Should Chocolate Chips Be Stored In The Freezer?
There is only one surefire way to make any treat taste irresistible — and that's adding chocolate chips to it. Do you want an unbeatable sweet breakfast? Chocolate chip pancakes will do the trick. Or maybe you're looking for some chocolate-on-chocolate dessert action? Because chocolate chip brownies are sure to satisfy. In fact, Statista reports this ingredient is so delicious and versatile that 109.58 million people across the United States used some sort of semi-sweet chocolate chip in their desserts in 2022.
However, after you use your chocolate chips to make cookies or bake muffins, where do you usually store them? When you first began your baking journey, you may have read an article like the Pioneer Woman's that claims it's best to keep your chocolate morsels at room temperature in your cabinet. But now you may have discovered that many of your fellow baked goods lovers like to freeze their chocolate chips until they need to whip up a chocolate pie. So should you follow suit and start putting your chocolate chips on ice?
Storing your chocolate chips in the freezer can make them last longer
According to Still Tasty, keeping your chocolate chips in the freezer is more than just an effective way to store this beloved baking ingredient. Because while freezing chocolate chips at a general freezer's temperature won't add a lot to their shelf life, if you're able to keep the cooking must-have at 0 degrees Fahrenheit it will never risk going bad.
If that fun fact sold you on keeping your chocolate chips in the freezer from now on, all you need to do to ensure you properly freeze your chocolate chips is to store them in air-tight bags. However, while Still Tasty reports that freezing your chocolate chips is a simple process, chocolate chip history maker Nestlé Toll House notes that getting your frozen morsels baking-ready is a little more involved (per Nestlé Toll House).
As noted by the company, if you attempt to unthaw your chocolate chips too fast the moisture will rise up and make your chips turn an unappealing white. The best way to make your morsels de-thaw perfectly is to let them set them out at room temperature. While this method will require you to start the ingredient's de-thawing process long before you begin baking a cake, with the right freezer temperature, it's a small price to pay for being able to make the most of your chocolate chips.