Who doesn’t love chocolate? From kids and children to adults, it is the favorite snack of everyone. If you are also a chocolate lover, you must store some extra chocolate bars in your drawer to enjoy later, don’t you?
But do you notice the white stuff on the chocolate you store for longer? You might call it a mold. However, this so-called mold may put you in the dilemma of whether to eat it or not.
So, are you ready to uncover everything about it so that you would not have to waste your favorite chocolate? Let’s get started:
Contents
Can Chocolate Get a Mold?
Usually, chocolate does not get mold or bacteria because mold and bacteria require moisture to grow and thrive, while chocolate does not contain any moisture. It is almost dry.
In certain conditions, homemade chocolates or truffles are likely to get mold. This is because these handmade items contain wet ingredients and are relatively more water consistent. On the other hand, store-bought chocolates rarely get mold as they do not retain moisture and are very dry.
Now, you must be confused about what that white chalk-covering on the chocolate is? Well, it is known as the bloom. It might appear on chocolate when you keep it in the pantry for an extended period.
When the chocolate is exhumed to external moisture, and varying temperatures bloom appears on it. Moreover, the sugar and fat present in chocolate can also cause a bloom. It might appear as white dots or chalk coating. However, it just affects the outer part of the chocolate.
What are the Types of Bloom on Chocolate?
There are two types of chocolate blooms:
- Sugar Bloom
- Fat Bloom
Sugar bloom appears when the chocolate is exposed to external moisture. The sugar crystals get dissolved on the surface of the chocolate and turn into a white chalk-like residue.
Unlike sugar bloom, fat bloom mainly occurs on improperly tempered chocolate. It also happens when the chocolate is left in a place with frequent temperature changes. The fat bloom you see on chocolate is quite analogous to the sugar bloom.
However, it is slightly grey and has a powdery texture. Almost every type of fat stays fine at varied temperatures until it is cocoa butter.
Cocoa butter remains solid when kept at room temperature. However, it melts and then becomes solid again to an indecent state when you expose it to higher temperatures. As a result, a white layer appears on top.
Does a Chocolate Never Grow Mold?
Now you must be thinking that chocolate cannot get mold no matter what, but it’s not true. There are chances of chocolate getting a mold; however, it is very rare.
Your chocolate can grow mold if it is made up of cocoa beans that were already moldy before processing. Cocoa is widely used as the main ingredient in the production of chocolates. It is cultivated and then refined to make chocolate.
Many popular brands pay a lot of money to obtain the finest quality cocoa beans. Yet, some brands do not do so and eventually use moldy cocoa beans to process chocolates.
Chocolate with moldy beans might give you a nasty taste that you can notice instantly. And, if you keep this chocolate for long, the mold can thrive over time. Nonetheless, it’s very unlikely to happen.
In some cases, chocolate grows mold due to poor packaging or pathogens to which it is excavated during packaging.
Can I Eat a Moldy Chocolate?
Indeed, you cannot eat moldy chocolate. However, before throwing the chocolate away, it’s better to check if the white thing on your chocolate is really mold. It can also be bloom, which is okay to consume in most conditions.
● Sugar Bloom
Sugar bloom makes the surface of the chocolate chalky and white. However, it’s not a big deal. It just occurs due to frequent changes in the temperature of the place where you keep the chocolate. The sugar in the chocolate becomes crystallized, thus making the surface white.
Your chocolate might have a grainy texture and unpleasant mold-like appearance due to sugar mold. Yet you can eat it without any hesitation.
● Fat Bloom
Fat bloom makes the surface of the chocolate greyish. Fat bloom appears when the cocoa butter gets separated and gathers to the surface, thus changing the appearance.
You can enjoy chocolate with fat bloom safely because there is no noticeable change in the texture or taste of such chocolates.
● Taste
It is the easiest way to recognize moldy or bad chocolate. Although it is pretty much unusual for chocolate to become rotten, if this happens, you will notice a change in its taste.
The chocolate that has become moldy will have an off-taste. You might feel unrecognized flavors or overpowering cocoa tastes while consuming moldy chocolate.
● Odor
Chocolate has a solid odor and absorbs the scent of things close to it. It develops an unpleasant smell, especially if you store your chocolate close to something with a robust, savory aroma. That is why you can eat your chocolate if it smells savory but has no particular signs of spoiling.
● Expiration Date
Most chocolates have best-by dates, meaning you can consume the chocolate until a particular date to enjoy its taste to the fullest.
However, it does not mean you cannot eat it after the expiration date. You can still consume it if it does not show insipid or rancid signs. But you must be careful if it contains nuts, fruits or caramels.
In a Nutshell
Chocolate rarely gets a mold. However, it is not good to eat mold on chocolate. It is also advisable not to consume moldy chocolate by scraping mold off it as it may raise health concerns.
Yet, you can safely consume chocolate with bloom as it is just a layer of sugar or fat.
Homemade chocolates are more likely to catch molds or blooms, while store-bought chocolates have a rare chance.
So, now you do not have to throw your favorite chocolate bar with bloom in the dustbin.
Air Fryer Chocolate Cheesecake
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