at Wed, 29 Dec 2004 01:40:06 GMT in <1104284406.519091.208590
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, (SC) wrote :

>On that subject, what is the best way to store high quality chocolate
>(as opposed to low quality chocolate which goes in the trash :-) ).
>
>I assume cool and dark before tempering and after room temperature???
>Maybe the dark part doesn't matter.
>
Best is in the stomach. :-9

Next best is cool and relatively dry, but not bone-dry. *Very* dry
conditions tend to hasten flavour loss and can actually dessicate the
chocolate. But moist conditions are even worse because they cause sugar
bloom, which ruins the chocolate.

It goes without saying that you don't want the temperature to go high
because the chocolate will melt, but well before that it will get cocoa
butter bloom, another way to ruin chocolate. Despite the claims of some
companies, cocoa butter bloom does NOT leave the quality of chocolate
unaffected. Any kind of temperature cycling where it gets above 80F risks
blooming. Ideal temperature is about 60-65F.

Don't let the temperature go too low, either, because if it then cycles
high, the chocolate may sweat and then get sugar bloom, an effect of
condensation. Of course this is particularly pronounced if the relative
humidity is high.

Finally, keep it away from odours. Chocolate absorbs odours like crazy, and
this means that you *must* isolate it from cigarette smoke, perfume, musty
smells, strong-smelling foods like cheeses, onions, or fish, out-gassing
plastics (vinyl is particularly offensive), and most unfinished woods
(freshly made wooden cabinets can often be bad news).

--
Alex Rast

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