As a general rule, refrigerating chocolate can extend its shelf life by at least 25%, while freezing can prolong it by 50% or more. Place the original box in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag, seal it tightly and then refrigerate for up to one year, or freeze for up to 18 months for best quality.
You can store chocolate in the freezer for about 3 months max as long as it is secured in airtight wrapping. When you are ready to eat, transition the chocolate to the refrigerator for a day, and then to room temperature.
"You should not refrigerate chocolate or things covered in chocolate, but you can freeze it," Rachel Walton, a pastry chef at DiAnoia's Eatery in Pittsburgh, told TODAY. "Refrigerating chocolate could lead to condensation and the water will make the chocolate mold."
Can you freeze boxed chocolates? Yes, freeze boxed chocolates in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. How long do boxed chocolates last in the freezer? Properly stored, boxed chocolates will maintain best quality for about 12 to 18 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
Yes, freezing chocolate can affect its taste but not always in a bad way. When you freeze chocolate, the water molecules inside of it freeze and crystalize. This causes the chocolate to become slightly harder and more brittle. This is why I recommended breaking the chocolate into small pieces before freezing it.
It just takes a little bit of planning and a lot of willpower to store luxury chocolates and not devour them right away. While it is completely safe to freeze and thaw chocolates, there are several things you can do to keep them tasting as close to their original flavor as possible.
Freezing chocolate will change its flavor profile because volatile oils that transmit many of the taste sensations will be less active.
But before you put chocolate in the fridge, first wrap it tightly to protect against odors 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.
To protect chocolate's texture, flavor, and appearance, store it at a constant 65-68°F, and at low humidity. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity (like when taken in and out of the refrigerator) create the perfect storm to produce the dreaded… chocolate bloom.
Storing chocolate in the fridge or freezer will keep the heat from melting your chocolate and ruining the temper (that whitish coating on melted and re-hardened chocolate is the cocoa butter coming to the surface).
Use Different Types of Chocolate
You can safely freeze different types of chocolate, including dark, white, milk, and chocolate chips. Dark chocolate tends to have the best life of all types of chocolate and should be fine in the freezer for even longer than a year, providing it is well wrapped.
In general, it's best to store chocolate in a cool, dry place at room temperature (about 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Refrigerating chocolate can change its texture and flavour.
And we're afraid to say it's not good news for those who store it in the fridge. Cadbury explained: "Chocolate should always be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place such as cupboard or pantry at temperatures less than 21°C to ensure the quality isn't compromised."
Also, a humid day can cause sugar bloom if your chocolate is not properly cooled or stored during manufacturing. If you freeze your chocolates and then remove them from the freezer and they condense and humidify, you'll get sugar bloom.
While freezing or refrigerating chocolate before eating may seem like the more obvious option, not everyone follows the same rules. However, while some people do occasionally enjoy some room-temperature or melting chocolate, cold chocolate being the best chocolate is the prevalent opinion remains.
Place frozen chocolate ahead of time to defrost gradually.
If you are able to let it warm up slowly, it will look and taste better. If you leave frozen chocolate out at room temperature, it will sweat. The extra moisture changes its shape and texture so it doesn't taste quite as good as it should.
Best before dates for dark chocolate products tend to be over 2 years, and you can normally eat the chocolate for up to 3 years past this if stored properly. Most resources state that milk chocolate can last approximately 1 year, but take this with a pinch of salt.
Cadbury advises against refrigerating chocolate, and we're in agreement. It's best to store chocolate protected from pests in ambient temperatures less than 21°C (69.8°F), humidity levels below 70%, and away from direct sunlight.
If your chocolate smells bad or has any kind of mold, it's time to throw it in the trash. And if there are any cracks on the surface, chances are that the chocolate is stale and past its prime. Use your best judgment: If it looks and smells like chocolate, it'll likely taste like chocolate.
Chocolate is generally safe when it's dry but if it has melted (or been otherwise exposed to moisture) it could be subject to the growth of bacteria. Melted and Rehardened Chocolate: So even if the chocolate has hardened again after melting the moisture that was there could have allowed mold and bacteria to grow.
Dark chocolate, with its higher cacao content, can be good to eat for as long as three years past the best before. Due to their high milk contents, milk and white chocolates might not last as long as dark, but their longevity is still nothing to sniff at — you can expect to get another 8 months or so out of it.
How to Prevent Chocolate Bloom. To prevent your chocolate from blooming, keep the candy in an airtight container at about 70°F. The refrigerator is actually too humid for chocolate, so keep it in a cool part of your kitchen, like a dim pantry or on a low shelf.
This coating is called "chocolate bloom" and appears naturally. Although it can make the product taste a bit different, it's not harmful.
It turns out that you absolutely can freeze Lindt chocolate balls, and doing so can actually retain their flavor and texture. In fact, freezing Lindt chocolate balls can even help them last longer, meaning you can enjoy their creamy, sweet taste for even longer.