Hey there, Garden of Eden fans! Many of you know that we not only pride ourselves on our flowers, but on our chocolate, too. Delicious, simple, and sweet, chocolate is the perfect gift for anyone—but storing it may prove to be a hassle at times. Today, we invite you to join us, as we go over some of our favorite tips for keeping your chocolate fresh!Technically, chocolate never really goes bad, but will not taste the same after a certain while. All of this depends on how you store and handle the chocolate after you take it home, and aversion to some of these tips may result in the chocolate tasting funky much earlier than you expected. So, if you do not plan on eating you chocolate within 24 hours, here is what you need to do to keep them fresh:
Store in a cool, dark place
Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dark place like your pantry or cupboard, and should not be placed in the refrigerator. If left in the refrigerator, the chocolate can develop what is know as a “sugar bloom,” where all the sugar rises to the surface. This will not cause any changes in the taste, but will certainly cause it to look funny.
Keep in an airtight container
This one is a tip that many people do not follow, but it can greatly increase the freshness of the chocolate. Thanks to the unsaturated cocoa fat that is in chocolate, it will absorb the scents of anything around it (you can thank oxidation for that one). Storing your chocolate in the pantry is great, but if you know you have some smelly stuff in there (garlic, vanilla, etc) then be sure to put it in a container. When you go back to eat it later, you’ll thank us.
Darkness for Dark Chocolate
Ok, so maybe this one just doesn’t only apply for dark chocolate, but you should make a point to keep the chocolate away from light. Again, you can thank oxidation, as light has the ability to excite the molecules inside the chocolate, and cause it to stale a little faster than you would like. This not only goes for sunlight, but for artificial light as well. If you can see it, keep chocolate away from it.Chocolate is a wonderful thing, and with a few extra steps, you can keep its wonderfulness from going bad a little while longer. For those times where you cannot eat all of it in one sitting, stick to these tips, and the next time you go to dig in, it’ll taste just like the first time.
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