5296eating normally also includes swallowing. 😂 Maybe he only had it in his mouth and didn't swallow 🤣🤣🤣

[@Dawn_Hannah]

I’ve put my meds in my pockets and gone to take them and nearly swallowed lint with them, lol. But I don’t recall it ever having a particular taste! 😂

[@CapriUni]

I've actually had carob processed into little "chocolate chip"-like drops (don't know the full process of how that was done, or what sort of factory machinery was used in the process). I remember them being promoted as a "healthier" substitute for chocolate (especially for those who were trying to avoid caffeine and other stimulants). My verdict was: if you were *expecting* chocolate, they tasted terrible. But if you accepted that carob was its own thing, with it's own flavor, it tasted pretty good.

[@phionella7]

Ann I've said it before, you and your family amaze me. You go through the expense and time to make these incredible (if not always edible😂) items. And your men are such champs to do these taste tests KNOWING that some may be horrible. I thank you and your family. 😊

[@HowToCookThat]

They are always so willing to help

[@saraht855]

There is something very lovely about watching your sons grow up through your videos. I remember watching 2 little children eating cake and saying "yummy!" and now they are giving so much more commentary and sounding more like Dave. Your oldest should consider food reviews as a career, I think he'd be great at it! 😊

[@cuppu4525]

I love that Ann takes the time to really delve into the contexts behind what she's doing. Like finding an old book from 1818 is cool!

[@BRUXXUS]

Oooh! “Will it Chocolate” could be such a fun miniseries of videos! I found this one fascinating and fun!

[@jajsem1109]

Linden is our national tree, it is everywhere around here. Usually we use it like herbal "tea". Not sure if I ever try it to make "not-chocolate" :D

[@katiemckenzie521]

I love the ominous interrogation-esque taste testing set 😂 the results were very definitive in this one!

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

I propose a "Will it coffee? Testing other seeds/nuts/plant material tht could be used to make a coffee substitute.

[@AmyLSacks]

I remember Postum in the U.S. from my youth, visiting with the granparents. They would let me drink it so I could feel like a grownup without stunting my growth, or whatever. If only I'd had a candy cigarette to go with my pretend coffee, too! ;)

[@nullnullsjo]

Seconded! There was a a lot of weird stuff there. I have my grandmother's cookerybooks from around WWII and all of them has a couple of (horrible looking) coffee substitute recipes.

[@Francesc2000]

In the Mediterranean we eat Carob, and it's delicious. It's a lot softer if taken from the tree directly. It hardens a lot if allowed to dry once picked. It's a great substitute for chocolate. A lot of people don't like it because it's a different taste. I personally love it.

[@cardinalartist]

i love how genuine you and your family’s reactions are about every topic you cover! even if it’s just a quirky chocolate substitute, it rubs me the wrong way when creators oversell the success of their experiments, so it’s refreshing to see the reality of the results

[@SirNichosis]

The fact you got the proper machine to conche the chocolates and made proper bars really takes this over the top. Thanks for putting in the effort!

[@reallybadviolinist]

Guys, get the popcorn, Ann's back! Happy Australia Day 🇦🇺

[@HowToCookThat]

Happy Australia Day 😀🦘

[@ashaeerie]

in Spain linden flowers infusion is THE relaxing one. you are nervous, you get one.

[@sunnysomething]

I'm so glad you're back, Ann, I hope you had a wonderful break! This is a great video to start off the year, I do love chocolate. I wonder how they would turn out as a hot chocolate or ice cream, might end up tasting better.

[@HowToCookThat]

Thanks Lewis, I had a lovely break with the family over Christmas.

[@queenb1119]

I make pumpkin butter to use to bake cookies for my dog and he goes crazy for them! I use coconut oil instead of cocoa oil and honey to sweeten it a bit. I also use carob powder, coconut milk and cinnamon to make him a dog safe "hot cocoa" on snow days when we come inside from playing in the snow. The kids get regular hot cocoa and the dog gets carob hot cocoa. My kids and I love to find dog friendly recipes to imitate human recipes so that our Gryphon can feel included when we have special treats like cakes, pies, candies and chocolates. Plus, the kids love taste testing the dog version to see how close we've gotten! ❤

[@bennyk384]

This reminds me of those old Good Mythical Morning videos like "will it donut?" Where they made a horrible spaghetti donut. And I am absolutely here for it :D

[@AMPProf]

i used a round and it's weird but yummish ok umm ok

[@itsmandy8732]

The second I saw the title I thought of GMM 😂 hello fellow mythical beast! 😁

[@yurexgurlfriend]

As a person who loves your channel but also can't eat chocolate for medical reasons, I love this one and will make it a regular to show my friends when they ask what carob is

[@suzannestrickland1586]

I wonder if you could mix some of those with the normal chocolate making process to use less of the coco beans and still get a good tasting chocolate. Very educational. Thank you for being so through with your research and testing. I love every type of video you put out.

