Why Does Chocolate Turn White? (and How to Prevent It)

To prevent chocolate from turning white, store it in a cool, dry spot in your kitchen or pantry.
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Strawberries, bananas, coconut balls — just about anything becomes sweeter when you dip it in chocolate. But chocolate may turn white depending on how it's stored.

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You may notice that your dipping chocolate, which was once glossy and enticing, has developed a white or gray coating that looks anything but appetizing. That white coating is called bloom.

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Below, we dive a little deeper into why chocolate turns white, and how you can prevent it from happening.

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Chocolate bloom is most likely to form on chocolate stored in moist environments or temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Though it's not the most appealing to look at, it is not harmful to eat chocolate bloom, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Why Does Chocolate Turn White? How It Happens

If you've noticed that your chocolate is turning white, it may be because of how it's been stored. The splotchy appearance is a substance called fat bloom, which is just the fat from the chocolate (the cocoa butter) that has separated and risen to the surface of the chocolate.

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The sugar in chocolate may also accumulate on the surface of your chocolate, causing it to look white or gray and dull. If you're storing chocolate in a damp area, the moisture will draw sugar out of the chocolate and cause it to crystallize, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Fortunately for chocolate lovers who'd like to preserve the quality of their favorite ingredient, both scenarios are preventable.

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How to Prevent Chocolate From Turning White

Follow these tips to help prevent chocolate from turning white so it stays fresh:

1. ‌Store chocolate in a cool, dark place:‌ Pick somewhere the humidity level does not exceed 50 percent (i.e. not in your fridge). The ideal temperature for storing chocolate is between 65 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Place chocolate in a low cabinet or pantry out of the sunlight.

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2. ‌Thaw dipping chocolate‌ stored in the refrigerator or freezer to come to room temperature before removing it from its wrappings. Cold chocolate that comes in contact with the open air forms condensation, resulting in sugar bloom.

Temper the dipping chocolate before using it. Heat the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, removing the pan from the heat when the chocolate begins to melt. Add some unmelted chocolate to the heated chocolate, attach a candy thermometer to the double boiler and let the chocolate cool to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the double boiler back on low heat, stirring until the chocolate reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Fix Chocolate That Has Turned White

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