Purchasing chocolates from Legacy Chocolates is unlike buying a grocery store candy bar. Legacy Chocolates only uses real chocolate in our special treats, meaning our chocolate must be stored in certain places to stay fresh and delicious.
So, how do you store real chocolate? Let’s dive in!
What Is The Right Temperature For Storing Chocolate?
Some experts suggest storing chocolate at 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, others suggest 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you've walked into our store, you will notice it is always 68 degrees, which feels great in the summer but cool in the winter.
We keep our chocolate cases around 50 degrees.
What Happens To Chocolate That’s Not Stored Properly?
Chocolate should be kept in a cool, dry place. Heat can cause bloom, which is a grayish-white coating formed from the cocoa butter compounds separating and crystallizing on the surface.
If the chocolate is used for baking, the bloom will disappear once the chocolate melts. Bloom can also arise from humidity.
Sugar bloom, as this type is known, results when moist air draws the sugar to the surface, where it recrystallizes to form a gray substance. Unlike heat bloom, sugar bloom does affect taste and texture.
Should You Store Chocolate In The Fridge Or Pantry?
Chocolate bars for eating and cooking should be tightly wrapped in foil, paper, or an airtight container. But do you put that container in the fridge or pantry?
And what about summertime? How should you protect your chocolate in the summer?
Chocolate In The Fridge
It isn't generally recommended to store open chocolate in a refrigerator, as the lower temperature will cause it to be exposed to humidity and the penetrating odors of other foods. If, for some reason, you need to freeze your baking chocolate, it should be defrosted gradually.
Our truffles are individually wrapped, so they don’t necessarily have a problem in the fridge. However, cold chocolate doesn’t taste as good as room-temperature chocolate.
Chocolate In The Pantry
Hiding your chocolate in a pantry is the way to go, as long as your pantry is dark and dry. Humidity causes the fat and sugars in chocolate to separate and then solidify again, which ruins the taste and consistency.
Just make sure to store your chocolates in an airtight container or plastic bag to seal them off from moisture.
Chocolate In The Summer
When you store your chocolate in the summer, you want to make sure that your pantry is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit and below 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Again, store them in an airtight container to keep the chocolate from being exposed to moisture.
How Long Does Chocolate Last?
Dark chocolate can be stored for a year or more, and milk chocolate from 6 months to a year.
Truffles, bonbons, and confections with fillings – especially those made with fresh cream or butter – should be eaten within days of purchasing. Their quality depends on freshness.
Our ganache-filled truffles will last three months if stored in the refrigerator.
Does Chocolate Expire?
Generally, chocolate does not go bad. Since it contains fat, it can spoil, but cocoa butter is incredibly shelf-stable.
Chocolate can last for a decade or longer when stored in a cool, dry place.
However, as we stated, anything with fresh cream or butter may spoil after a few days, so don’t wait to eat your favorite chocolate treats!
Visit Legacy Chocolates For Delicious Chocolate
Now that you know the proper way to store your chocolate, stop by our chocolate and coffee shop in downtown St Paul and see for yourself how our temperature-controlled environment, coupled with our handmade confections, brings sweet joy to legions of savvy chocolate and coffee lovers every day.
We look forward to seeing you! For more information, give us a call at 651-340-5252 or shop online today!
