The price of cocoa rises to the highest level in 65 years. After a price increase of 17 percent in the past two years, chocolate is becoming more expensive again. The chocoholics among us wonder whether it wouldn’t be better to stock up on sweets before the price skyrockets again.
A mountain of chocolate in the house sounds like an attractive idea, but the shelf life of the delicacy can put a stop to that. “You can easily store fondant chocolate for a year. But for milk chocolate and white chocolate that is only six months,” explains chocolatier Julius Persoone. “Chocolate with filling is only good for two months.”
White haze
The sweetness can also turn white. “On the one hand, this could be fat bloom, which can happen if the chocolate experiences temperature fluctuations,” the chocolatier knows. As the temperature increases, the cocoa butter in the chocolate melts. When the candy cools again, this butter solidifies and crystallizes, resulting in white butter crystals. “If you rub the chocolate and the layer disappears, you can be sure it is fat bloom.”
“Sugar bloom can also occur if the chocolate comes into contact with moisture.” When water condenses on the surface, the sugar dissolves in it. This creates sugar crystals, which remain on the chocolate. “You can recognize sugar bloom because the layer will not come away when you rub it.”
But that white haze is no reason to worry. “There is no moisture in chocolate, so bloom is not mold. If there is a white layer on your chocolate, you can eat it with confidence,” says Persoone. “It can change the texture of the chocolate. It may become grainier and drier, but the taste remains the same.”
Chocolate cellar
In order to keep your chocolate for as long as possible and to avoid the white layer, it is important that you store the treat in a dry environment and at a constant temperature. “It is best to store chocolate in a cellar where it is not too humid, where the chocolate has no contact with light and where it is always about 18 degrees. So definitely don’t keep it in the refrigerator,” says Persoone.
The chocolatier questions whether it is a good idea to hoard chocolate. “The price of cocoa and chocolate is currently rising a bit, but could soon fall again. For real chocoholics who eat a bar of chocolate every day, it might be a good idea to stock up. But if you only eat a piece every now and then, it is better to just buy fresh chocolate,” he concludes.
