How to Store Your Chocolate in Hot Weather

Summer weather has definitely arrived this week here. And this invariably raises the questions of where and how should I store my craft chocolate to ensure optimum delight?

So here are a few suggestions (and if you are a subscriber, you should have received a gift to help you out here).

Avoid the fridge

Unless you are in a really, really hot climate, DON’T store your craft chocolate in the fridge. This is firstly because sudden downward temperature changes will cause a bar to bloom and go out of temper. For more on the complexities of chocolate tempering, please see here – but essentially, you want to keep your bar in a good “temper”, unromantically described as crystal structure V. Crystal Structure V is that magical “temper” which is solid at room temperature but then melts unctuously in your mouth as your body temperature releases all those aromas and delights (Note: this is also why you don’t want keep a piece of chocolate in your hands for too long!). If you place a hot bar in a fridge it will most likely “retemper” to crystal structure VI, which is far more brittle, won’t melt in your mouth, and it may well “bloom” (ie cocoa butter, and sugar, rise to the surface of the bar giving it a white chalky coating).

In addition, household fridges are typically humid. And humidity can also lead to “blooming”. Moreover, fridges often contain a variety of strong odors that can be absorbed by the chocolate, damaging its flavor profile. So if you are in a hot climate and have to refrigerate your chocolate, use an airtight container (see below) and allow the chocolate to come to room temperature before consuming it.

Donec ut leo et leo laoreet vulputate in feugiat elit.

Pouches and airtight containers

Instead, please invest in a tupperware container or tin box that is both airtight and blocks out the light. Alongside this, invest in a few CocoaRunners pouches – see here – to place your bars inside this container. Not only will these help you keep track of all your bars, it will also stop them cross contaminating one another (especially key for flavoured and inclusion bars, whose aromas can all too easily permeate into your single estate dark or milk bars).

And then find a cool spot with minimal temperature variation to store this container. Ideally, the storage area should be between 15°C to 21°C (59°F to 70°F). If you want to take your storage to the next level, consider investing in a small wine fridge. Wine fridges provide stable temperatures and better humidity control than regular fridges, making them ideal for chocolate storage. Just be sure to set the temperature above 16°C to prevent re-tempering of the chocolate. And and again, do use the pouches.

Savour and delight over multiple occasions

If you store a craft chocolate bar properly in a pouch and airtight box, it’ll last for at least a couple of weeks offering multiple opportunities to savour and delight.

Of course if you have an urge and just can’t resist, it’s a great treat to savour some craft chocolate in the moment and as a personal indulgence. But like a great conversation, chocolate is better enjoyed with friends, partners, family and colleagues. Scoffing is a bit like a monologue, it’s the antithesis of being “mindful”. So whenever you can, savour and share your craft chocolates. Be mindful – it’s better for you, farmers, makers, the planet and your tastebuds.

Plus comparing a few different bars to one another helps reveal their different textures, complexities and flavour journeys. I always keep a few bars on the go at the same time and share them as widely as I can. And I find it intriguing to see how they evolve over time (for more on why bars may taste different on different occasions, please see here).