Chocolate Frequently Asked Questions
Chocolate is
Good For You!
| Home | Products | Opportunity | Info Request |
Q: Does your chocolate spoil?
A: Eventually every food item will expire past it's prime for consumption. Dark chocolate however is one of the longest lasting and most stable foods you can buy. If taken care of properly, chocolate can last for years. That being said, many people associate a phenomenon called 'bloom' as 'spoiled' chocolate. Please see blooming.
Q: What is Blooming?
A.: Blooming of chocolate products is the most common problem you will encounter in the world of chocolate. There are two forms of "bloom": fat bloom and sugar bloom. Fat bloom is the visible accumulation of large cocoa butter crystals on the chocolate surface. It is often accompanied by numerous minute cracks that dull the appearance of the chocolate. Sugar bloom is a crystallization of sugar that is often caused by high humidity and the formation of condensate ("sweating") when cold product is brought into a warm area.
To prevent bloom, it is important not to expose chocolate to wide fluctuations in temperature; instead, make all temperature changes gradually. Although it may look unpleasant, bloomed chocolate is fine to eat.
Q: How do I store chocolate?
A: Chocolate should be wrapped as air-tight as possible and stored in a dark cupboard away from strong smelling foods and at a temperature below 70 degrees. If it is hot where you live and you have no cool cupboard you may refrigerate or freeze chocolate during the warm months. Again it must be wrapped air-tight (more than one layer of wrapping is desirable) and then frozen or refrigerated. When you need to use it you can do one of two things: 1) take out as much chocolate as you need and use it immediately; or 2) remove wrapped chocolate from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before unwrapping. This will prevent condensation, which can cause problems with the cooking process, from gathering on the chocolate. Remember the best way to store a chocolate bar is in a cool, dry environment where it will not come in contact with heat or moisture. There is usually no need to refrigerate or freeze dark chocolate that you will use within 8 months to a year of purchase. If you live in a very hot or humid area and must refrigerate your chocolate, we suggest wrapping it tightly in an extra layer of plastic wrap to help protect the aroma and flavor. Always allow the refrigerated chocolate to warm to room temperature before eating; chocolate should never be frozen.
Q: Is your chocolate nut and dairy free?
A: We cannot guarantee that all of our products are completely nut and dairy free. The machinery used to wrap our products is also used to wrap other products which contain nuts/dairy. While these machines are cleaned before our products are wrapped, we cannot guarantee that there will not be a trace amount of nuts/dairy in our product.