Chocolate products in Australia are about to vanish in preparation for the Easter Bunny’s arrival.

Easter is a big celebration around the globe for millions. It has become tradition for people to give chocolates as gifts to their friends and loved ones. Unlike on Valentine’s Day when people purchase them a day before or maybe during the morning of heart’s day, people raid the stores for chocolates days or weeks before Easter. Also, unlike Valentine’s where buying a box of chocolates will do, people usually place big orders when preparing for the Easter holiday.

With people’s orders in place, along with a list of their recipients, the next big question will be where to store all of them before Easter Sunday. Most people are not able to store all chocolates in their refrigerators and coolers due to their limited space. As such, before you purchase all those yummy candies, it is important for you to have a large space with an efficient cooling system, which is easy to control. It is also important for you to know the essentials when it comes to chocolate storage.

How to Store Chocolates for Easter

Whilst it’s good that Easter takes place during the autumn when the temperature’s starting to cool down, it’s still important to ensure that a proper cooling system is set up for chocolate storage. Here are important reminders when storing chocolates.

Ensure the right temperature at all times

Chocolates should never be refrigerated. They should be stored in a cool and dry place to keep their quality. The ideal temperature for storing chocolates is from 15°C to 20 °C or 59 °F to 68 °F. This temperature range prevents sugar shock or sugar bloom, which occurs when the sugar comes out of the chocolate, giving it an unappealing whitish texture. Although the taste remains the same, its flawless texture would no longer be the same. As such, it is important to regularly check the storage temperature and make sure that it is just right.

However, if refrigeration is your only option, then make sure to properly wrap the chocolates to avoid odours, condensation, and oxygen from seeping in.

Keep the chocolates away from light and sunlight

Natural and artificial light is bad for the taste of the chocolates, so make sure that not a single ray of light goes through the storage container.

Keep oxygen from getting into the chocolates

Oxygen may be essential for everything else in this world, but not for chocolates. Just like natural and artificial light, chocolates that absorb oxygen will surely leave a bad taste on the tongue. As such, when transporting chocolates, it is important to keep or seal the products using either an airtight bag, a cooler bag, or a thermal container. These containers prevent chocolate products from being oxidized, as well as from moisture damage. The goal here is to preserve the quality that the product has from the time it was bought until it is consumed on Easter.

Determine the proper storage period

It is important to know beforehand how long the chocolates need to be stored for. Given that they are for Easter, most people buy their chocolates at least a month before Easter Sunday, which means that cool and dry storage is the best option. For longer durations of time, such as three to four months, it would be best to keep the chocolates in the freezer. This method, however, is a bit tricky because continuously storing chocolates in the freezer for a long time is a bad idea. In this regard, it is advisable to store the chocolates in a freezer for 24 hours, after which it should be placed for storage in the refrigerator for the next 24 hours. In addition, be sure to wrap the chocolates with a double-wrapped freezer bag before you store it in the freezer to ensure it will be airtight.

Keep chocolates in their own containers

Chocolates don’t store well with other food products, especially those with strong odours. The cocoa butter in these products can easily absorb odours that will eventually lower the quality of its taste.

The thought of giving chocolate as a gift for Easter is a big thing for the giver and the receiver. However, the quality is also essential, especially during a holiday when chocolates take centre stage. Family time, fun activities, Easter egg hunts, and chocolates– these are all the things people look forward to on Easter, although people never tire of giving and receiving chocolates as gifts throughout the year.

Top Five Chocolate Stores in Australia

With the important storage reminders for chocolates out of the way, it is time to talk about where to get the best chocolate products in all of Australia for Easter or for any other day really.

Just William Chocolates

A one-of-a-kind hole-in-the-wall chocolate store, this store’s animal-shaped chocolates are one thing people look forward to here. Of course, bunny-shaped chocolates are popular during the Easter, but perhaps people can shake things up by giving out nougat frogs, mango penguins, and other creatively shaped candies. Just William is found sitting in the city of Paddington in New South Wales.

Noosa Chocolate Factory

The Noosa screams authentic Australia. Most of the ingredients they use are locally grown in Queensland. This store offers a wide range of chocolate products like the Victorian Hazelnuts, the iconic Amy’s Brownies, truffles, and of course, the hand-painted bunnies and egg chocolates. Located in Adelaide St, Brisbane, Noosa is famous for its range of both chocolate and coffee products.

Haigh’s Chocolates

This big establishment, located in Greenfell Street, Adelaide, is considered part of South Australia’s rich food history. It has been around since 1915 when it was founded by Alfred E. Haigh. This store is considered a chocolate haven, not only for people in South Australia but for the entire country as well. This store offers loose chocolates, chocolate confectionery, boxed chocolates, chocolate bars, novelty products, chocolate blocks, and Easter chocolates. Their Easter selection includes milk chocolate eggs, white chocolate eggs, caramel-filled eggs, and dark chocolate eggs.

Mayfield Chocolates

Mayfield is all about the mixture of elegance and simplicity, as well as its divine-looking chocolate bars with little drops of heaven. Mayfield has been paying tribute to the country, with its product selections that offer the flavours of the entire country in both taste and appearance. One amazing thing about this store, which is located in Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, Brisbane, is that it caters not only to chocolate-related events or celebrations like Valentines or Easter; it also offers chocolates for birthdays and Christmas.

Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio

People can never go wrong when they go to this store for their Easter chocolate fixes. Burch & Purchese goes all out for the Easter holiday. They make sure to elevate their products’ design, taste, and texture. Chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies holding a carrot – whatever you need or fancy, B&P surely has it. Many people even compare it to Willy Wonka in terms of innovation and imagination. The Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio is in Chapel St., South Yarra in the state of Victoria.

It is safe to assume that the chocolate madness will affect everyone as the Easter holiday nears. In this regard, it is best for you to ensure that you go on a chocolate shopping spree before your favourite sweets run out. Just make sure you’ll be able to store them properly until the Easter Bunny comes.

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