How to store Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee and Other Holiday Sale Items Rural Mom

Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and other popular holidays are a great time to stock up on pantry favorites, including the ever-popular chocolates!

With 50 to 90 percent off sale items calling for a place in your cupboard, stocking up on staple items like coffee, cocoa, tea, and chocolate is super easy to do.

With the proper storage, some of these items will also make it straight through to the next year for gift giving, without sacrificing the quality or taste.

Chocolate

Can be stored for up to a year, in its original wrapper, in a dry, dark place with an ideal temperature of 60 degrees Fahreheit. Dark chocolate may be stored for longer than one year in the same conditions.

Cocoa

Can be stored in the same manner as chocolate, up to a year, in its original wrapper, in a dry, dark place with an ideal temperature of 60 degrees Fahreheit. Dark chocolate may be stored for longer than one year in the same conditions.

Coffee

Can be stored in its original vacuum sealed wrapper in a cool, dry, dark space for up to one year or for the length of its freshness date or expiration date.

Though some places recommend freezing coffee, this practice is for coffee that has already been opened or loose coffee beans.

Tea bags and Loose Tea

Can be stored in their original container (preferably tin) in a dry, dark place for several months. Any exposure to light, air, moisture, or strong odored foods will adversely affect tea leaves.

Hardy Candy

Can be stored in their original packaging in a cool, dark, dry space for up to one year. The key is to keep the candy from getting heated, ideally store at 60 – 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caramels

Can be stored in their original packaging in a cool, dark, dry space for up to six months. If you want to use the caramels for recipes or for coating Halloween apples, place the caramels in their original packaging in an airtight container and freeze for up to one year. Unwrap while frozen, then completely thaw before using.

For up-to-date information and charts on food safety and storage, visit the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website at www.fsis.usda.gov

Tags: coffee

Barb Webb. Founder and Editor of Rural Mom, is an the author of "Getting Laid" and "Getting Baked". A sustainable living expert nesting in Appalachian Kentucky, when she’s not chasing chickens around the farm or engaging in mock Jedi battles, she’s making tea and writing about country living and artisan culture.

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Comments

- hendy
- December 28, 2010
Reply
What great info, I never knew all of this nor did I know that dark chocolate could be stored longer than milk chocolate. Can’t wait to stock up with all of these post-holiday sales.