How long can you keep chocolate in the freezer?
We get lots of gifts of chocolate and due to health reasons, we can't finish all the chocolate. So we store it in the freezer. How long can or should you store chocolate in the freezer before it's not safe to eat anymore?
Best Answer
My wife is obsessed with Milka, and last time we were in Germany, she threw out all my clothes in order to fill an entire suitcase with it. When we got it home, it got piled in the freezer (not the freezer-in-the-garage-which-is-seldom-opened, but the regular one where we keep ice cream and frosty beer mugs). Took us more than 4 years to finish it. The last bit was effectively identical to the first. No noticeable change in the product.
Given that quality chocolate has no water (which is the primary freezer-spoilage agent), I'd say it would keep effectively indefinitely. If you're talking about candy bars which contain other ingredients, it may vary.
Generally though, things don't go "bad" in the freezer. They can get brutally freezer burned and disgusting, but there is no safety issue, as long as the food remains frozen. I once made a pie out of a quart of blackberries I found buried in the ice in an old-style freezer chest. Estimated age was on the order of twenty years, but they'd been preserved by the encroaching frost. Pie was delicious.
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Quick Answer about "How long can you keep chocolate in the freezer?"
As a general rule, refrigerating chocolate can extend its shelf life by at least 25%, while freezing can prolong it by 50% or more. Place the original box in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag, seal it tightly and then refrigerate for up to one year, or freeze for up to 18 months for best quality.Can you eat chocolate 2 years out of date?
Best before dates for dark chocolate products tend to be over 2 years, and you can normally eat the chocolate for up to 3 years past this if stored properly. Most resources state that milk chocolate can last approximately 1 year, but take this with a pinch of salt.Can you freeze chocolate for long term storage?
It's still safe to eat, but the chocolate's appearance and texture make it better for baking. Never freeze chocolate for all of the same reasons as above. All of our chocolate bars have a \u201cbest if used by\u201d date of one year from production.What happens if you leave chocolate in the freezer too long?
Condensation doesn't effect the flavor, but it will effect the appearance. You can store chocolate in the freezer for about 3 months max as long as it is secured in airtight wrapping. When you are ready to eat, transition the chocolate to the refrigerator for a day, and then to room temperature.How can you tell if frozen chocolate is bad?
Chocolate's expiration date is really just an indicator of when its quality will start to decline. If it looks, smells and tastes normal, you're in the clear. Cracks or dots on the chocolate may signal it's a bit stale and has seen better days.How to Properly Store Chocolate?
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Answer 2
I froze some milk chocolate buds in 1999, took them out today. No sign of freezer burn, looked and smelled good, so I tasted one. Tastes like original. No side effects.
Answer 3
Even on the shelf chocolate has a very long life, at least months if not years. When it does go bad, it becomes chalky, but is still not dangerous.
In the freezer it should last more or less indefinitely.
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