Archive for the ‘storing chocolate’ Category

Apr

Taking Care of Your Chocolate

We all love chocolate and would love to keep it around forever so that we can have a piece whenever we want. But few people ever think about the storage and care of chocolate. Most of you probably wonder why. Heck, it’s just candy that we really don’t need to have, right? No. Chocolate deserves just as much care as that bag of groceries you bought home yesterday. Real chocolate is probably much more healthier than most of the stuff in that bag anyway.

By the way, when I talk about chocolate, I am talking about real chocolate, dark chocolate, not over sugared milk chocolate that is sugar and little to no cocoa butter in it.

To start, chocolate should be wrapped tightly and kept in a cool, dry place with a temperature ranging from 60–75°F. If the storage temperature exceeds 75°F, some of the cocoa butter may appear on the surface, causing the chocolate to develop a whitish cast, known as “bloom.” The chocolate will still be fine to eat. Please note that ‘cool dry place’ does not mean refrigerator.

In hot climates or during the summer, chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator, although this isn’t ideal as the chocolate may absorb odors from other foods (remember that pungent smelly cheese you like so much, so will your chocolate). Dark chocolate actually improves with age, like a fine wine, if stored in an airtight container at 60–65°F.

Blooming of chocolate products is the most common problem you will encounter in the world of chocolate. Now this is not the same as flowers blooming, it is actually a problem caused by poor handling of the chocolate. There are two forms of “bloom”: fat bloom and sugar bloom.

Fat bloom is the visible accumulation of large cocoa butter crystals on the chocolate surface. It is often accompanied by numerous minute cracks that dull the appearance of the chocolate.

Sugar bloom is a crystallization of sugar that is often caused by high humidity and the formation of condensate (“sweating”) when cold product is brought into a warm area.

To further differentiate between fat and sugar blooms, fat bloom will feel oily and melt when touched, while sugar bloom will feel grainy to the touch.

Poor storage conditions cause fat bloom. To prevent bloom, it is important not to expose chocolate to wide fluctuations in temperature; instead, make all temperature changes gradually. Although it may look unpleasant, bloomed chocolate is fine to eat.

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Feb

Keeping and Storing Your Chocolate

Posted by: admin in chocolate, dark chocolate, fine chocolate, storing chocolate

Got too much chocolate, don’t want to share and can’t eat it all? Bought too much, couldn’t use it all at once? Not to fear. It is actually very easy to store your chocolate…well maybe. All you have to do is store it in a cool, dry place and keep it away from strong odors.

Fine dark chocolate likes to be cool and dry – heat and humidity can wreak havoc on
chocolate. Some people like to keep their chocolate in the refrigerator, which is cool but not the dry. About 16 degrees Celsius is a good temperature making the fridge too cold. Keeping fine chocolate in the refrigerator is only recommended if you live in a hot environment without air conditioning, otherwise, it is generally discouraged. Some people like to eat chocolate straight from the fridge because it becomes harder and tastes different. Well there’s a reason why it taste different.

Remember chocolate should be a taste experience, the experience the chocolatier intended for you to have. Fine dark chocolate should be quite hard at room temperature, with a clear snap when you break off a piece, and the flavors can only be tasted properly at room temperature.

While keeping chocolate in the fridge may be okay for a few people, it presents a host of problems for the majority:

The Smell Factor. Most people’s refrigerators contain food items other than
chocolate, so your chocolate may end up tasting like last night’s poorly covered leftovers or that
delicious smelly cheese you like so much. Fine dark chocolate contains a lot of fat (in the form of heart-healthy cocoa butter), so it can easily take on aromas to which it has been exposed.

Humidity. The humidity inside a fridge is typically higher than the ideal humidity
for storing chocolate. Relative humidity should be under 50%. Few people have any idea what the relative humidity is in their refrigerator.

Altered Taste and Texture. The cold and humidity can alter the taste and texture
of the chocolate. Not something you want to happen to your expensive fine chocolate.

Development of Sugar Bloom. When cold chocolate is brought out of the refrigerator, it attracts moisture from the warmer air resulting in condensation that leads to sugar bloom. That’s the grayish-white coating on the surface of the chocolate.

If you live in a hot place, or you simply insist on keeping your chocolate in the fridge, then when
you are ready to eat it allow it to come to room temperature before opening up the wrapping.
This will take about an hour or so depending on the size of the bar and the temperature of
the room. This requires some patience and forethought. If you do, it will help avoid the
development of bloom from water droplets on the inside of the package caused by the
condensation.

If you use chocolate for baking, some pastry chefs recommend keeping it in a tightly sealed
plastic container or Ziploc bag in the freezer for longevity. Keeping it cool and dry works just as well if not best. Only use the freezer if you have no cool, dry place.

Dark chocolate can keep up to about 1 1/2 years. So, where should you keep your fine chocolate? A clean, odor-free, dark, cool closet or cupboard, on a dark shelf or any cool area of your house! Of course, if you plan on eating your chocolate within a couple of weeks – just keep it within easy reach and enjoy a piece whenever you want!

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