Food Storage: The Actual Shelf Life of Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- I have to admit that I am highly addicted to chocolate. And since I have no desire to get that addiction under control, it only makes sense to make sure that I have a healthy supply of chocolate on hand.
In this video, we will talk about the best ways to store chocolate to extend the quality of shelf life.
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There is nothing better than a friend unless it is a friend with CHOCOLATE.
Yup!!
My wife overheard me listening to the video and she asked "why would you ever store chocolate? If it lasts more than a week long around here something is really wrong". Just wanted to share. She has a point! 😀
Nothing to do with preparedness, but that man looks at you with so much admiration when you're describing things. So sweet!
I have 65 lbs. of chocolate stored that are in 10 lb. Increments. Each of the 10 lbs. is 32 years old, 26 years, 19 years 12 years, and 5 and 4 years respectively. There was a lot more but every once in a while I take a bit from each year to see if it has gone bad and so far to date none of it has . . .yet.
How did you store them to get them to last that long? Mason jar + o2 absorber (and or vacuum seal), mylar bag + o2 absorber or some other method?
@@maixiong3705 We would like to know as well!
Tell us please how you did it.
Following
Storage method used please ?
In Trinidad we also have the chocolate cocoa in blocks and also in a hard ball that we grate whenever needed and I usually store it in a plastic jar tightly covered, in the freezer or in a glass jar and I have had it for 4yrs now in the fridge and out in my pantry and so far it's really good.
We are preppers and we are ahead of the curve on storing chocolate. Mainly for bartering we can't eat it ourselves. We love your program
We ate chocolate that came in C rations from the Korean War era back in the 80’s. It was wrapped in a paper wrapper inside the C rats kit. The milk chocolate had a whitish looking haze on the outside. It smelled and tasted okay, didn’t make us sick. Some of the C rats kits had a date going back to 1948.
Hooray for those "John Wayne bars"! Sure, they're disks, but that what we called them, back in the mid-70's when I was in.
Who saved that stuff that long?!!
In 60's we had that c-ration chocolate. But the dates were not bad. It was really good.
@@oooloo99: Federal government saved in that long. I was in the US Navy at the time. We drank old coffee that had been sealed in tin cans. Had a little bitter taste but was otherwise okay.
My word, you are my people. When shall I come over?
I also love the purple bucket! Anything in a purple bucket in our house belongs to Mommy!
Hands down best family preparedness channel. Appreciate learning from you guys! 🙏❤
I agreed! They are very thorough 👌🏼
YES 🙌 ❤️them!
Awesome video! I had no idea that cocoa powder had an indefinite shelf life. Yay! And after a month of always hearing bad news, it's great to know that it's safe to vacuum seal my chocolate chips!
Doesn't last long enough at my house to go out of date, do have a few months stocked and rotate when opening new can buy 2
I have been stocking up on cocoa powder, a world without chocolate or coffee is a world I dont want to live in :) Thank you for this video. I had researched cocoa powder, but good to know I can do ready made chocolate for a decent amount of time!!
I've noticed coffee shelves much, much lower this week and completely out of the Nescafe House Blend I buy. I believe it's freeze dried.
It' all about the drugs! There's caffeine in chocolate too. I have all kinds of different coffee beans and ground.
Don't forget the instant coffee. 10 jars of instant back when I started cost $29.70 and now it's closer to $40 and that's the No Name brand. I find it's just as good as the rest.
I don't buy 10 jars at a time of instant anymore but I'm still buying two every time I need one and stash the extra away. Man, it adds up.
@@jkco4300I kept reading to store the freeze dried, but I really prefer fresh ground beans. Then it says store green ones rather than roasted ones. Idk what I'm going to store for coffee yet. I want to store roasted beans...gonna keep researching.
I vacuum-sealed mine and hid it in the freezer beneath the turkey burger, where the kids will never find it.
Brilliant!
My kids would eat the turkey burger and find the chocolate
Two years ago we were new at prepping so we had this bag you suck air out like for clothes. So we got some food put in zip locks, put in and vac sealed it. So last week some 2 years later I opened and in it was bag of Resse pieces among other stuff. And I ripped it open and they were awesome, ate the whole bag in several days. So Alaskan Prepper did a vid on storing all kinds of chocolates in mason jars and he had big variety and some I think were 5 years old and he opened and ate. He did all kinds of candy and so its part of our preps.
