You have purchased delicious chocolate treats or made your own chocolate to give to friends and family as gifts. How do you preserve the quality of the chocolate over time? Store your chocolate properly with our helpful tips from your friends at Dorinda’s!
Where to Store Chocolate
Chocolate absorbs other scents, so make sure to store your chocolate away from anything odorous like onions or strong-smelling herbs. The part of chocolate that is a smell-absorber is the fat of the cocoa butter. The different smells will be absorbed by the chocolate, and when you bite into your chocolate treats you will be tasting all of those other flavors!
Keep your chocolate away from direct sunlight, as the sunlight will warm the chocolate and cause problems. Another enemy of chocolate is moisture, as water can spoil chocolates! Keep your chocolates stored in a cool, dry place out of reach from pets and devious chocolate thieves.
Store Different Types of Chocolate
The higher ratio of cacao to milk or cream, the longer the chocolate will last. Dark chocolates can be stored for up to one or two years, while milk chocolate and white chocolate are best if consumed within six months to one year.
Chocolate truffles should be consumed within 7-10 days, since they have delicious fresh ingredients on the inside! If you must store chocolate truffles, store them for no longer than three to four months.
If you are storing baked goods like chocolate chip cookies, the storage rules are a little different. Baked goods will not last as long as chocolates, so share the chocolate baked treats so they don’t spoil or go stale!
Not Too Hot or Too Cold
Storing chocolate in a hot area will cause the fat to rise to the top of the chocolate, forming a white film layer over the chocolates. Storing chocolate at too cool of a temperature will mess with the sugar in the chocolate and cause blooming.
So what’s the magic number? Our friends at Chocoley suggest storing your chocolate at 55°F to 68°F in an area where there is less than 50% humidity.
How Long to Store Chocolate
Preservatives in large brand chocolates ensure that the chocolate keeps for a very long time. Purchasing artisanal chocolates like Dorinda’s gourmet handcrafted chocolates means purchasing chocolate with little to no preservatives.
Instead of buying in bulk, buy enough chocolate to take care of you for a month at a time. The fresher the chocolate, the more delicious!
Always Have Fresh Chocolate on Hand
Keep a constant supply of delicious chocolate in your house or office without worrying about the chocolate lasting longer than a month by signing up for Dorinda’s Chocolate of the Month Club. When you become a Chocolate of the Month member, you will get a monthly delivery of chocolate treats hand-selected by Dorinda herself.
Cannot get enough of our Sea Salt Caramels? Add them on to your chocolate subscription so you will always have chocolate treats available in case of a chocolate emergency.
With help from fellow chocoholics at Dorinda’s Handcrafted Chocolates, maintain and protect your chocolate stash at all times.