Exact Time: Up to 8 months
Chocolate is one of the most interesting desserts that many folks love to and their day with. You can eat chocolate for 8 months, but if you store it properly. The expiry date of chocolate depends on the type of chocolate you will have. There are different types of chocolate, and the expiry date will vary for each type of chocolate.
Before predicting the shelf life of chocolate, there are many conditions to be considered. You can know if the chocolate is getting bad or rotten. There are many signs that will be visible if the chocolate is getting worse. Storage of chocolate is the most important part to increase the shelf life of the chocolates.
How Long Does Chocolate Last?
| Type Of Chocolate | Shelf Life (In Fridge) |
| Normal chocolates | Up to 8 months |
| Chocolate bars | Up to 8 months |
| Belgian chocolate | Up to 4 months |
| Chocolate chips | Up to 3 years |
Many people believe that the cocoa content should be more in the chocolate, as it would be healthier for your body. Milk chocolate is not so brown and doesn’t contain cocoa as the ingredients. Dark chocolate is considered healthy, as the cocoa content is high, as compared to other chocolates. Chocolates are not healthy, but there are some chocolates with nutrient value.
Chocolate contains a good amount of sugar that makes it skeptical for health benefits. Some of the most important conditions that help in determining shelf life are the following:
Preparation method: The preparation methods of chocolate affects the shelf life of the chocolate. Using top-quality ingredients in the chocolate will help in increasing the shelf life of the chocolate. Dark chocolate may have a longer shelf life, as compared to normal chocolate.
The preparation methods of chocolates are almost similar for all types of chocolate, but the use of ingredients makes a huge impact.
Ingredients: The ingredients sued in both dark and milk chocolates are different to some extent. There is chocolate prepared with low-quality ingredients and may not last long. There are chocolates that are homemade and specially prepared with top-quality ingredients. Another vital thing is the shelf life of the ingredients.
If the shelf life of the ingredients is long, then the cholate would last for a longer time.
Storage- The storage of the chocolate should be correctly and carefully done. The best way to store the chocolates is to keep the chocolates in the fridge. If you store the chocolates in the fridge, then it would increase the shelf life by some percentage. Chocolate, just like other foods requires a cool climate to stay fresh.
It doesn’t mean you will store the chocolate in a cool climate, but store in the fridge. The temperature of the fridge would be suitable to help chocolate has a longer shelf life.
Why Does Chocolate Last This Long?
The chocolate would last long if prepared and store properly. The chocolate that lasts long is stored in the fridge for a longer time. If you want the chocolate to last for a long time, then keep it unopened. If the chocolate is kept unopened for a longer time, then it would have a longer shelf life. Some chocolates would get rotten if stored in a bad environment.
Freezing works really well for increasing the shelf life of dark chocolates. The dark chocolates will stay good longer than other varieties of chocolates. The chocolate should be stored in containers that keep moisture out of chocolates. The moisture should not come in contact with the chocolates, then it would last for a long time.
You should keep the chocolates in a plastic container to make them last for a long time.
Conclusion
The chocolate would taste great without getting rotten for a long time if you store it unopen in the fridge. There are many myths that chocolate doesn’t last for more than a few weeks, but that is not true if you have a fridge in your home. You can’t expect dark chocolate to have a similar life span as milk chocolate.
You have to be responsible before trying out any type of chocolate, as the expiry date is not the same for every type of chocolate.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157504000900
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00217-006-0379-9
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