[@HowToCookThat]

thanks suzanne

[@everton.colombo]

In northern Brazil, they make chocolate out of Cupuaçu. It's called "cupulate". Some people say it's quite similar to chocolate, others say it has an unique taste, but still pleasent. I've never really liked it, though.

[@rdizzy1]

Cupuacu is in the same exact genus as cacao is. So that makes sense.

[@angelarthrasher]

I love your kids/husbands eloquent reactions when trying your questionable ingredient mixtures! They are sooo kind w/ responding w/ words like "oh that's unpleasant" ....my fam would yell "that tastes like @$$" and heave it across the room!

[@DragTeaServed]

Ann, you always out in so much time and effort into your videos! Thank you for all that you do 🙏

[@chewbacca7189]

i like how blunt Matt is ... "no!"

[@thesavvyblackbird]

Now that you’ve found a linden tree you should go back next spring and gather some linden blossoms for tea to recreate Proust’s linden tree tea with Madelines. I love how honest your family is. Those people claiming ground sweetened linden berries taste like chocolate are probably the ones saying pine needle’s taste like Sprite and balsamic vinegar mixed with sparkling water tastes like Coca-Cola. I don’t know what it would be like to live with their tastebuds.

[@kaya_nori]

Linden trees are very common in my area of the world, moreover - in my own yard there are three! So I'm definitely trying to make something out of linden berries next summer/autumn. Even if it won't be safe to eat, it will be a fun experiment. Thank you for the idea, Ann!

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

Linden is perfectly safe, as every part of it is edible. As for whether it will taste the way you expect, that's another question. I usually use the young leaves as raw greens, and the mature leaves to make tea.

[@jaywizardess]

You can use the flowers I know to provide some sweetness for teas and drinks.

[@rachell452]

In the medditerrean carob grows, I've had it many times and on its own it tastes sweet and caramelly. I think it's a different type than the one that grows in Australia, I really recommend you trying medditerrean carob. Although, we often soak it in boiling water to make it less tough. In my humble opinion, it tastes better than chocolate.

[@aequoreavicq]

Just hearing her say butyraceous is so funny. Just hilarious. But great vid! These fun lil experiments are always a treat to watch!

[@AtomicShrimp]

Linden is distantly related to cocoa (they're both in the mallow family - Malvaceae); some Linden varieties have comparatively large pods (maybe a little over a centimetre) and they are filled with several nut-like seeds arranged like the segments of an orange. I wonder if it's these seeds (minus the furry husk) that have been used - maybe they need to be picked at full size, roasted, then lightly crushed and winnowed to remove the husk, then just the seeds ground down.

[@swingstylez]

As a parent, in a family with children (not the teen or twenty-something I used to be) I totally get "that was easy but expensive" 😂 I hope you get to use the grinder again!!

[@HowToCookThat]

It's a great tool, but a pain to clean.

[@swingstylez]

@@HowToCookThatgood to know. I'll keep my eye on your channel. I have to justify new kitchen gadgets by learning enough recipes that everyone else likes 😂 P.S. Love your work and family!!

[@uroborous1660]

​@HowToCookThat based on the way the grinder looks, I am assuming it's a wet grinder used by a lot of South indians to make idly and dosa batter (rice lentil pancakes) We usually just add water and let it grind for a min. Most of them will tilt and let you drain off the water. Do it a couple of times. And then start the deep cleaning process by disassembling it. Since it's usually Rice, Lentils, and water, we don't use soap all the time. Hope it makes the cleaning process easier for you.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

​@uroborous1660 well, if she's using fat in there, it's going to need soap to clean it. Also water tends to make chocolate seize, which gives it a weird texture. I was really interested to know about different grinders, though, since I've never used one!

[@austenhead5303]

Gourmet Nutella time, if you ask me.

[@adamreynolds7757]

one of my favorite channels for a few years now! thank you for ✨️quality✨️ content, Ann!

