Easter and chocolate are inseparable. However, once the excitement has passed, stocks accumulate and too often end up in the trash. Sometimes because of a simple white film which worries consumers. Thanks to the advice of the application Too Good To Go and the nutritional expertise of Raphaël Gruman, learn how to tame your leftover cocoa so you don’t waste anything again.
The white layer: a harmless visual phenomenon
This white veil which sometimes appears on your tablets or your figurines is called the “bloom”. Far from being mold, it is a natural chemical process and completely harmless to health.
The fatty bloom occurs when cocoa butter rises to the surface after temperature variations, while the sweet bloom results from the crystallization of sugar under the effect of humidity. In both cases, the taste remains intact. Too Good To Go recommends simply looking, smelling and tasting before deciding to throw anything away.
What is the real lifespan of chocolate?
Chocolate is a very stable product that has a very long shelf life. The minimum durability date (MBD) indicated on the packaging relates to the optimal quality of the product and not to food safety.
Concretely, dark chocolate without filling can be kept for up to 24 months, milk chocolate for up to 18 months and white chocolate for up to 12 months.
The higher the cocoa content, the more resistant the product is to time. Even after the indicated date, it often remains delicious and perfectly edible for several months.
Raphaël Gruman’s opinion: freezing as an anti-waste ally
Can you put your chocolates in the freezer to eat them later? For nutritionist Raphaël Gruman, the answer is a resounding yes.
According to him, it is even an excellent conservation strategy because “there is no real health risk with chocolate, even with chocolate that will be filled, praline or with a ganache“.
In addition, the expert specifies that cold preserves taste qualities. “It’s better to freeze it than to leave it lying around, because the chocolate loses its aroma.”
A simple method to spread out your consumption
To succeed in this operation, Raphaël Gruman advises organizing your stock well. “When you have a big box of chocolate, what I advise is to divide it into several pieces, put it in airtight containers and freeze it.
This method allows you to take out only a few pieces as needed. “This saves you from having to force yourself to eat a lot at once.” adds the nutritionist, who himself applies this tip with his children to spread the pleasure over several months without risking an overdose of sugar.
You have understood: chocolate is a robust food which presents no risk of poisoning, even if it turns white over time.
But to prevent your Easter gifts from drying out or losing their flavor, freezing in portions remains the ideal solution. And makes it possible to effectively combat food waste.