Cocoa Conversations: How To Store Chocolate

Don’t worry! It’s not mold; it’s a phenomenon called bloom. This happens when your chocolate has either been stored in a spot that is too warm or too cold. Out of range temperatures, like storing in the freezer, can cause the cocoa butter to separate from the cocoa solids within the chocolate bar, producing the whitish film on the surface. To prevent this from happening, you'll want to properly store your chocolate.

Here's how: Store your chocolate in a cool, dry place, well wrapped, and away from direct sunlight. Ideally, chocolate should be stored at an ambient temperature between 65 and 75 degrees F. Chocolate can also absorb flavors from nearby items with strong odors, so keep away from things like onion for the best flavor.

There is no reason to freeze chocolate. The only reason to refrigerate it would be if the ambient temperature started climbing towards the 90-degree range. 

1. Separate Stashes

“We eat a lot of chocolate in my house! In fact, we eat so much that sometimes we end up sneaking a bite from each other’s favorite bars. To keep the peace, we bought different color stasher bags and wrote our names with chalk markers so that there isn’t an ‘accidental’ mix-up when it comes time for a chocolate fix.”

– Carly H, Associate Marketing Manager

2. Save for Snacking

“In my house, we usually store our chocolate in our tummies. However, when there isn’t enough room I like to store them in two different spots. One is the shared cooking/baking pantry and the 2nd spot is on my individual shelf. I have two amazing roommates and we each have a designated shelf. We keep our chocolate out of sight of sun and heat, but in the back of our minds we are keeping them out of sight from us. We like to save them for snacking and gaming.”

– Andrew G, Class Host 

3. Avoid Chocolate Puddles

“I live in Arizona, and have had my fair share of melted chocolate disasters! I have a large chocolate stash that I use for Theo product photography, and I keep most of it in my art supply closet. Products like cookie bites and confections melt a bit easier than chocolate bars, so I sometimes put them in the fridge if I know they won’t be used right away. And when I go on a camping trip, I try to save some room in the cooler for chocolate so that it doesn’t melt in the car! Chocolate that has bloomed a bit still tastes great in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe though.” 

– Mandy A, Graphic Designer

4. Step Stool Required

“With three kids in the house, we usually don’t “store” our chocolate — because it doesn’t last that long! But I have a few hard to reach cabinets that are good to keep a secret stash that I pull out for special occasions or special rewards.”

– Jason H, CMO

5. Life is Short!

“My favorite place to store chocolate is in my mouth! I know some “experts” say that you should store it in a cool, dry space away from strong odors, but those spaces don’t have taste buds, which is quite frankly a deal-breaker for me. And to the naysayers who point out that chocolate doesn’t last as long in your mouth, I say life is short — enjoy it!” 

– Robert F, Chocolate Quality Assurance Technician