How to store handmade chocolate. Useful properties of chocolate. Increased humidity and temperature

Shelf life: 12 months
Best before date: 12 months
Shelf life in the refrigerator: not indicated
Freezer life: not indicated

It is impossible to unambiguously answer the question about the shelf life of chocolate, since everything depends not only on the production and storage conditions, but also on the composition of the product, for example, the absence or presence of fillings, which is why many factors influence the shelf life of dessert. The longest shelf life of chocolate produced at the factory reaches a year. As a rule, this is the shelf life of dark chocolate. Dairy milk has a slightly shorter shelf life - about 10 months. The most perishable chocolate is white, its shelf life is only 1 month. This difference in storage between varieties is explained by different amounts of fat content. The more fat content in chocolate, the shorter its shelf life, which is why dark chocolate can be stored for so long.

Chocolate with fillings and or fillings can be stored for about 6 months, it all depends on the filling, the fattier and thinner it is, the shorter its shelf life. The shortest shelf life is for sweets and chocolate that were made by hand. Such chocolates will last no more than a month, and sweets no more than two weeks.

How to store chocolate

Special care must be taken when storing this sweetness. If storage conditions are violated, even the highest quality or fresh chocolate can be spoiled in a short time. The first thing that can spoil chocolate is odors. The delicacy is very demanding of them and in just a few hours it can become saturated with unpleasant foreign odors, which is why it should be stored in an airtight package.

The optimal storage temperature for chocolate is 16-19 degrees. Some people store the treat in the refrigerator, but at a temperature of 16 degrees the chocolate will not melt, and due to storage in the refrigerator, white spots of sugar crystals will appear on the surface of the chocolate due to the freezing of water from the product. If the temperature is too high, the chocolate will release cocoa butter, causing the chocolate to become loose and brittle. If the air during storage of chocolate is very dry, it will become unflavoured and brittle. Thus, in order to enjoy the taste of your favorite dessert and get maximum pleasure from it, you must comply with the storage conditions.

Whitish coating, melted, deformed candies, dried out and failed pralines - who among us has not encountered these troubles of chocolate candies and bars. Such chocolate loses its taste and is no longer as healthy. How to keep chocolate fresh?

Storage temperature is very important. It should be slightly lower than normal room temperature - from 16 to 20 C. Above that, and the chocolate begins to melt, then it will become bitter.
You should avoid exposing chocolate to sunlight, and also do not place sweets near a radiator or other heat sources.
If the chocolate has melted, the fat from the cocoa beans crystallizes when the sweetness re-freezes and creates a white coating.
You cannot store chocolate in the refrigerator. This causes it to become covered with a whitish coating.
Chocolate must be stored in packaging, even if you bought it without it, you must wrap a piece of chocolate in foil and thick paper.
Chocolate easily absorbs odors, so it should be stored not only well packaged, but also away from spices and other strong-smelling items.
Chocolate should not be stored beyond its expiration date. It can become simply harmful.

Shelf life of different types of chocolate

It depends on the amount of fat.

Bar dark chocolate is stored for 1 year
6-10 months dessert chocolate without additives
3 months - chocolates with nuts and raisins
2 months – chocolate by weight without packaging
1 month – white chocolate (it is the fattest)
2 weeks – chocolates with fillings

If the chocolate has turned white, but its shelf life has not yet expired, then you can use such chocolate for cooking. Melt it in a water bath with the addition of a small amount of cream, for example, dip berries or pieces of fruit in it and let dry. Or eat it right away. It turns out to be an improvisation in the style of fondue.

Spoiled chocolate that has lost its shape can be grated and made into a chocolate drink:

Viennese chocolate

1 bar of dark chocolate

4 glasses of water

4 tbsp. sour cream

Sugar to taste

Step 1. Break the chocolate into pieces, put it in a saucepan, pour in 1 glass of warm water. Wait five minutes for the chocolate to soften.

Step 2. Place the pan over low heat, stirring until the chocolate dissolves completely.