This, like all your videos is so well done. As a chocolate maker I intentionally age chocolate to develop flavor. The oldest chocolate I’ve had was an 8 year old chocolate bar I had on display. It was packaged in a cello package so moisture was not able to attack the chocolate.
Sugar bloom, causes gritty chocolate and dose affect mouthfeel but the chocolate isn’t bad per say. Remelt the chocolate and bake with it or if you know how to hand temper that will remove any kind of bloom.
Fat bloom happens if moisture has settled on the chocolate surface causing the cocoa butter to come to the surface in an uneven manner. Again, it’s safe to eat and won’t affect flavor but it might affect mouth feel.
Just recently discovered this amazing channel a few months ago.
Most of my adult career has been in the laboratory or medicine. Do I have any knowledge in food safety? Not a clue. Besides entertaining and great general food safety knowledge for a non Prepper, you have created a a superb comprehensive reference library. Great ideas and tips and you have been immensely helpful. Thank you
Most important topic ever 😁 Thanks for the great info
Just a tip to make that ring a little easier to put on the bucket. Soak the ring in hot water for a few minutes and it slips right on. No struggle at all. I fussed with that ring all day once and my husband came home and laughed at me. Showed me the trick and, boy, did I feel dumb.
What a great tip! I used the mallet, but my sister took it back. I ordered more gamma lid containers and I was squatting on them! All 125 pounds of me and sweating! 🤣🤣 But I got them on. I will remember what you said, sure wish I saw this last week! 🤣🤣
@@cbass2755 Haha ! I know. I struggled so hard and couldn't do it. I have another funny story. Bought a bucket of coconut oil. It was delivered with the plastic handle out on one side. I tried and tried shoving it back in the little hole. My husband came home and laughed at me again. Licked the nipple end of it and shoved it right in the hole. LOL ! Needless to say, we laugh a lot around here.
@@compassion686 🤣🤣 Cute! That’s wonderful you two laugh together..♥️. I love to hear that. Your story was great and I’m happy you shared the tip! No more squatting over buckets anymore for me because of you! You probably saved my life, or my back, or my hip…🤣🤣🤣. I could go on and on…This was fun, Thank you dear!
@@cbass2755 You're so cute🥰
I have dark chocolate chips stored in Mylar with O2 absorbers and they are good after 7 years of storage. They are fine.they taste great. Stored in a cool dark place. No bloom.
❤️
Great topic! A few months back, I bought a bunch of unsweetened cocoa powder for baking. I wasn't sure what to do, so I heat sealed it in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. After watching your video, I feel more confident about it. Now I know what to do with those chips too. The oxygen absorbers on the bottom of the jars is a great tip.
Thanks for your help!
Currently I only have a few bags in the pantry and a mason jar full in the cabinet. Sounds like I need to get more and stash it!! Good to know the shelf life is really a little longer then what the package says.
Yay!!! You just made my year! Waiting for the Easter candy sales and I'm stocking up. I'll take the 12-18 months and jar seal my chocolate chips for longer!!! Thank you Thank You Thank you, from one addict to another!😁♥️
Ooooo…. Easter candy sales… I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you!
I'm waiting on the Easter candy to go on sale too I am addicted to chocolate I love this video she always come through for me good luck I hope we ain't in the same store when it goes on sale
I was thinking chocolate chips would be the best bet, but chocolate bunnies could be broken up and sealed in jars, and then chopped when needed. Considering I keep carbs low and don't eat much chocolate, the sales would be the much better, more affordable option. I never thought of that.
H0w long do they last with 02 absorbers???
A happy wife (with chocolate) is a happy life! I store my chocolate in the freezer, except for the bars, they disappear 🤔 the most chocolate I bought at one time was when Mother's Market had discounted ALL the chocolate bars for a ridiculously low price,...I bought it all! 😋 Organic, dark chocolate in all the flavors, chipotle/chocolate bars are still my favorite. 👍
I vacuum seal miniature candy bars ,m&m’s , Hershey Kisses, Reese’s peanut butter cups, almond joys, kit-kat, Dove, hard suck candy etc off all kinds in Mason jars. I buy seasonal Christmas, Easter , & year around favorites of our 12 grandchildren . When these occasions come I’m ready to make candy gift bags plus have on my buffet cupboard in candy jars for anytime treats . It’s been a way of taking advantage of sales & save money as prices have gone up ….linda
Hi. How long do they last in your vacuum seals?