[@sylve2474]

I never even thought that you could make chocolate or chocolate adjacent stuff out of other plants,, though I guess with those stellar reviews of how they tasted, there might be a reason why

[@shadowheartart3898]

That answer... "No. (pause) They're wrong". 😂 Your family members are troopers. The things they've taste-tested over the years! It sounds like the pumpkin seeds had the best taste result for you. I'm not surprised, since they're delicious as they are. No bar of pumpkin though 😅

[@oxoelfoxo]

always wondered about carob. thanks for including it in the tests!

[@CasperEgas]

I like carob. It is different, but if you would add it to a batter, it gives a real good choco flavour. I am allergic to cocao, so I like that there is some kind of alternative. Sadly they don't sell carob bars here anymore.

[@smileygirl6457]

Welcome back Ann hope you had a lovely break. Missed you.❤

[@HowToCookThat]

thanks smileygirl6457, I had a great break with the family.

[@PrincessSixThirteen]

These are my favorite kinds of videos from you. Straight recipe testing/comparisons.

[@byronchandler5000]

Another great demonstration as always, Ann. I missed you so much.

[@HowToCookThat]

Happy new year Byron

[@sharon5171]

I'd be very interested in more carob experimenting! As someone who needs to avoid chocolate for medical reasons, I've found carob to work well enough as a substitute to satisfy chocolate cravings (once I've converted the fat and sugar amounts in the recipe accordingly, at least). Interestingly, my best successes have been with combining carob and peanut butter! It ends up tasting surprisingly close to chocolate + peanut butter. Haven't experimented with other nuts though, so maybe another nut would work even better?

[@hritviknijhawan1737]

Yess! The video's here finally! I've been waiting so eagerly for another episode of H2CT! ❤

[@annieclark6535]

So excited to see the Carob!! Please do more. I have a cocoa allergy so I can't even have cocoa butter. There was one company who did Carob as a chocolate alternative well without adding cocoa butter like others do, but they stopped making it and my attempts at recreating their recipe have failed. I'd love a video showing different experiments with adding different fats and flavourings to Carob to make it as close to Chocolate as possible! 😁😁

[@PedantByNumbers]

It was pretty interesting to see how different things turn out when processed like chocolate. Makes me wonder what all would come out from different nuts, seeds, or even beans.

[@gracyloupicard]

Yay! So glad you're back! Happy that you took a break, and pray you had a lovely time. Super happy to see you back though. 💞 Miss your quality content when you're away.

[@hopehoping]

So good to see you back! Lovely that you can take a break of course (cheers!) but it was a real joy to open up youtube and see this! :) (An Australia Day treat!)

[@HowToCookThat]

Happy Australia Day hopehoping

[@Getpojke]

You can make tea from Linden flowers & leaves, though my favourite use for them is to use as a flavouring when roasting lamb, hogget or mutton (kid or goat is good too). It's a habit I picked up in Turkey, the flavour seems to go really well with naturally fatty meats.

[@sphlish2]

I keep being amazed by these videos again and again and again

[@Ouefdie]

The Pumpkin Seed paste you made is basically a more liquidy version of Halva. Halva is very tasty but also a little bit bitter.

[@m_a_ddyb]

I was so happy to see your video, I was waiting for it. Your family makes this video so fun with their honest and sweet responses. 🥰 I love seeing them. We are basically watching them all grow up.

[@stagnantfox3027]

Very interesting! I didn't know that the berries of a linden tree were even edible. In eastern europe we use linden flowers (the thinner more narrow part that looks like a leaf) to brew tea that is mean to be consumed whenever you feel feverish, supposedly it helps you sweat. Just as a note however, this to my knowledge is not scientifically proven, it is just a house remedy that has been circulating for centuries.

[@Ford_prefect_42]

I was about to go to bed when I thought "I wonder if Ann has a new video that I missed" and there it was in my notifications! Great video. I would love to see you just make different kinds of chocolate from scratch

[@BaronessJames]

I definitely love this video. I love linden, but as a tee, I never knew one could eat the berries. Thank you for doing this experiment! You are one of our favourite channels. My husband wasn't a fan at first but then he started respecting you a lot for all the work you put into research and explaining on a scientific base why something would or would not work. So now we always watch them together. ❤

[@christophermcbride9559]

I’ve been refreshing KZbin most days in the hope of a new H2CT video, great to see you back.

