How to Store Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips are a staple in the home of any avid dessert maker or cookie baker. A key ingredient in everything from chocolate sauce to chocolate chip cookies, it's easy to see how a large supply is handy. These tasty chips typically come in two varieties -- milk chocolate and semisweet. Although milk chocolate chips stay fresh for 8 months fewer than the semisweet variety, the methods of storage are the same. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Empty the remainder of your chocolate chips into a large zip-seal plastic bag. If the original bag was precariously torn open by eager little hands, transfer the chips using a ladle or large spoon. A zip-seal bag provides extra protection from moisture and potential critters.
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Remove any excess air from the bag by pressing the plastic bag flat and securing the seal. Place the sealed bag in a cool dry location, such as your pantry or cupboard.
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Store your chocolate chips in the refrigerator or freezer only if you live in a particularly hot and humid climate. Understand though, that freezing chocolate over several weeks or months will change the texture from smooth to chalky.
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Tips & Warnings
After spending several months in storage with extreme temperatures, some chocolate chips will develop a white film, but this will not affect their taste or safety.
Unless you intend on using all the chips in one congealed frozen blob, do not freeze the entire bag after discovering they melted together during the last heat wave. Once the chips have melted together, your best option is to make chocolate sauce or throw them away.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
