Kitchen

[flickerbulb]

I recently reorganized and cleaned my pantry. I have a few bags of various chips (chocolate, mint, etc.) stored in a Lock and Lock.

They have been in there a while, but look OK. Do these go bad? Keep or pitch?

[house_cat]

KEEP!  If they look good, they most likely are good. 

In the future, store them in the freezer and they'll stay virtually forever... unless, of course, someone in your family finds them.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone to bake something with them, only to find the bag has disappeared.

[Mominohio]

@flickerbulb

Keep. And use up soon by making something yummy, and call me, I'll be happy to sample to make sure they are still safe to eat!

But really, they do last for a very long time. If still in original packaging check for exp. dates, and then know that since they were in Lock and Lock, will be good a year beyond, as long as they didn't get too hot.

[eddyandme]

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@Mominohio wrote:

@flickerbulb

Keep. And use up soon by making something yummy, and call me, I'll be happy to sample to make sure they are still safe to eat!

But really, they do last for a very long time. If still in original packaging check for exp. dates, and then know that since they were in Lock and Lock, will be good a year beyond, as long as they didn't get too hot.

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@Mominohio

me and my girl, Jade (Eng Lab) will be pleased to join you and flickerbulb - just make sure you use white choc chips as they d/n contain real choc

[flickerbulb]

Thanks for the feedback! Those things are getting pricy so I hate to throw out good chocolate!

I think I will make a batch of something and freeze them. I think there are white chocolate and Andes mints! I will send all of you a virtual cookie when I finish!

[Desertdi]

The only thing that can go wrong with chocolate is that it can get wormy.....and that's probably only if it has nuts mixed in with it.

Edited to add:    I keep candy in my vegetable crisper.   Buy it at the after-holiday sales.   I don't eat it myself, but there's always something if I have company drop in.

[RedTop]

I currently have 5 lbs of chocolate chips stored in one of the cereal keepers.  Have stored them this way since I started buying these storage pieces, and never experienced a problem.  

[shoekitty]

Since I buy organic, high quality chocolate chips and baking chocolate I vacuum seal them.  Of course it doesn't matter what you pay for them, if you don't use them often, it ia waste to have them go bad.  Honestly I have stored chips, vacuum sealed for a year or more.  They were excellent for baking, like in cookies and such.  I do freeze them.  But if I need melted chocolate sometimes the frozen chocolate doesn't react as good as those that have not been frozen.  I have a drawer that is always cool and dark, sealed chocolate stores well for baking.

ETA

chocolate that contains oil and other additives can turn an awful color, and go a bit rancid when stored a long time,especially if they are not sealed and cool

[Kachina624]

Chocolate that is subject to sudden temperature changes gets a grey film on it called "bloom".  It doesn't effect the quality or taste and can still be used.  However, I would not store it in the refer or freezer for that reason.  It does fine at room temperatures unless you live in Baghdad.

[Desertdi]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

Chocolate that is subject to sudden temperature changes gets a grey film on it called "bloom".  It doesn't effect the quality or taste and can still be used.  However, I would not store it in the refer or freezer for that reason.  It does fine at room temperatures unless you live in Baghdad.

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Baghdad......or Phoenix (!!)