Chocolate is a very tasty, but moody product. Many people know that it melts at high temperatures, and seek to hide it where it is cooler. Today we will figure out whether it is possible to store chocolate in the refrigerator. It turns out that the good that it will bring depends on the right choice of goodies. If the conditions are unsuitable, the tile will lose not only its presentation, but also taste.
All the best for children
Often we buy this delicacy just for kids. So, they are obliged to choose the highest quality product. First of all, you need to pay attention to the packaging, which must be neat, contain information about the manufacturer, release date, expiration date and other data. Tight packaging is another important point. It is it that allows chocolate to retain properties throughout its shelf life.
Last check
If you bought a dessert, but are not sure of its quality, then simple actions will help to evaluate it. You do not need to be an expert for this. You will need chocolate at room temperature. If you just returned from a hot street and brought the tiles with you, then postpone the experiment.
- Real chocolate always crunches when cracked.
- At the break, it is matte, without excess shine. There should also be no air bubbles (unless it is porous chocolate).
- Natural chocolate melts quickly on the tongue.
- If it melts poorly and behaves like a “plasticine”, then foreign fats were used in the manufacture, which should not be in the tile.
How long is the dessert stored
If the tile is wrapped in its original packaging, then such questions should not arise. It necessarily has a release date and storage. But they are not always indicated truthfully. Often artificially overpriced. This is one point. Second: they can be interrupted at retail outlets. Moreover, storage conditions at different stages of implementation are far from ideal. And on candy wrappers for candies, the shelf life is not indicated at all. It is only on the box, which remains in the store. Let's define the terms that the buyer can focus on:
- A bar of dark chocolate is stored for up to a year.
- High-quality dairy is usually able to lie for 6 months. But modern stabilizers allow him to "live" up to 1 year.
- If sesame, nuts, raisins or cookies are added to the tile, then the shelf life is reduced to 3 months.
- Natural white chocolate is stored for 30 days. But special additives can extend this period to 12 months.
That is, you need to buy sweet tiles in specialized departments, where you can provide quality certificates and documents on the timing of delivery of goods to the outlet.
Attention to packaging
Before proceeding directly to the question: “Is it possible to store chocolate in the refrigerator?”, Let's say a few words about packaging, because this is the key point. Have you noticed that each tile is sold in a foil wrapper. In addition, from above it is closed in a box of thick cardboard or special paper. Why such difficulties? Definitely not for beauty.
Chocolate is afraid of direct sunlight and oxygen. It can be spoiled by high humidity, and an extraneous smell is also harmful. Hermetic packaging allows the dessert to lie for some time even in direct sunlight without consequences.
We conclude
All of the above is directly related to the question of whether it is possible to store chocolate in the refrigerator. Packaging is designed to ensure the safety of product quality at room temperature. In the refrigerator, temperature and humidity are completely different. But there are certain requirements that still have to be fulfilled.
- Ideal conditions are indicators in the range of +18 ... + 20 ° . That is, you do not need to store chocolate in the refrigerator at all, it lies perfectly and just in the closet.
- It should be stored packed in foil. After violating the integrity of the package, you should use the tile for several days.
- Never put sweet tiles on the same shelf with spices and fragrant herbs. Even packed, it is able to draw in odors.
Keep warm
A sweet treat loves to melt in your mouth. But in the hot summer it is best to remove it from the table, if direct sunlight falls on it. Under the influence of heat, the tile softens and begins to flow. Her taste at the same time changes quite a lot. Connoisseurs say that if chocolate is melted, it must be eaten immediately, otherwise the product will deteriorate. Of course, it would never occur to anyone to throw out chocolate; they would rather put it in the refrigerator. But if you repeat this trick several times in a row, then the deterioration in quality will be obvious. And if the hot summer has come, is it possible to store chocolate in the refrigerator?
Cool place
If you brought tiles from the store, you can put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Nothing bad will happen, especially when there is intense heat outside, and in the selected compartment +2 ° . But if the recommended temperature is maintained in the room, then it is quite possible to leave the delicacy somewhere away from direct sunlight.
Worse, if the tile has already melted, and you decide to rectify the situation by putting it in the refrigerator. In this case, the cocoa butter that is included in the composition melts. This leads to the formation of a whitish coating on the surface of the tile after solidification.
We examined two points. But today, not everyone has refrigerators with temperature control in different compartments. And old models often produce much more cold than is required for domestic needs. Is it possible to keep chocolate in the refrigerator, in which the temperature is maintained at -10 ...- 12 ° C? Not recommended as this will also cause white plaque to appear on the surface. In this case, it is due to crystallized sucrose, which, after freezing out moisture, appears as plaque.
Freezer
“Excuse me,” you say. “If we have examined in such detail why chocolate cannot be stored in the refrigerator, then everything is clear with the camera.” But not so simple. With quick freezing, several other processes occur. Therefore, if you put the tile in the freezer, where the temperature is kept within -18 degrees, then it can safely lie there for several years. The main thing is to gradually lower the temperature. First, we transfer the tiles to the refrigerator, then to the side door, then to the windowsill and to the table. Important! Chocolate can be frozen and thawed only once.
Instead of a conclusion
Let's summarize now. Why shouldn't chocolate be stored in the refrigerator? The photo above shows us a tile with a white coating that looks unappetizing. There are two reasons for its occurrence:
- "Fat graying." If the tile has melted, and then you put it in the refrigerator, fat recrystallizes. As a result of this, an unpleasant soft coating appears.
- "Sugar graying." It is caused by condensation, which forms when chocolate is removed from the refrigerator. Humidity condenses on its surface, and when moisture evaporates, a white coating remains. Often, the taste of chocolate also deteriorates, as well as its structure, especially if the product is not of very high quality.
That is, chocolate most of all does not like strong temperature drops. Therefore, store it in a conventional cabinet, protected from sunlight, at +20 ° C.