Storing Chocolate & About Our Cocoa Sourcing
Storing Chocolates
Why should I care about how I store my chocolates?
Many of our filled chocolate bonbons are perishable because we make them with fresh dairy, simple ingredients, and no artificial preservatives. Plus, we use our own proprietary couverture chocolate with a high cocoa butter content which means our chocolate starts to soften at about 22 C. If allowed to get too warm, your delicious little chocolates will melt into a gooey mass, and you will have to scrape it out of the box and spoon directly into your mouth (but maybe that’s okay with you — we’re not here to judge).
Copper Boxes:
The chocolates found in our Copper Boxes and from our Chocolate Case are best enjoyed fresh, soon after purchasing. Should storage be required, they can be stored in a cool, dry place not above 20-22C / 68-70F—in a sealed container or bag in your refrigerator is best—for up to 14 days and away from strong odours. Please refrigerate to maintain freshness and please enjoy within 14 days of purchase. Allow to warm at room temperature for about 20 minutes before enjoying (you'll thank us later). If longer storage is required, you can freeze your chocolates — read below for instructions.
Chocolate Collections:
Please refrigerate to maintain freshness and please enjoy within 14 days. Allow to warm at room temperature for about 20 minutes before enjoying (you'll thank us later). If longer storage is required, you can freeze your chocolates — read below for instructions.
Advent Calendars:
Our Advent Calendars are full of award-winning chocolates that all have a durable life date (shelf life) of minimum 2 months.
- For long storage (more than 2 weeks before Dec 1) use the Freezer: You can store your Advent Calendar in sealed plastic bag in your freezer for up to 6 months. In a 2-step process, let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours in the sealed plastic bag before enjoying on December 1. Thawing slowly in the sealed plastic bag in the fridge helps prevent moisture damage called Chocolate Bloom.
- For short storage (less than 2 weeks before Dec 1) use the Fridge: Place Advent Calendar in sealed plastic bag in the fridge before removing and enjoying on December 1. Allow your first chocolate to come to room temperature for 20 minutes for the full flavours to emerge.
Solid Chocolates - bars, shavings, molded items:
Store solid chocolate - like bars, shavings, chocolate drops, molded items, chocolate Yule log shells, and chocolate Easter Egg shells - in a cool dry location for up to 12 months. You can also put it in a sealed freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to a year or more. Solid chocolate is very stable. If you notice greyish or whitish streaks on your chocolate, it could be Chocolate Bloom, which is perfectly fine.
Our Recipes blog has many excellent ways to use up any extra chocolate!
Chocolate Bloom:
If your solid chocolate looks scuffed, or streaky, or has mottled whitish marks on the surface, then that is evidence of something called "chocolate bloom". Chocolate bloom is one of two types: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" is still safe to eat, though it might look a bit odd. Go ahead and enjoy it!
Freezing Chocolates
Did you know you can freeze your chocolates? It's true!
Filled Chocolates "Bonbons":
Simply pack bonbons in an airtight bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 6 months or longer. Then, in a two stage process (which will help maintain the quality of your product), thaw the selected chocolates in the fridge overnight, and then to room temperature for 20 minutes before enjoying.
To fully experience its flavour and texture, our chocolates are best enjoyed at room temperature. If stored in a cool place, like a fridge, we recommend placing your chocolates at room temperature at least 20 minutes prior to enjoying (you’ll thank us later).
Solid Chocolates - bars, shavings, molded items:
If you'd like, chop bars or molded items (including Santas, Easter Bunnies, chocolate Yule log shells, and chocolate Easter Egg shells) into small pieces to make storage easier. You might like to store specific small quantities in bags to make them convenient grab-and-go portions when you need 1 cup of chocolate for a recipe. To thaw, palace the selected solid chocolate pieces in the fridge for 1-2 hours, and then to room temperature for baking or melting.
Our Recipes blog has many excellent ways to use up any extra chocolate!
Cocoa Sourcing
Cococo Chocolatiers uses only certified sustainable and fair trade couverture chocolate made with Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa and cocoa butter to help drive positive change for farm communities in West Africa. We handcraft our delicious chocolate treats in Calgary with simple ingredients, no artificial preservatives, and no palm oil.
For more information please read:
All About Sustainable Cocoa
What is Couverture?
Simply put, couverture chocolate is the best quality chocolate, the type of chocolate that professional pastry chefs and artisan chocolatiers use. Couverture is made with added cocoa butter - fat derived entirely from the cocoa bean - and it's this extra cocoa butter that improves taste, texture and mouthfeel because it melts at below body temperature. Cocoa butter is also amazing because it is the only vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature, which is the reason why real chocolate literally melts in your mouth (and your oven). It also makes tempering necessary.
You can learn more about couverture chocolate on our Chocolate Blog.