This is the most important video out of all your videos! 😋🤪
In previous years I always purchased at least 6 bags of Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses and kept them in the freezer. This past year I could only find 1 bag and very little of dark chocolate from other brands.
I knew you would eventually get around to the important food storage. :-)
I really do love your videos.❤️ You are a joy to watch. And as far as this particular video goes, I do believe that it is the first time that I have ever seen this very important food group addressed with regards to prepping!😊
I altered how I was storing my chocolate thanks to you. I'm following your advice plus I focused more on cocoa powder. I can make all the delicious chocolate desserts I want but I have to have cocoa powder first. So I'm buying the cocoa powder in 2.2 lb bags. Nothing says love like Callebaut chocolate products.
Thank you for sharing . I love how much of a loving team you both are. 👍🏻🇬🇧💛🤍
According to my friend in Venezuela, chocolate is no longer available at regular grocery stores. She hasn't seen coffee creamer for 5 years at the store either. Both items are considered luxury items.
Good to know
@@donnahazlett7305 Same with seeds. Very hard to find there and one of the items she requests the most.
Chocolate is useless lol, if you want to really have luxury Cigarettes, gasoline, tires, etc etc. People can live with out chocolate.
@@stormk-1130 Yes those too of course, fuel being #1 but thought of her comments about chocolate since the video topic.
So sad!
I’ve been waiting for this critical piece of info!
Major chocolate addiction here. Gotta keep a good stockpile, so I don’t waste time waiting for sales. Bulk chocolate (chips, M&M’s, Reese’s Cups, Cadbury Eggs and Hershey Kisses) are all vacuum sealed in 1/2 gallon jars. I hide them behind grains, mostly from myself. Like you, I leave cocoa powder in their containers. Thanks for the excellent content.
I was hoping someone would say something about Cadbury eggs! How long have you been able to store them?
Can we do Andes candies, oreos, or York peppermint patties?or are those to "wet" or whatever and will go bad? Help!!
@@melmelbry5754 I’ve never tried these, but would be worth testing out; I honestly can’t see why they wouldn’t work. I’m sure vacuum sealing would extend their life, but no clue how long.
@barb7014 well I was thinking since the centers are squishy they wouldn't work? Like they would have too much moisture?
@@melmelbry5754 That’s possible; I’ll pick some up on my next grocery day and test it out. If I can find this video, I’ll update you with what I find.
I store most chocolate vacuum packed, in the freezer. With that said, I found a chocolate that is near magical in its storage capabilities even without any extra measures. I got a hold of a large amount of out of date so called "healthy" dark chocolate, made in Germany and with Cocoa, xylitol as the only sweetener, lecitine and vanilla. 75% cocoa content. They had BBD in 2020, and despite not doing anything about them because I forgot, they still taste like new. No off flavours, no rancidity, not even a hint of whitening of the surface. I don't know if it's the xylitol (birch sugars) or just the high quality of the product, but they are like new still. Not even packed in a metal foil, just a clear PE-HD sealed wrapping.
Thanks for a great channel, will watch the whole video now! :D
Oh yes!!! Buy Chocolate!!! I am so happy you did this video. This is the one I have been waiting for!!!!
Yes!! The most important prepping video 😄😄
As one chocoholic to another, thanks for this video. I will going to Sam's Club TOMORROW to get a lot of bags of chocolate chips! I will be sealing them in mason jars! :)
Life-saving info, thanks!
YES ! I am going to go out and store some chocolate !! thank you for the information.
Very useful video as I currently got a bunch of Reeses (my addiction) and have split them up & stored several different ways as a test.
Yeah!!! You made a chocolate storage video! Thank You!
Wow, this is a comforting video. Thanks for sharing! I will save as much as I can stash away. Cocoa powder AND yummy dark chocolate bars. May you always have chocolate!
@@TheProvidentPrepper Thanks!
Gotta have my chocolate chips for a snack. I mix a few with nuts most of the time. I don’t drink coffee so I get my Caffeine from chocolate!! The nuts give me protein. All set for the day!! Love the love you show for each other. ❤️
I opened a can of 20 year old trail mix with nuts included, and this had M&Ms... the chocolate in the M&Ms had turned to powder. Nuts were still good ..
I now vacuum pack dark chocolate M&Ms and dark chocolate chips, as they seem to last a lot longer. I also do Reese's Pieces, but haven't checked them since packed.
