It’s an age-old question… should you keep those boxes of chocs in the cupboard, or pop them in the fridge for later?
Like the finer things in life, some might say it’s a matter of taste.
But with the current heatwave and those melt-in-the-mouth moments becoming, well, a little more gooey than gorgeous, chances are those soft centres are crying out for a chilling. To mark World Chocolate Day, a world chocolate master spills the (cocoa) beans on where to stash your favourite squares
Temperature
“The ideal temperature to store chocolate is around 16 to 18 degrees centigrade; cool but not cold, in a dry place and away from direct sunlight,” says Elias Läderach, World Chocolate Master and head of innovation at luxury Swiss chocolatier, Läderach.
If, in the current heatwave, cupboard or room temperature is too warm for storage, he says a wine fridge is better as it’s not quite as cold as a regular fridge, “if you’re lucky enough to have one!”
However, he always recommends bringing the chocolate up to 20 to 23 degrees centigrade (around room temperature) before eating.
Flavour
Eating chocolate that’s too cold and has been stored in a fridge prevents you from being able to taste all the different notes within a chocolate bar, says Läderach, and masks the subtleties in flavour.
“Perhaps less important for more basic chocolate, but especially noticeable with high-quality and dark chocolate.
“You can try it yourself at home,” suggests Läderach. “Store the same bar in a cool cupboard and then in a fridge and compare them directly.”
He says the refrigerated bar will seem much more one-note and bland, with less depth. Alternatively, when chocolate is stored in a temperature that’s too warm it won’t immediately affect the flavour, but the chocolate and ingredients will age much quicker.
Texture
The texture of chocolate is, of course, affected by different temperatures…
”Stored too warm, and the chocolate can be too soft, sticky and the complexities all merge together, notes Läderach.
If you keep your chocolate too cold, though, your favourite bar can end up being too hard on your teeth and tricky to break – especially if the chocolate or casing is thick, says Läderach.
“The perfect temperature (16 to 18 degrees) should ensure there is a satisfying snap when you break and eat the chocolate – but temperate enough that it melts in your mouth easily.”
Visual effect
As Läderach points out, temperature does not change the colour of chocolate much, however long exposure to brighter lights can result in slight discolouration.
“The real difference when it comes to how the chocolate visually looks is if it starts to bloom,” explains Läderach. “Fridge-stored chocolate risks getting condensation on the surface when you take it out – and there’s a large temperature difference.”
“This triggers sugar bloom – often seen as grey, unappealing dots – which happens because of condensation pulling sugar out from the chocolate and bringing it to the surface.”
He says this is made worse when the chocolate has been stored in a range of fluctuating temperatures, and the fat crystals also come to the surface and create grey stripes.
“This fat bloom affects the way the chocolate looks, ” says Läderach. “Which is a large part of the sensory experience.”