Step 3. Add 3 more glasses of water. Place over very low heat and stir the yolks into the chocolate.

Step 4. Stir until the mixture thickens, but do not bring to a boil.

Step 5. Pour into cups, add a spoonful of sour cream and sugar to taste to each.

Or sauce:

1 chocolate bar

½ glass of water

2 tbsp. Sahara

1 tbsp. butter

Liquid vanilla

Step 1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces or grate. Cut the butter into small pieces. Put it all in a saucepan.

Step 2. Melt over low heat, stirring.

Step 3. While heating, add milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir until everything turns into a homogeneous mass.

In-store purchase

Unfortunately, in the store you can buy candies that have a white coating on them, this happens even if the product’s shelf life has not yet expired. The whole point is that the store or suppliers stored it incorrectly. In refrigerators, for example.

This can be done in the summer when it’s hot, so it’s better to buy chocolate in the cold season. Look at the date of manufacture - if the candies were produced very recently, then the likelihood of buying spoiled chocolate is reduced.

If you buy many boxes of chocolates for gifts at once, keep in mind that these gifts should not be stored for long, no more than 3-4 months. And calculate the quantity based on this period.

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Chocolate is a very tasty product, but capricious. Many people know that it melts at high temperatures, and they try to hide it somewhere cooler. Today we will figure out whether it is possible to store chocolate in the refrigerator. It turns out that the benefits it will bring depend on the correct choice of treat. If the conditions are unsuitable, the tile will lose not only its presentation, but also its taste.

All the best for children

We often buy this delicacy specifically for children. This means that we must choose the highest quality product. First of all, you need to pay attention to the packaging, which should be neat and contain information about the manufacturer, release date, expiration date and other data. The tightness of the packaging is another important point. It is this that allows chocolate to retain its properties throughout its shelf life.

Last check

If you bought a dessert, but are not sure of its quality, then simple steps will help you evaluate it. You don't need to be an expert to do this. You will need chocolate at room temperature. If you just returned from a hot street and brought the tiles with you, then postpone the experiment.

Real chocolate always crunches when broken.
At the break it is matte, without excess shine. There should also be no air bubbles (unless it is aerated chocolate).
Natural chocolate quickly melts on the tongue.
If it doesn’t melt well and behaves like “plasticine,” it means that extraneous fats were used during production, which should not be in the tile.

How long does dessert last?

If the tiles are wrapped in branded packaging, then such questions should not arise. It must have release and storage dates. But they are not always indicated truthfully. Often artificially inflated. This is one moment. Second: they can be outbid at retail outlets. At the same time, storage conditions at different stages of implementation are far from ideal. And the candy wrappers don’t even indicate the shelf life. It is only on the box, which remains in the store. Let's define the terms that the buyer can focus on:

A bar of dark chocolate can be stored for up to a year.
High-quality milk can usually last for 6 months. But modern stabilizers allow it to “live” for up to 1 year.
If sesame seeds, nuts, raisins or cookies are added to the bar, the shelf life is reduced to 3 months.
Natural white chocolate can be stored for 30 days. But special supplements can extend this period to 12 months.

That is, you need to buy sweet bars in specialized departments, where you can be provided with quality certificates and documents on the delivery time of the goods to the retail outlet.

Attention to packaging

Before moving directly to the question: “Can chocolate be stored in the refrigerator?”, let’s say a few more words about packaging, because this is a key point. Have you noticed that each bar is sold in a foil wrapper? In addition, the top is closed in a box made of thick cardboard or special paper. Why such difficulties? Definitely not for beauty.

Chocolate is afraid of direct sunlight and oxygen. It can be spoiled by high air humidity, and foreign odors are also harmful. Sealed packaging allows the dessert to lie for some time even in direct sunlight without consequences.

We draw a conclusion

All of the above is directly related to the question of whether chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator. The packaging is designed to ensure the preservation of product quality at room temperature. In the refrigerator compartment, the temperature and humidity conditions are completely different. But there are certain requirements that still have to be met.

