Chocolates: Fridge or No Fridge

[indigohex3]

Firstly, a WARNING to people in Western Australia that I may be spoiling tonight's episode of Celebrity Letters And Numbers (which just finished here and at time of posting this thread has not aired there as they are currently three hours behind the eastern states).

After the final commercial break on Celebrity Letters and Numbers, the people on the show had a debate over chocolate, and whether it goes in the fridge or cupboard (or pantry), and while it is not as well-known as the debate on Vegemite that we have here in Australia (fridge or cupboard/pantry), and I am wondering, do you put chocolate in the fridge or cupboard/pantry. When I go shopping, I often see chocolate in a regular aisle and not in the fridge, and I don't put it in the fridge, but some people do that. Do you put chocolate in the fridge or cupboard/pantry?

 

[DawningWinds]

Depends on the chocolate, really. Liquid chocolate usually goes in the fridge as its main purpose is to go in/on cold stuff anyway. Other chocolate foods may be refrigerated or not depending on the food, many are better cold but most are fine warm, and some don't strike me as "should be eaten cold" at all (these things I haven't mostly tried eating cold though, so I can't prove that they shouldn't be).

 

[NMLewis]

I put Lindt balls in the fridge. But for the most part (when it's not constantly above 30°C) other chocolates can be in a cupboard or pantry.

 

[Pikochu]

It's usually outside the fridge for me. Usually, I like chocolates to be a bit softer so I can enjoy the richness more.

 

[Chevywolf30]

Putting it in the fridge messes it up, even if you leave it out and let it thaw.

 

[Tactician Karina]

It mostly depends for me nowadays, but growing up I got so used to having certain store-bought chocolates in the fridge. My parents hated it when chocolate starts to melt as it's too messy, so for them chocolate needed to be in the fridge, and my brother and I got used to it since, admittedly, most of the chocolate tasted better cold to us. Now I can eat chocolate either cold or at room temperature, but certain ones I still prefer to put in and eat from the fridge.

 

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

While there are few things worse than stale, dried-up chocolate that throwing it in the fridge certainly risks it turning into, there are also few things worse than soft, formless chocolate that feels like it has no definition or substance to it. Pick your poison, or rather what you’re most willing to risk… but for me? My chocolate tends to end up in the fridge more often than not, but only just before I’m about to eat it; think about a day or so before. I can’t do this with all chocolates — Lindt chocolates in particular don’t do too well in the fridge because the softness is kind of part of the point, haha — but I typically make the effort when it makes sense to; I just have to be kind of vigilant to make sure that things don’t end up in the other direction of horrible before too long.

 

[Emmy]

On a technical level, Chocolate should be stored in the pantry, rather than be refrigerated. But in all honesty I can’t say I’ve ever noticed the difference when eating it.

 

[Herbizarre]

I'm putting the chocolate in the fridge if it's starting to get particularly hot. Otherwise, I put it elsewhere.

 

[Zexy]

I actually prefer putting it in the fridge, just to be safe (warm climate here) and because it kinda tastes better when somewhat cold imo

 

[ToxicWhiskers]

In the fridge when it's too hot, otherwise they go all melty.

 

[impervious_gakko42]

I only refrigerate chocolate if it's already been exposed to heat or if it has some kind of soft filling like caramel/peanut butter/etc.

Otherwise it's just this bland, chalky hunk of cacao that hurts my teeth

 

[JollyYoshi]

I don’t think chocolate goes in the refrigerator. Freezer chocolate’s definitely a teeth breaker.

Even if the chocolate is melted, I think putting it in the refrigerator doesn’t fully fix it. Some chocolate has a certain smooth texture to it that will be lost when attempting to reform it