Sometimes the perfect box of chocolate arrives at an inopportune time. Sometimes you want to stock up and sometimes you might want to save a special collection of chocolate for an occasion. No matter the circumstance, the shelf life of the chocolate may not work with your timeline.
“Is freezing it an option?”
The simple answer is yes. And, the best way to thaw chocolate is fairly simple, too. It just takes a little bit of planning and a lot of willpower to store luxury chocolates and not devour them right away.
While it is completely safe to freeze and thaw chocolates, there are several things you can do to keep them tasting as close to their original flavor as possible. While they won’t taste exactly as they did before being frozen, you can still enjoy the chocolatier’s vision, while guaranteeing the freshness of the chocolate candy, past its original best by date.
As a rule, refrigerating your chocolate will allow you to keep it fresh for the life of the best by date, while freezing it will allow you to store it safely for at least 50% longer. None of Vosges’ products contain preservatives, so best by dates are shorter than with some other chocolate. Especially with our chocolate truffles, being mindful of the best by date is important, because the ganache is made with fresh cream which is extremely perishable.
Another thing to consider when freezing chocolate is that the cocoa fat in chocolate will absorb other foods’ tastes and smells. It is crucial to maintaining parfums, that the chocolate be well wrapped before freezing it. Even if the chocolates are in the original sealed packaging, as an added measure, storing them in an airtight container, plastic wrap, freezer bag or wrapping them in freezer paper, gives them an extra layer of protection. This is also an insurance measure against moisture and air.
When chocolate is being made by a chocolate maker, be it milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate, the temperature of the chocolate is paramount. Chocolate goes through a process of heating and cooling until it is at the correct temperature stabilization. When in this stable state, the chocolate will have a smooth and glossy finish. It won’t be so warm that it is melted chocolate, and it will get hard enough to set. This is called tempering chocolate.
Since so much care and attention is placed on controlling temperature during its creation, it makes sense then, that this consideration should also be made when freezing and thawing it. Don’t rattle your chocolate with extreme temperature changes. If you are taking the chocolate out of the freezer, it should first be put into the refrigerator for several hours. By placing the frozen chocolate in a cooler place first, the chocolate will thaw slowly, and you will reduce the risk of the chocolate bloom and sugar bloom. If you have the time, twenty-four hours in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature is optimal. Once they’ve spent some time in refrigeration, they can rest on the counter and slowly warm up. This may seem like a lot of work, but it will help avoid the thing that is worst for the chocolate when bringing it out of the deep freeze: condensation.
By taking these steps to care for your chocolate, you will be able to enjoy your bonbons when you choose to. It will guarantee that the feel and taste of the chocolate is everything you wished it to be. We’ve also written informative blogs answering the questions, “how long does chocolate last?” and “how to store chocolate properly” to further educate on chocolate care.
Bestselling Truffle Collections
Take a culinary trip through the medium of chocolate. Crafted with the finest ingredients from around the world, our exotic truffle parfums help open our minds to new possibilities and experiences. Explore our fan-favorite and signature truffle parfums so we can Travel the World through Chocolate™ together from home.
Milk Chocolate Truffle Collection
The truffles in this box start with our 45% cacao deep milk chocolate with caramelized dairy and almond notes. Typically milk chocolate ranges from 30-35% cacao; ours is a 45% cacao lending the taste experience to more intense and complex flavors. A rare combination from our Exotic, Aztec, Italian and Groove Collections, these truffles engage the passions of chocolate purists everywhere. For those who love a hint of adventure, but still know what they like.
Even though they do not contain dairy, we also suggest freezing our Vegan truffles to save them for a date past their best by date.
Vegan Truffle Collection
We blended a treasured early harvest olive oil with our proprietary 72% dark chocolate and added luscious pockets of fruit and nuts. Having minimal amounts of sugars present in the chocolate and the fruits to sweeten them, these Vegan truffles are low in sweetness and sumptuously rich without any dairy. The collection offers three parfums: Forest Raspberry Rose, I.G.P. Piemonte Hazelnut and Sicilian Blood Orange.
Want to be party ready at any time? Our Bestselling Truffles are a wonderful thing to have on hand to host the perfect pantry party.
