Chocolate Candy Shelf Life

by Toni Tsai
(Chicago, IL.)

What is the chocolate candy shelf life, or how long can you keep chocolate candy?

We had box of chocolate candy for a year. Is it still good to eat?

Hi Toni,

Yes, chocolate candy has a long shelf life. You can eat it after a year without worrying about it being 'off' or something.

The problem you may have is that it may not taste as 'fresh' as it would have, depending on the type of chocolate candy you are referring to.

Also, if it hasn't been stored at a constant stable temperature it may look discolored (white or grayish 'bloom'). It is still edible, it just doesn't look as nice.

So, if you are wanting to eat it yourself, go for it. If it's something you received last year and want to 're-gift' it's hard to say what condition it is in without opening the box and checking it out.

All the best,
Angie

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Jan 07, 2012

Shelf Life of Peppermint Patties NEW
by: Angie

Hi Shelley,

100 Peppermint Patties! Yum! Wish I had a few of those at the moment. The York Peppermint Patties are one of my weaknesses. ;)

Well, to answer your question, in most cases chocolate does keep really well for very long periods of time if the temperature is moderate and stable. Of course, it needs to be kept away from strong smells, too.

However, if you are only planning using these peppermint patties for making cookies and bars, then I would go ahead and freeze them to maintain the freshness. You'll probably get a better and more predictable result that way.

Having said that, you'll want to take the usual precautions of leaving them in that container (is it a plastic one by chance) or putting them in another one that will fit in your freezer. This will reduce the chances of freezer burn, etc.

Hope that helps. Maybe when you get a chance, you can share your recipes for making the bars and cookies with peppermint patties. We'd love them, I'm sure.

Jan 07, 2012

Peppermint Patties Shelf Life NEW
by: Shelley

Hello,

I purchased some packaged Peppermint Patties to use in Christmas cookie/bar recipes. I still have a huge container left(over 100) and would like to know if they will last till next November/December? If so, do they need to be frozen or what?

Thanks for any advice,
Shelley

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