Franceschi Chocolate
Storage & Handling
Temperature, humidity, odor and shelf life — the four things that ruin good chocolate in a professional kitchen.
Chocolate is a stable product badly served by most kitchens. Four variables decide whether the product you paid for is the product you use.
Temperature
Store at 12–20 °C (54–68 °F). Above that range cocoa butter begins to migrate to the surface and sets as fat bloom; below it, condensation on returning to room temperature causes sugar bloom. Neither is a safety problem and neither can be reversed without remelting.
Humidity
Keep relative humidity below 55%. Never refrigerate uncovered chocolate: the moment it leaves the fridge it collects moisture from the air, which dissolves surface sugar and dries into a gray film.
Odor
Cocoa butter is a fat, and fats take on the smell of whatever they are stored beside. Keep chocolate away from cheese, coffee, spice and cleaning products, in sealed cases rather than open bins.
Filled and finished work
Filled chocolates require vacuum sealing and freezing, then a gradual thaw — moving them straight from freezer to bench guarantees condensation. Improper storage causes rough texture, bloom, greasy flavors and loss of aroma.