How do you store chocolate in the summer?
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DON'T REFRIGERATE! Chocolate easily absorbs odours of whatever’s in the refrigerator (Roquefort cheese, lamb curry — you get the idea). Moisture in the fridge can also lead to “sugar bloom,” meaning the sugar rises to the surface and discolours the chocolate (which has no effect on flavour, but doesn’t look too appealing). So instead of the fridge:
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Store it in a cool, dry place. When chocolate is kept at a consistent temperature below 70°F (ideally between 65 and 68°F), and at a humidity of less than 55%, the emulsion of cocoa solids and cocoa butter will stay stable for months.
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But even in a cool, dry place: Remember that cocoa butter (the vegetable fat in chocolate) picks up the smell of whatever’s around it. So unless you want your bars to taste like vanilla extract or garlic powder, follow the next rule:
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Seal them in an air-tight container. Oxygen does just what you’d expect it to — it oxidizes chocolate, which causes less-than-ideal flavours to develop. And although chocolates are not known to be a favourite food of vampires...
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Keep your Gnaw Chocolate away from the light! Not just sunlight (unless you want to make fondue), but also artificial light. They both cast the same kind of bad-flavour spell as oxygen does.
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Stored this way, chocolate will last a while: Solid milk chocolate keeps for 15 to 18 months ; solid dark chocolate keeps for up to 2 years; and white chocolate for 12 to 13 months. Our chocolate is free of preservatives or additives, so be sure to eat them while they’re fresh and deliciously tasty! Or, if you have a large supply and you have resisted temptation and your chocolate has not been eaten, invite your friends over to share your chocolate in a chocolate party! .
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Sometimes, you have to refrigerate: Summer’s hot, and not everyone uses air conditioning. But before you put chocolate in the fridge, first wrap it tightly to protect against odours and condensation, then seal it in an airtight container. When you take it out, let it come back to room temperature before unwrapping. This will keep your chocolates edible for anywhere from three to six months.
