How to Store Truffles for the Long Haul

Keeping your truffles fresh when you have the self-control not to eat them all immediately...

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There are two types of people in this world. Those who will happily eat a whole box of truffles in one sitting, and those who won't. If you're the first type, congratulations! You've already solved the storage problem. If you're the second type, you came to the right place! Let's talk about how to store your truffles for the best flavor, no matter when you choose to enjoy them.

Our beautiful Handcrafted Artisan Truffles freeze beautifully too!

How Long Do Truffles Last?

It's no secret that chocolate can be temperamental (for all you chocolate nerds out there, pun intended) and requires some specific storage conditions. Truffles are even more finnicky than a solid bar of chocolate. That soft, melt-in-your-mouth ganache center that makes them so good is also what makes them a little high-maintenance. Like most of us in Alabama, ganache doesn't love temperature swings, and it loves humidity even less. So while a chocolate bar might be able to shrug off an afternoon of direct sunlight through the kitchen window, a truffle is much more likely to hold a grudge.

The good news is, short term storage is pretty simple. Keep your truffles in the original box or in an airtight container, and put it in a cool, dry spot, away from sunlight and anything with a strong smell. Do this and they'll hold up for about six weeks at room temperature without any major changes in quality. Pop them in the fridge and you'll stretch that out a bit further (more on that later).

Research has also shown that, if you live with other chocolate lovers, placing the truffles on a high shelf that kids can't reach, concealing it in that corner of the pantry that nobody touches, or putting it in your special top secret hiding place can be instrumental to your chocolate's survival.

Can You Freeze Truffles?

Let's say you want to slowly savor your truffles for months to come, or to have an emergency truffle stash you can break into at will. Luckily for you, our truffles freeze beautifully if you follow the right steps and muster just a little bit of patience.

The Fridge-Freezer-Fridge-Counter sequence will keep your truffles looking and tasting their best!

Here's how to do it right:

1. Move them slow. 

   Close your truffles in an airtight, freezer-safe container, preferably the smallest one they can comfortably fit in. Set that container in the fridge for a day before it goes anywhere near the freezer. Skipping this step and freezing the truffles too fast can cause a host of problems, such as cracking, condensation, and bloom, those grainy white splotches that sometimes appear on chocolate.

2. Freeze.

   Once they've had their day in the fridge, move the container to the freezer. They'll keep well for about four months or more without any major changes in quality.

3. Thaw them the same way you froze them, but backwards. 

   Move the container from the freezer back to the fridge for a day. Then take it out and let it sit, still closed, at room temperature for another day. Only after that should you open the lid. Again, opening the lid while the truffles are still cold may cause moisture in the air to condensate on the surface of the chocolate, affecting its look and texture.

4. Enjoy.

   This part doesn't need instructions.

A Few Notes

A note on patience: yes, this whole process takes about three days start to finish once you count the fridge stops on both ends. We know that feels like a long time to wait for chocolate you already own. But think of it as the opposite problem of impulse buying. You're impulse-saving, and future you will be grateful.

One more thing worth mentioning: if your truffles come out of the freezer looking a little pale or dusty, that's bloom, not spoilage. It's just the cocoa butter reacting to the temperature changes, and your truffles should still be perfectly safe to eat and likely still pretty darn tasty. If something smells off, though, trust your nose over this blog post and toss it.

So go ahead and stock up on your favorite Christo's Confections truffles, and don't be afraid to get the big box! You can always freeze them later (though most people tell me the truffles never make it to their freezer)!

Christo's Confections - Artisan chocolates handcrafted to spread happiness,

one bite at a time.