Finally on to the important questions! 🍫
I do not have a problem with eating chocolate, but I have a real problem thinking that we may never have chocolate again on this planet due to natural disasters or war. So for me, I am all about having a surplus of chocolate, even a 10-year supply of chocolate, just in case.
I would rather chocolate outlive me, instead of me outlive chocolate.
Oh his I appreciate this! I’ve been trying to figure out how to save my chocolate! THANK YOU! ✌️🌻
I needed this video. I have 20 lbs Callebaut Royal Dutch chocolate powder & 10 lbs of Callebaut cocoa powder. They're stored in airtight glass containers. I feel better after watching the video. I can't do life w/o chocolate.
Great information. Thanks for sharing!
You guys are just awesome. Have watched many of your videos.
When you open pack of 10 oxygen absorbers and don't use them all. I use my bag sealer and seal the remaining absorbers in a food saver bag after vacuuming.
You guys were super cute in this episode! Looooved it!
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge
You had me at 🍫. This is the first video I've watched on your channel and enjoyed both of you. Cheers!
I will be forwarding this link to my kids! They will definitely "listen" to this one!
@@TheProvidentPrepper They were fine until we moved to our new homestead site in Feb and got "flooded" out. Literally water flowing through the home on the day we "moved in".
But, we are all safe and doing whatever is possible to get back onto our feet and make the move the second time!
Such is life, never a dull moment.
Y'all look all happy and healthy. Huge G'DAY from Down Under!
and yes, the chocolate is now on the prepping list (so our daughters say) ;)
Thank you for sharing your research. ❤️🍫
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Same here 😉🍫
Ok... is being your adopted kid a better position than a Bestie? Chocolate lovers unite!!! Dark chocolate is my favorite. This was probably the most important prep video I've seen to date. wink
I just LOVE you guys!!!
Just came from the basement and it was warmer than normal and humid, I'm not used to dehydrating in the summer and I have five dozen scrambled eggs in the dehydrator. At least the sub-basement is closed off to the main.
Have a great one
I'm east coast NC. We have hot weather plus high humidity so chocolate doesn't do well here . I find the cocoa powder last . I put in canning jars and dried can it same time I did my flour 5 years ago . It's still good. Love no baked cookies 😋
Great video thanks for sharing 🙏🙏💕
I stored some of the cheap white chocolate bars from Aldi in my home-made 3-day camp food kits (inside tupperware-type plastic airtight containers). Left it over a year (maybe 2 years) and when I opened it the chocolate had gone off. Not just bloom, more rancid, I guess from high milk content of this type ? So white or high dairy content doesn't keep as well as dark stuff.
I didn't know we could store chocolate...YAY!!!! I'M DOING IT....TY
I am not a big chocolate eater, for some odd reason, but I love to have it on hand. Everybody needs it in their pantry. Anyway, thank you so much for the reminder that I need to supplement my food storage with more chocolate. You would not survive in my food storage with a chocolate craving! I do have some though, really, but I need more. Thank you for the reminder and the information. You guys are so cute!
FYI, don't know where you got your information but chocolate chips are also made with sugars. Sugar keeps forever. It also helps retain longer shelf life of chocolates.
I put mine in the freezer 2 years ago. I'm going to check how it is now.
Thank you ❤️
Great info! Thank you. ♥️ 🍪
i can confirm that cocoa powder- EVEN when just shoved in a dark pantry closet in a terrible original package... remains good for decades. it will lose some flavor over time (probably because cardboard and paper is a terrible container) but...
also... the very very best chocolate chip cookies are made by creaming the liquids and the fats and sugars together before adding the flour, and using at least half (white or red by taste preference) whole wheat.
PS. freezing your chocolate bars and etc extends the shelf life DRAMATICALLY... of course, and its also very tasty
Fun video! At any one time, I store 3 to 4 gallons of cocoa powder and the same of chocolate chips. I also store cocoa wafers, chocolate baking bars, and cocoa butter. Everything is sealed in glass gallon jars, except the baking bars, which are sealed in mylar. Oh, and cocoa nibs. Lots of chocolate flavor. Yum!
Yeah, I vacuumed sealed my cocoa powder in glass as well. It can be messy, so maybe next time I will use O2's! LOL!
@@cm9743 You might also try putting the cocoa powder in a paper (lunch) bag. Fold the top down and place in the Mylar or Food Saver bag to seal. It eliminates the dust. 😉
I just opened a #10 can of chocolate chips that I sealed in 1989!!!!! They're perfect! Flavor is great, no 'blossom', melted like brand new ones when I made fudge. No oxygen absorber, possibly nitrogen packed (we didn't have oxygen absorbers way back in 89!) They were in a gallon ziplock, then sealed in a #10 can.......I still can't believe it!!!!!
