What's chocolate blooming?
Hey choco fan!
Opened your choco to find it doesn’t look quite right..? A big squished, chalky or white? Chances are your chocolate has bloomed. That’s a rather lovely term for what happens when your chocolate is exposed to temperatures it doesn’t like. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly harmless, but it’s not the Tony’s choco experience we want you to have.
What is blooming?
There are two types of blooming that can happen to your chocolate. Fat blooming occurs when your chocolate gets too warm. The cocoa butter melts and rises to the surface where it crystallises to form a dull white finish. Sugar blooming occurs when there is a sudden temperature change from warm to cold. Condensation on the surface of the chocolate reacts with the sugar and can make it white or grainy.
How do you stop blooming from happening?
It’s the age-old debate – should you keep your chocolate in the fridge? To avoid blooming the answer is no – in a cool, dark cupboard is best. 20 degrees Celsius is optimum.
Is bloomed chocolate safe to eat?
Yes. It’s completely harmless so no worries there.
Can I fix bloomed chocolate?
Bloomed chocolate should still taste the same, but if it doesn’t, the good news is you can melt it to turn it back into its original shiny state. You can either pour it into a mould to cool or use it in baking or hot chocolate. Yum!