Ideal conditions are in the range of +18...+20 °C. That is, there is no need to store chocolate in the refrigerator; it just sits perfectly in the cupboard.
It should be stored packed in foil. Once the packaging has been damaged, the tiles should be consumed within a few days.
Never place sweet tiles on the same shelf as spices and fragrant herbs. Even when packed, it can absorb foreign odors.

Keep warm

The sweet treat loves to melt in your mouth. But in the hot summer it is best to remove it from the table if direct rays of the sun fall on it. When exposed to heat, the tile softens and begins to flow. At the same time, her taste changes quite a lot. Experts say that if chocolate is melted, it must be eaten immediately, otherwise the product will spoil. Of course, no one would even think of throwing out chocolate; they would rather put it in the refrigerator. But if you repeat this trick several times in a row, the deterioration in quality will be obvious. And if it's hot summer, can you store chocolate in the refrigerator?

Cool place

If you brought the tiles from the store, you can put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Nothing bad will happen, especially when it’s very hot outside and the selected compartment is +2 °C. But if the room is maintained at the recommended temperature, then it is quite possible to leave the treat somewhere away from direct sunlight.

It’s worse if the tile has already melted and you decide to remedy the situation by putting it in the refrigerator. In this case, the cocoa butter that is included in the composition melts. This leads to the formation of a whitish coating on the surface of the tile after hardening.

We considered two points. But today, not everyone has refrigerators with temperature control functions in different compartments. And older models often produce much more cold than is required for domestic needs. Is it possible to keep chocolate in a refrigerator where the temperature is maintained at -10...-12 °C? Not recommended as this will also cause a white residue to appear on the surface. In this case, it is caused by crystallized sucrose, which, after freezing out the moisture, appears in the form of plaque.

Freezer

“Excuse me,” you say. “If we have looked in such detail at why you can’t store chocolate in the refrigerator, then everything is already clear with the camera.” But it's not that simple. During rapid freezing, slightly different processes occur. Therefore, if you place the tile in the freezer, where the temperature is kept around -18 degrees, then it can safely lie there for several years. The main thing is to gradually lower the temperature. First we move the tiles into the refrigerator, then onto the side door, then onto the windowsill and onto the table. Important! Chocolate can only be frozen and thawed once.

Instead of a conclusion

Let's now summarize. Why shouldn't chocolate be stored in the refrigerator? The photo above shows us tiles with a white coating, which looks unappetizing. There are two reasons for its occurrence:

"Fat graying." If the bar melts and then you put it in the refrigerator, the fats recrystallize. As a result, an unpleasant soft coating appears.
"Sugar bloom." It is caused by condensation that forms when chocolate is taken out of the refrigerator. Moisture condenses on its surface, and when the moisture evaporates, a white coating remains. Often, the taste of chocolate deteriorates, as well as its structure, especially if the product is not of very high quality.

That is, chocolate most of all does not like strong temperature changes. Therefore, store it in a regular cabinet, protected from sunlight, at +20 °C.

At times, chocolate is like a capricious child, as its behavior can be unpredictable: it will melt for no apparent reason, or it will break in your hands. Such “whims” of chocolate treats can be explained by improper storage. In order to avoid unpleasant situations associated with a sweet product in the future, it is necessary to study the theoretical question of how to properly store chocolate.

What affects storage?

In order for us to be able to enjoy our delicacy longer, special attention should be paid to storing chocolate at home. The shelf life of chocolate is influenced by the wrapper, the environment, air temperature, and the composition of the product itself. After all, if you violate the storage conditions for chocolate, even the freshest and highest quality product can spoil very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why and when this can happen. Let's take a closer look at all the factors that influence the quality of your favorite treat.

