STORAGE OF FINE CHOCOLATE
Away from direct sunlight.
A constant temperature within the 12-20 Degrees Centrigrade
(57.2 -68 Farenheit) range.
Odour free environment / store in airtight container.
Low Humidity ( relative humidity 70% max).
Why?
OK we have grown the fine cocoa and freshly made into Fine Chocolate as soon as possible in Madagascar. We transported the fresh chocolate to our chocolate distributors around the world using temperature controlled and odour free transport.
As you know Chocolate easily melts in the mouth as our our body temperature is around 37C. So we need to store the chocolate well below this temperature. If the storage temperature exceeds 24C (75F), the cocoa butter may melt and separate and appear on the surface, causing the chocolate to develop a whitish bloom. However the Chocolate is still fine to eat, but will not look as nice as before.
Sunlight and air can cause the milk and white chocolate to oxidise more readily than dark chocolate. The oxidation changes the original flavours, meanwhile the dark chocolate is much more resistant because it contains more antioxidants. Like a fine wine, Dark Chocolate can actually improve with age if stored in an airtight container at 14-20C.
Cocoa Butter, the fat of cocoa bean easily absorbs other scents, so to maintain the integrity of the fine chocolate, keep well away or sealed from other sources of smells.
Humidity is to blame for that muggy, steam-room feeling you experience on certain summer days. It is how much water is in the air, so 100% humidity means that the air is totally saturated with water vapor and cannot hold any more. Chocolate is a mixture of fat (from cocoa butter) and dry particles (cocoa and sugar). When the melted chocolate comes into contact with water, the dry particles become moist and begin to stick together, quickly forming a gritty, rough mass of chocolate.