How to Store Chocolate

Store chocolate in a cool dry place away from direct heat or sunlight.

Use chocolate by the best-before-date for best quality.

If you need to store in the refrigerator or freezer, make sure to wrap it air-tight. Before freezing, place wrapped chocolate in the refrigerator one day. To remove from the freezer, thaw completely in refrigerator at least 1 day, then 1 day at room temperature before unwrapping. These steps will help prevent the chocolate from suffering from shock and changing in structure.

Chocolate can develop a fat or a sugar “bloom”that looks blotchy gray or white. Fat bloom is due to the cocoa butter coming to the surface and often is from storing at a too warm temperature. Sugar bloom may look the same as fat bloom but may feel grainy and is caused by sugar crystals forming on the surface. It is most often caused by condensation during storage.

Chocolate bloom by itself does not mean the chocolate is unsafe to eat. If the blooming is not too great, melting the chocolate gently may recombine the ingredients properly. Alarge amount of bloom may not recombine properly and may even have a chalky taste and texture.