Homemade chocolates make popular gifts. However, because making chocolates can be time consuming, you may want to make your sweets well in advance. This can present the problem of how to store the chocolates until it is time to give them away. Chocolate has a long shelf life and you can store homemade chocolate in such a way as to preserve its flavour, texture and appearance.

Tear or cut a piece of foil into a square that is about three times the size of the piece of chocolate.

Place the chocolate in the middle of the foil square. Fold the top flap of the foil tightly over the chocolate and press down. Fold the bottom flap over the chocolate in the same way.

  • Homemade chocolates make popular gifts.
  • Fold the bottom flap over the chocolate in the same way.

Snugly wrap the two side flaps of the foil around the chocolate. Smooth the seams to secure. Wrap all your pieces of chocolate individually in the foil.

Place your wrapped chocolates in an airtight storage container.

Store the container of chocolates in a cool, dry place away from the sun. The chocolate should last for three months if stored in this way.

TIP

Chocolates can also be stored in the freezer. Wrap the chocolates in the foil and place them in a container, then store the container in the freezer. Defrost the chocolates gradually to keep the cocoa butter from separating and forming white spots on the chocolate.

Store your chocolate in decorative tins instead of plastic storage containers.