Chocolate should be stored only in a dry place, with a humidity of no more than 75%. If the indicator is higher, this may affect the taste of the treat. If the air is too dry, the product will lose its odor and become brittle.
To keep Chocolates at their best, the packaging must be lightproof and airtight. When chocolate treats come into contact with light and air, they oxidize, change their taste and acquire an unpleasant odor. However, cocoa, which is included in the composition, slows down the oxidation processes. The higher the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate, the longer it will not oxidize. This way dark chocolate will last longer than milk chocolate. White, not containing cocoa, is the most sensitive to these factors.

Avoid foreign odors. If you store chocolate near fish, meat or cheese, it can absorb these aromas in the shortest possible time and its taste will deteriorate. Therefore, under no circumstances should you store treats with strong-smelling foods and spices.
Temperature changes will cause a white coating to appear on the product. Because cocoa butter crystals can increase in size over time and with temperature fluctuations. As a result, white spots similar to plaque form on the surface of the chocolate bar. Many people believe that the product should not be eaten, but this is not true. The white coating does not harm the chocolate in any way.
Keep away from heat sources. The chocolate bar sold in the store contains type 5 crystalline forms, which have a melting point of 32⁰C. Thanks to this feature, the milk bar practically melts in your mouth. When exposed to high temperatures, the crystalline form is destroyed, the shelf life of chocolate is reduced and its taste changes.

Do not store it in a car, in the inside pocket of a jacket, near a battery, or in other places with high temperatures.

Proper storage at home

Lovers of aromatic and invigorating bars often have questions: “How to store chocolate at home? ", "Can chocolate be stored in the refrigerator? ", "Can candy be stored in the freezer? ", "I store the tiles correctly, I make sure that all conditions are met, but the delicacy still spoils, is this my fault? " To answer all these questions, you need to consider in detail all the conditions that exist in order to know how and how long you can store chocolates:

The ideal temperature that meets all conditions is considered to be 16⁰С-20⁰С. If the thermometer reading does not rise above these indicators, then the tile can be kept at room temperature. And if the temperature at home is like in the Sahara, then it is better to place the delicacy in the refrigerator.
At any temperature and humidity level, packaged tiles can be stored in the refrigerator. Of course, such storage can cause a white coating on the product, but this does not affect the quality. If the tile is already opened, keep it in an airtight container.

Proper storage of any chocolate (bitter, white, milk) should be carried out in packaging. If the whole product is not eaten after opening, it is better to wrap it in foil.
If you put the tiles in the freezer, they will be perfectly preserved, regardless of the storage conditions.

If the chocolate has acquired a white coating and the expiration date has not yet expired, it can be used in the preparation of various desserts and sweets.

Shelf life of different types of chocolates

Storing chocolate depends on the amount of fat it contains. The more fat, the faster the product spoils. In order not to put your health at risk and not to consume unsuitable products, you need to remember what the shelf life of bar, dessert and white chocolate is:

Chocolate bars have the longest shelf life - 1 year.
When stored according to all the rules, a simple dessert chocolate bar retains its taste for 7-10 months.
What is the shelf life of filled chocolate? A dessert bar with a filling or additive can be stored for about 3 - 3.5 months.
Chocolate can be stored without packaging for no more than 60 days.
White delicacy bars are stored for no more than 30 days.

Manufacturers of chocolate sweets are allowed to add preservative E-200 to it to increase shelf life. Despite the fact that experts refute the negative factor of its use, it is better to give preference to tiles that can be stored for no more than half a year.

Do not consume product that has expired. This may have a detrimental effect on your health.

Thus, in order to enjoy the unique taste of our dessert longer, it is enough to follow simple storage rules. After all, the variety of chocolate and chocolate bars with filling is amazing. And how not to treat yourself to your favorite delicacy and get the most out of it.

On the Internet, you can increasingly see recommendations that chocolate should under no circumstances be stored in the refrigerator. There is an opinion that this can cause it to deteriorate and become covered with a white coating. Is this true and what should you do in the summer, when there is a high probability that your favorite delicacy may melt due to high temperatures? We decided to understand the intricacies of “chocolate science” and found answers to these questions.

