Are you a chocolate lover with plenty of chocolate in your pantry that you can’t eat all at once? Perhaps you received it as a gift or bought more from a chocolate brand on sale.
Leaving your chocolate at room temperature in the pantry can cause it to melt and compromise its taste. So, how should you store your chocolate bars to retain their shape and taste? Fortunately, you can freeze chocolate to prolong its shelf life for up to two years.
But to preserve chocolate that long, you need to freeze it correctly. This article discusses how to freeze chocolate properly, what varieties of chocolate freeze well, the benefits of freezing chocolate, and more.
How to Freeze Chocolate
Chocolate suffers greatly from drastic temperature changes. For example, room temperatures above 80°F can spoil your solid chocolate. If you want to store chocolate for extended periods, prep it well and put it in the freezer. Here are the steps to follow when freezing chocolate.
Step 1: Break the Chocolate Bar Into Smaller Pieces
The bigger the chocolate bar, the longer it’ll take to freeze. Breaking the bar into tiny pieces is a great way to allow your chocolate to get used to lower temperatures without causing the chocolate to bloom.
It is also easier to pick the pieces you want to eat than breaking the frozen chocolate bar in the future. However, there’s nothing wrong if you want to freeze your boxed chocolate without breaking it into pieces.
Step 2: Put the Chocolate in an Airtight Freezer Bag
Choose a thick freezer bag that can be wrapped tightly to prevent oxygen or moisture from getting inside. Before placing the chocolate in the freezer bag, cover the broken pieces with aluminum foil. Failure to protect the chocolate allows for condensation due to the humid air in the freezer.
If you’re freezing a boxed chocolate, put it as it is in the freezer bag. However, remember to remove the air in the box. In both cases, remove all the air in the freezer bag before sealing. Leaving air in the freezer bag can result in quick spoilage.
For better results, vacuum-seal the freezer bag to suck all air present.
Some people prefer to put chocolate in two airtight freezer bags to minimize the chances of moisture and air contacting the chocolate. This also prevents the chocolate from absorbing odors from the fridge.
If you freeze other food items such as garlic, onions, coffee, and spices, put the chocolate in two freezer bags to ensure it retains its tastes and flavors. You can also place the sealed freezer bag away from other food items and spices.
Step 3: Put the Wrapped Chocolate in an Airtight Container
The best way to allow chocolate freeze correctly and retain its taste is by putting the freezer bag in an airtight container. This process prevents air, moisture, and odors from contacting your chocolate. The cocoa butter in your chocolate can quickly absorb odors and compromise the original taste you want in your chocolate.
Label the container with the name “chocolate” and the freezing date. Labeling prevents confusing your chocolate container with other similar containers in the freezer. You’ll also know whether your chocolate has gone bad. Cover the container with its lid.
Step 4: Leave the Chocolate in the Refrigerator for Approximately 24 Hours
This step gradually introduces the chocolate to lower temperatures to avoid “shocking” it. If you freeze the chocolate directly, it develops a chocolate bloom. Drastic temperature changes “shock” the chocolate due to crystallization, resulting in sugar and fat bloom (chocolate bloom).
Chocolate bloom occurs when sugar and fat particles rise to the chocolate’s surface, causing a white or powdery film. While bloomed chocolate is unsightly, it is safe to eat. You can melt it down and use it to prepare cakes, truffles, or other dishes that require chocolate.
Step 5: Freeze Your Chocolate
You’ve now prepped your chocolate for freezing. But how fast can chocolate freeze?
Typically, chocolate takes 5-10 minutes to freeze. But this depends on the thickness of the block and the state of your chocolate. Thicker blocks can take slightly longer to freeze. If you’re freezing melted chocolate, it will take up to 20 minutes to harden in your freezer.
If you’ve done everything correctly, you can store your chocolate for four months to two years, depending on its ingredients. Other factors, such as temperature, moisture, and light, can determine how long your frozen chocolate remains intact.
Keep the sealed container in a spot you won’t forget. If you want to keep your chocolate fresh longer, avoid removing it from the freezer more often.
Like any other food item stored for extended periods in your freezer, chocolate eventually loses its flavor. Eat or use your chocolate as soon as possible when it’s still fresh to enjoy its original tastes and flavors.
Things To Consider When Freezing Chocolate
Besides removing air and tightly wrapping the freezer bag, these tips will allow your chocolate freeze well.
Ensure the humidity level is below 55%. While wrapping chocolate tightly keeps away moisture, reducing the humidity level in your freezer is necessary. This reduces the chances of humid air entering the container or freezer bag. Defrost your freezer once in a while to mitigate dampness problems.
Keep frozen chocolate away from light. Sunlight and artificial light can interfere with your chocolate flavors. Like oxygen, light causes chocolate to oxidize, altering its flavor. Thankfully, aluminum foil, a freezer bag, and a container will prevent light from penetrating through.
Freeze different varieties of chocolates in different freezer bags and containers. Chocolates are available in different varieties, including dark chocolate, white, compound, and milk chocolates. Each type has varying tastes, flavors, and shelf life. When freezing them, pack them in different freezer bags and containers. Remember to label your containers.
This table shows how long different types of frozen chocolate can last:
Varieties of Chocolate | Shelf Life |
|---|---|
Dark chocolate | 1-2 years |
Compound chocolate | 2 years |
Milk chocolate | 6-12 months |
White chocolate | 3-4 months |
Chocolate truffles | 2-3 months |
Chocolate chips | 2 years |
Chocolate-covered fruits | 1 week to several months depending on the fruit |
Chocolate-covered nuts | 2-3 months |
Varieties of Chocolates That Freeze Well?
