Chocolate long term storage.

[Gunco]

Im sure some are thinking there are better things to long term store. Well I and my kids like chocolate, like brownies, chocolate chips ect.
Whats the best way to store these long term?
Anybody done it.
Im assuming that brownie mix in its dry form can be stored like everything else dry, mylar bag and 02 absorber, 5 gallon bucket


What about Chocolate chips.

[MUSIBIKE]

I don't know?

That kind of stuff never lasts very long around here.

[Chiroone]

I once took a factory tour of the Whetstone chocolate factory in St Augustine. The tour guide explained that chocolate has an indefinate shelf life. Often when we see chocolate that has what looks like a biege colored "frosting" covering over it, this is simply the seperation of the coco butter, but does no harm. So as long as the chocolate does not melt, and is not eaten by either man or beast, it should be able to be stored in any manner. As for brownie mix, that is such a melange of incredients, I think it would be best vacuum packed with an oxygen absorber in it.

[railbuggy]

Found this
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Page two gets better.

[kernelkrink]

Chocolate in candy form seems to last quite a long time. I have some first or second generation MREs from the early 1980s that a friend stored in his garage. Temp swings from below freezing to summer baking. 80s vintage M&Ms tasted a bit "stale" but otherwise were pretty good. Stored in an oxygen free environment and I bet they would have tasted brand new. Hershey chocolate bars, OTOH, looked a bit waxy from the cocoa butter seperation but had more of a bitter taste to them. Still edible though, just not as sweet as you would expect.

[Chiroone]

Hershey use to make a candy bar they called "Tropical Chocolate" which was issued from WW II to Vietnam. It would not melt as readily as their regular product. It was often included in survival kits in the past. It was then re-issued in the Gulf Wars; and then surplus bars were packaged as the " Desert Bar", I think it flopped and was not well received by the public. I have not seen it lately and am not sure they still produce it.

[4thIDvet]

Originally Posted by Gunco

Im sure some are thinking there are better things to long term store. Well I and my kids like chocolate, like brownies, chocolate chips ect.
Whats the best way to store these long term?
Anybody done it.
Im assuming that brownie mix in its dry form can be stored like everything else dry, mylar bag and 02 absorber, 5 gallon bucket


What about Chocolate chips.

Visit one of the companies that make, or made "C Rats."
Whatever chemicals they put in them, the real rats would not even eat them.
Dogs refused them.
Never saw chocolate. But get the chemical they used.
It will last till the next ice age.

[kernelkrink]

Originally Posted by Chiroone

Hershey use to make a candy bar they called "Tropical Chocolate" which was issued from WW II to Vietnam. It would not melt as readily as their regular product. It was often included in survival kits in the past. It was then re-issued in the Gulf Wars; and then surplus bars were packaged as the " Desert Bar", I think it flopped and was not well received by the public. I have seen it lately and am not sure they still produce it.

1 year only on the desert bar.

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IIRC, they also made an "emergency ration" for WWII that was supposed to taste bad so GIs wouldn't eat them unless they had no other choice. They just changed the proportions in the recipe, which was an improvement over the previous emergency ration that used turpentine as the "flavor de-enhancer".

There was also a "lemon flavored drink powder" issued in WWII rations, I suppose the purpose was something like Gatorade. Rumor has it the GIs hated it and the military hospitals collected all the packets and used them as a floor disinfectant cleaner.

[4thIDvet]

"Floor disinfectant cleaner"
That had to be some bad stuff kernel, if hungry thirsty G.I.s would not touch it.
Damn I am getting old. But I remember when the "LRRP" Long range recon patrol rations came out.
Great idea, weight saver just add water.
We could not get them. Just "C rats."
Too the food processors credit, they are creating better long term food items.
I tried too cook some "MREs" but screwed up and used a cooking pot.
O.K. so I am stupid, I read the directions after I started.
Not bad, but I am sure after a month of those, yuk.
Chocolate, if they wanted, I would bet they could get the rite mix for super long use.
Good whole grain rice, to me, is still one of the best survival foods.
Kept dry it sure will last.
Add a few critters of your choice, some green plants and you can last a long time with rice.

[Karl/PA]

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