What can happen to a chocolate bar on a hot summer day if it is left in a car or on a sunny windowsill? After some time, it will melt and will be more like hot chocolate, popular in the winter season.

When faced with this situation, many people try to save their favorite treat and put it in the refrigerator, but then get disappointed because it doesn't look as appetizing as before. The chocolate changes shape and white spots appear on its surface. Given this bitter experience, we might conclude that refrigeration has a negative effect on chocolate. In fact, everything is not quite like that.

Chocolate Science: Factors Affecting Storage

Oxidation

When exposed to air and light, chocolate oxidizes. Under their influence, the properties of the fat contained in the product change, which leads to a change in taste and the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

White chocolate is made without cocoa powder, which means it does not have the same protection and is very sensitive to air and light. To prevent oxidation, store white chocolate in an airtight, light-proof container.

Diffusion

Substances from the environment can penetrate through tiny openings in the packaging and affect the chocolate. In addition, water and alcohol from the filling may also be released into the environment.

Because of this, chocolate began to be sold in sealed packages, although you can still find chocolate bars wrapped in aluminum foil or cardboard on store shelves.

Ostwald ripening

The same thing that happens with ice crystals also happens with small cocoa butter crystals: over time, they can increase in size. This effect is known as Ostwald ripening.

Groups of cocoa butter crystals may form on the surface of the chocolate as white spots. The process accelerates with temperature fluctuations. You may have observed this effect if you accidentally left chocolate on a cold windowsill overnight. When the product begins to heat up the next day under the influence of temperature, moisture is released. During this process, cocoa butter settles on the surface of the chocolate, forming an unappetizing white coating. However, rest assured that this layer has nothing to do with mold and does not in any way affect the taste of the treat.

Hygroscopicity

Chocolate contains 0.6% water and, without proper packaging, can quickly absorb moisture, initiating the process described above (in the worst case, it can become moldy). In this regard, it is recommended to use sealed packaging that protects chocolate from exposure to microbes. Due to their low water content, their growth is much slower.

Mixing flavors

Fat-soluble volatile substances contained in the flavors of cheese, fish and meat can be quickly absorbed by chocolate. Because of this, the product may acquire a not very pleasant smell and taste.

White chocolate is especially susceptible to off-flavors, so it should be stored in airtight containers that are free of lingering odors from other foods.

Heating

Cocoa butter comes in various crystalline forms. Types III and IV are eliminated at the manufacturing stage. The chocolate we buy contains only type V crystalline forms, the melting point of which is approximately 32°C, so the treat literally melts in your mouth!

At high temperatures (for example, when chocolate is left inside a machine on a hot day), the larger type VI crystalline forms begin to melt at around 37°C. The consequence of this is that the chocolate loses its original taste and no longer melts in the mouth.

How to properly store chocolate?

Freezer storage

Tests carried out with chocolate placed in a freezer at -18°C showed that the properties of the product are best preserved under such conditions. That's why the best way to preserve holiday chocolate treats is to freeze them.

Refrigerated storage

Packaged chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator at any temperature and humidity level for several months without any problems. Its taste and smell will remain unchanged. If the packaging is opened, the chocolate must be placed in an airtight container to avoid contact with air and prevent the absorption of foreign odors.

Comparison tests between storing chocolate at room temperature and storing it in the refrigerator have shown that the difference in quality is clear. So don't believe the rumors: chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator. The main thing is to follow the rules.

Conclusion

It is much better to store chocolate in the refrigerator than at room temperature (20°C).
Chocolate can stay fresh for several years if it is stored in the freezer.
Storing packaged chocolate in the freezer does not require a specific temperature or humidity level.

However, from my point of view, it is best not to store this delicious delicacy, but to immediately eat it immediately after purchase. I think that many chocolate lovers will agree with the saying of the Irish writer Oscar Wilde: “I can resist everything except temptation.”

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