Can You Freeze Chocolate Chips?
Chocolate chips, whenever you hear the term, you must already be thinking about your favorite chocolate dessert or something chocolaty, right? Yes, that is the case with all of us. Chocolate chips are not only loved by everyone; we all have our own way of eating them.
Chocolate chips are widely available on the market. Or maybe you are making them at home. Whatever the case is, you just cannot have enough! Because they are so tasty and drooling, you always want to have more.
While chocolate chips can be stored for months in your kitchen, have you thought about keeping them for longer, maybe a year? And that too without any texture and flavor alterations. So, is it possible to do that? Can you freeze chocolate chip? Can you keep them for longer?
Yes, you can freeze chocolate chips. They are one of those sweet cravings that freeze well and keep for a year when stored properly. Freezing also means you have a ready supply of chocolate chips in the freezer. Read on to know more!
How To Freeze The Chocolate Chips?
Chocolate chips can be frozen easily; it is not difficult to freeze them. But one important thing that you need to be sure of is that they do not form clumps while freezing. Also, ensure that you follow the freezing guideline step-by-step to freeze the chocolate chips effectively.
Check out the steps for freezing chocolate chips below.
- Take a freezer-safe airtight container or a good-quality freezer bag and transfer your chocolate chips into them. You can keep the chocolate chips in their original packets if they are not opened. Otherwise, use containers or freezer bags.
- If you have a lot of chocolate chips, it is suggested that you use different containers to freeze them in portions. The number of chocolate chips to be put in the containers can be decided by you depending on its later usage.
- Remove all the excess air from the freezer bags and airtight containers and seal them tightly. Proper sealing will ensure minimal air contact and thus your chocolate chips will keep fresh for longer.
- Label and date the packages adequately so that you know how long they have been in the freezer. Now, flash-freeze the chocolate chip packages for about 30 minutes in the freezer. Put them somewhere in the middle of the freezer.
- Take out the freezer bags after flash freezing, wait for some time, and gently shake the frozen chocolate chips along with the bags. This will separate the chunks and thus avoid clumps if any.
- Once, all of the chocolate chips have separated, stack them back into the freezer. And your chocolate chips are ready to be frozen. If you have homemade chocolate chips, you can freeze them in the same way.
Does Chocolate Chips Freeze Well?
Yes, chocolate chips freeze very well in the freezer. It is very rare that you will notice any kind of texture or flavor changes in them while they are being frozen. After you take out the chocolate chips from the freezer, you will get the same fresh sweet flavor.
How Long Can You Freeze The Chocolate Chips?
Chocolate is something that is freezer-friendly. And so is the case with chocolate chips. Freezing increases their shelf life by up to 18 months in the freezer. That is a lot of time to finish the chocolate chips. In fact, a sweet delicacy like this finishes soon, doesn’t it?
You do not have to worry if your chocolate chips will go to waste or not. Because that is not going to happen. The reason being you have enough time to finish your frozen chocolate chips that keep well in the freezer. You can also store chocolate chips in the refrigerator for some time.
How To Defrost Chocolate Chips?
Now, defrosting chocolate chips is a task. This is because defrosting demands temperature changes and this might affect the texture of the chocolate chips. The temperature shifts might as well affect the flavor. Therefore, don’t throw frozen chocolate chips into your cookie or cake batter.
Therefore, be careful while defrosting chocolate chips. It is quite easy though. All you have to do is remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator for some time. This way you can control the temperature shifts. You can then warm them to room temperature to use in recipes or baking.
If you want to use frozen chocolate chips to garnish your ice cream or other such desserts, you can use them directly from the freezer. But remember that frozen chocolate will be very hard, so use them carefully.
Can You Freeze The Chocolate Chip Dough?
Chocolate chips are widely used in cookie baking and you must be using the same for baking cookies at home. So, you might have thought of freezing the chocolate chip dough before baking it, or maybe chocolate chip cookies.
Can you freeze them? Yes, you can freeze chocolate chip dough, and they freeze quite well. All you have to do is double-wrap the dough entirely in cling film for freezing. Next transfer them into freezer bags, and the chocolate chip dough is ready to freeze. You can defrost the dough and use it in baking cookies later.
Can You Freeze Dark Chocolate?
Yes, you can freeze dark chocolate for about 15 months in the freezer. You just need to wrap them sufficiently and your chocolate will freeze effectively in the freezer. It is said that dark chocolate has the longest shelf life of all the chocolate varieties.
However, if you are freezing dark chocolate, there is a high chance that the chocolate might turn white. But there is nothing to worry about; the chocolate is still safe for consumption and there will be no flavor alterations.
Can You Freeze Milk Chocolate?
Yes, milk chocolate can also be frozen as effectively as any other variety of chocolate. And it is safe to freeze the chocolate. You can keep milk chocolate in the freezer for about 12 months and it is rare that you will notice texture or flavor alterations.
The chocolate might turn hard upon freezing, but that is not dangerous. It is still safe to eat. To keep your chocolate safe from freezer burns, just make sure you double-wrap the milk chocolate before freezing. If you want, you can transfer the chocolate into freezer bags after wrapping them.
How Can You Store Chocolate For Longer?
If you do not freeze chocolate, you can still store them for some time. However, it is not in the refrigerator as the chocolate will acquire moisture in the refrigerator, and that is not ideal for storing chocolates for longer.
How to store chocolate? The most effective way of storing chocolates for longer is at room temperature, away from heat and water. You need to wrap the chocolate really well, keep out all the air, and store it in a dry place: the kitchen cabinet or pantry. This is the best storage option.
Another important information that you just cannot miss is that chocolate tends to absorb the scents of other ingredients real quick. Therefore, along with adequate wrapping, you also need to make sure that you keep them away from strong-smelling food items, such as spices or garlic.
Yes, you can also freeze chocolate and it will last for a long time in the freezer. Now, that you know how to keep your chocolate chips and other varieties of chocolate longer in the freezer, you know what to do the next time you have more of them.