I would love to see that! Did you take pictures? Let's chat theprovidentprepper.org/contact-us/
Very important information for all husband’s of the world!
You are so right ! Very important.🤣
Thanks for the great content. I just tossed a large can of "Swiss Miss" hot chocolate that was close to the "best by" date - it had a funny smell, probably the milk powder.
Well we just used some that were 3 years old at least straight from the pantry. They were fine. I didn't know they went bad so I never thought about it
You guys are wonderful.
@@TheProvidentPrepper As sweet as chocolate, maybe? Lol, thanks!
I've been vacuum sealing chocolate in quart jars and vacuum sealing bags. I have a tote full.
awesome Video.. my wife will be sooo happy i can store here some chocolate.
by the way... peanut BUTTER that is mixed heavily with sugar in the candy (like a reeses cup) will last longer than a peanut included in the candy bar... the sugar content mixed through the peanut butter filling helps stabilize it a bit.
note that the candy bar peanut butter i mean is WAY more heavily sugared than any peanut butter you might eat on a sandwich.
it still will go off eventually, but... reeses cups store longer than baby ruths or snickers... or the protein bars that are disguised as candy with nut pieces in them (i eat those all the time and trust me they go off pretty fast)
I snip the bag with scissors put the original bag in a vacuum seal bag, add an oxygen absorber and a moisture absorber and then pack in a gamma seal bucket, these are great tips if you love chocolate.
love chocolate!
Someone is in her element 🤩🤤
Any friend of chocolate is a hero of mine! ❤❤❤
Anyone who can get chocolate to last on their shelf for longer than a few days is crazy!
@Deborah Stemp Smart cookie!!
DAYS? You do mean MINUTES, don't you?
Finally a fun video and it's useful
I gotta have that purple bucket!
Instead of using the clips to keep your bags closed use the sealer to seal the bags. Also works well for potato chip bags.
A hot flatiron for straightening hair works to reseal bags.
Thanks so much! Had NO IDEA🤦♀️
This was awesome! 🙌🤣
Chocolate soufflé is my favorite way to eat it 👍🏼. We store cocoa powder but we need to master making it into to chocolate 😉.
Very good. I try to buy fair trade chocolate (no dairy in it) and cacao. I keep the chocolate in the freezer. Some chocolate I have had for more than 2 years and it is still good.
Sharing a great chocolate recipe…if you have a Vitamix or a high speed blender, there is a fabulous chocolate mousse you make with silken tofu and chocolate chips. I use a blend of milk and semi sweet chips because my grandkids prefer milk chocolate to semi sweet. The recipe has a tiny bit of almond extract, melted chocolate chips, silken tofu, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt. It sets up in about two hours in the refrigerator and I top it with strawberries or raspberries. This is an amazing dessert for people who are sensitive to gluten. I also have had friends who are allergic to dairy enjoy this recipe (made with all semi sweet or dark chocolate chips). My next plan is to try it with white chocolate for my daughter who does not like milk or semi sweet chocolate. In terms of storage, I always have a couple of the Hersheys cocoa powder on hand as well as a large bag of semi sweet chips from Costco, and four to six bags of milk chocolate chips. The grandchildren love to bake at my house. The chocolate chips are an eight to 12 month stash for us, so I probably need to add more. Lol.
Good informational video , thanks for sharing ,God bless !
10 CENT SNICKERS BACK THE TRUCK UP TO MY HOUSE TO UNLOAD, LOL 😂🤗😊💕
Great video as usual. Gotta go make me some hot chocolate. 😁🙋♀️ you’ve answered a lot of my questions. I will begin to store more chocolate since I know I can put it in jars with oxygen absorbers.
I’d love to see your favorite recipes with cocoa powder!
I cracked up when Hub said “ what a Scarface”.
So glad to have this video. Going to buy chocolate tomorrow.
Your so fun!
I’ve never had to worry about shelf life. Mine lasts the length of the car ride home. Hmmmmm... 10 minutes? Hahaha. Thanks. Good infor
Good one love chocholate
I'm going to stock some chocolate chips now..
Love ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Hi, this is great info, and thanks so much. Do you have any info on the shelf life of sugar-free chocolate chips?