[@tiberseptim8330]

The interesting thing about carob is that unlike chocolate it doesn't contain theobromine which is the main bit that's toxic to dogs. Because of this I've seen treats for dogs where the selling point is that they don't have to miss out on the (approximate) flavour of chocolate and can indulge just like their owners without becoming sick.

[@Krabbeltje]

Wow very interesting! Makes me wonder what else might taste like chocolate or peanut butter!

[@chaosdandelion]

To Ann Reardon, I would just like to say thank you :) I chose food tech for my electives and I showed your cookbook to my teachers and they absolutely loved it. 🎉 Happy new year!

[@Lythial]

The boys and Dave are such good sports being your guinea pigs 😆 Loved all their reactions

[@gedelgo3242]

The experimental possibility here is great. Some food scientist working for nestle has probably tried making chocolate with every kind of plant seed.

[@xavierrose8208]

lol, so cute when your son fell over 😂😂. Thank you for the video, Ann! ❤❤

[@wtspman]

Basswoods, which are also in the Tilia genus along with lindens, have edible buds. If you break off a twig in late winter, the buds are really plump, with a high moisture content, and they taste alright.

[@Zola790]

I love to see that your family is so supportive and your experiments and your content overall is amazing.

[@NinaBobina3]

I loved the tiny chocolate bar moulds

[@itisdevonly]

I really like carob. It doesn't taste like chocolate, but it has a good taste.

[@antoniamarch]

Where I'm from carob trees are very common and one of the most popular ways to eat carobs is in icecream, it tastes like a mild chocolate icecream and it's quite good

[@Rowancat11]

Brilliant video! Hope my contribution pays for a new food processor bowl! 😁

[@RED-cy7ig]

I love how you experiment on your family. It's great.

[@Mrgaton]

Nunca me imaginé cómo sería mantequilla de semillas de calabaza 🎃

[@arianamauery9281]

The Linden tree has been historically used as a medicinal plant! They are rich in astringent compounds which explains the “dry” mouth feeling that Matt mentioned. I also wouldn’t be surprised that your “chocolate” tasted so much more bitter because you ground it a lot finer than the other creators and released a lot more of those compounds. Cool video!

[@julecaesara482]

I wonder if the taste might have differed if the Linden Tree had been healthier. I am no tree expert, but the Linden flowers looked either burned or, as they tend to do where I live, fungus-infested. edit: next time you find Linden fowers (not yet with the seed, but with a soft flower) make tea. It tastes a little like honey.

[@Conceptualcreatures]

Brilliant chocolate investigative work! Thanks Anne & Co!

[@I_am_Irisarc]

Please, Ann, just make more videos! Like this one, or like any of your others, just please make more numerous videos. I really enjoy them and I hate having to wait so long in between. Your videos are so interesting. You have great recipe fixes, work miracles with chocolate, and do really cool tests of supposed hacks. Plus, as an American, I have to admit that, like almost every other American, I just love to hear your accent. I know, I know, we're the ones with the accent 😅. I still really enjoy listening to you speak. Your oldest son is really cute, too. 🫣 I started to write "boy" instead of "son", but then I thought, "Wait, she might think I mean her husband."😅

[@thegorgmorg]

Always appreciate the dedication to citing sources and the deep dive portion of the videos.

[@bellarose-au]

Thank you very much for this video. Not only is it interesting, but it's answered many of my questions about why my (experimental work in progress) recipes for dairy-free versions of hazelnut spread, almond butter, chocolate and other things haven't been working quite the way I thought they should.

[@sangri03]

This was interesting. I had never heard of something being made out of linden berries. Linden flower tea, on the other hand, is delicious, especially with some honey. And the flowering trees smell amazing!

[@tomrcollins76]

I love the videos like this where you explain the detailed science/chemistry behind how recipes work.

[@jpendowski7503]

Thank you for honestly testing this stuff. So I don’t have to wonder for long. And thanks to your lovely Gents for tasting.

[@alex-kc9rd]

A really really perfect HTCT video, love love love seeing the hard work you put into videos, it’s so worth it!!!

[@Serratiger]

It's always such joy to see Ann's family participating in these videos! It really does look like they have a lot of fun trying out these weird experiments.

[@mljudd123]

I love the thorough research and dedication to quality this channel has! Thanks!

[@dylantrinder1571]

I’ve been looking forward to enjoying one of your videos Ann. Loved seeing the reactions from your family too. Thank you for sharing.