Chocolate freeze well based on the ingredients used. If your chocolate has a high level of sugar in it, it will freeze poorly. This is especially true for milk and white chocolates. With time, these chocolates form a sugar bloom that looks like a powdery film.
Milk and white chocolate have shorter shelf lives. The milk fat in milk chocolates oxidizes faster and causes it to go rancid. White chocolates lack cocoa mass that acts as a natural antioxidant. As a result, white chocolates oxidize faster and go rancid quickly.
Others, such as chocolate truffles, chocolate-covered fruits, and chocolate-covered nuts, are the hardest to freeze. They also have the shortest shelf life.
If you want trouble-free chocolate frozen for over a year, go for black chocolate and compound chocolates.
Dark chocolate has more cocoa butter and a lower level of sugar. The cocoa butter helps the chocolate to remain solid longer at cold temperatures. This chocolate is less likely to form a sugar bloom, allowing it to preserve its texture.
On the other hand, compound chocolate has vegetable fats, cocoa butter, and sweeteners. The higher level of vegetable fats in compound chocolates makes them freeze well. These chocolates will melt at 113°F. You can freeze a compound chocolate without worrying about it getting spoiled due to temperature changes.
Benefits of Freezing Chocolate
If you’re a chocolate lover with a chocolate subscription box or a pantry you can’t eat through within the next few months, it’s good to know you can store boxed chocolate in a cool, dry place, to last several months. Ensure the room temperature remains consistent for the chocolate to stay fresh. However, freezing is the way to go if you want to lengthen your chocolate shelf life.
Freezing chocolate preserves its flavor. You’ll need to freeze your chocolate correctly to prevent the absorption of odors. Leaving chocolate in your pantry exposes it to air, humidity, and light. All these can compromise the taste and texture of your chocolate.
Some chocolate lovers claim that freezing improves chocolate’s taste and texture. They say freezing has the same effect as tempering chocolate.
Tempering chocolate involves heating, cooling, reheating, and cooling chocolate. This helps to improve its hardness, providing what many chocolate enthusiasts call ‘the snap.’
You can use frozen chocolate to make delicious treats like ice cream lasagna, frozen banana bites, and chocolate gelato.
How Do You Thaw Frozen Chocolate?
When it’s time to eat or use your frozen chocolate, it’s best to thaw it to avoid altering its flavors and texture. Remember, “shocking” chocolate with drastic temperature changes can affect it. Defrosting/thawing frozen chocolate can take up to 12 hours, depending on your chocolate’s thickness.
The best way to thaw frozen chocolate is in your fridge, but you can speed up the process by thawing it at room temperature.
Put the frozen chocolate in your fridge and allow it to defrost. The lower temperature in your fridge allows the frozen chocolate to unfreeze gradually. Ensure the chocolate remains in an airtight bag or container to avoid the absorption of flavors. A container with a large surface area allows the chocolate to thaw evenly.
If you want a fast thawing process, put it at room temperature. However, you need to ensure room temperature remains constant. If you live in warm climates or you want to thaw chocolate in summer, this process may not be effective. A temperature above 80°F can cause your chocolate to melt.
For better results, place your container with chocolate in a large bowl filled with water. Ensure the water is at room temperature or colder. This process balances the temperature and allows frozen chocolate to defrost evenly.
Some people wonder if it’s possible to thaw frozen chocolate in a microwave. Even if you heat it in a low setting, the outer layer of your frozen chocolate will melt while the inner part remains frozen.
If you want to prepare delicious treats with melted chocolate, you can put it in a microwave and heat it. Alternatively, place the freezer bag containing frozen chocolate in a bowl full of boiled water.
Can You Refreeze Chocolate?
You can freeze, thaw and refreeze chocolate multiple times. So if you have leftover chocolate, you can refreeze it to use it later. Repeat the process of freezing chocolate to extend its shelf life. This process won’t affect the chocolate’s shelf life but can alter its texture and flavor each time you refreeze.
Refreezing can easily introduce sugar and fat bloom due to crystallization. If you’re looking for quality chocolate, avoid refreezing it more than once.
Alternatively, freeze your chocolate in smaller portions in different containers. You can remove any container and use what you need. This prevents interfering with the rest of the chocolate in other containers.
The downside to this method is that these containers will take up much space in your freezer.
How Do You Tell if Frozen Chocolate Has Gone Bad?
You can tell if frozen chocolate has gone bad by checking its shelf life. Don’t eat frozen chocolate that’s more than two years old. Below are other signs that indicate frozen chocolate is unsafe for consumption.
Grayish-black spots on the surface: If your frozen chocolate has grayish-black spots on its surface, it means there’s mold buildup. Such chocolate is unsafe to eat.
It develops ice crystals: Check for ice crystals if you’re unsure about your chocolate’s shelf life. Frozen chocolate can form ice crystals if it lasts for too long. Such chocolate is dry and tastes bland.
It has lost all its flavors: This is a sign that it has lived past its shelf life. Sometimes, such chocolates may smell bad and have several cracks. If you find such signs in your frozen chocolate, toss it into the trash.
Freeze Chocolate in Airtight Bags and Containers
Freezing chocolate prolongs its shelf life for up to 2 years, making it an easily accessible comfort food when you need it. When freezing your chocolate, do it properly to preserve its flavor and texture.
Follow these tips to allow your chocolate freeze well:
Wrap it in an airtight freezer bag and a container.
Ensure no light, air, or moisture gets through to compromise its taste and texture.
When it’s time to eat your frozen chocolate, thaw it in the fridge for the best results.