One place you should never store chocolate or it will lose its flavour

Halloween is approaching and with houses soon to be swamped in chocolate and sweets the age old question of where to store confectionery will reignite.

The debate between storing chocolate in the cupboard or in the fridge is a common household argument, and defenders of each usually have strong thoughts on why their side is right. Joshua Houston, a food storage expert at , says while there is passionate debate on either side, only one can be right.

He said: “Refrigerating your chocolate is bad for several reasons, the first being that chocolate can easily absorb flavours from other foods in your fridge. Secondly, if you chill your sweet treats you might notice that the cold can make them tasteless. This takes away some of the enjoyment and satisfaction chocolate can bring.”

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If you’ve ever noticed your chocolate looking weirdly white, almost mouldy after being in a cold place then this can be attributed to the fridge as well.

Joshua said: “Discolouring is another big problem, this occurs when moisture in a fridge results in ‘sugar bloom’, which is where sugar rises to the surface.”

Although chocolate lasts anywhere from 10 months to two years depending on the milk content (dark chocolate has less milk and therefore lasts longer) it will taste better if stored in the cupboard.

Joshua added: “Your cupboard is a better option as long as it’s dry, moisture can negatively affect the taste over time. The ideal temperature for chocolate is between 12 to 18 degrees Celsius as any more could result in melting.

"If you do open your chocolate (which I wouldn’t blame you), wrap it in an airtight wrapper or a container. This will help protect the chocolate from moisture and outside odours which could negatively affect the taste.

"Also make sure to keep chocolate away from direct light, it not only causes ‘sugar bloom’ but melting is a factor. Bloomed chocolate is still safe to eat, but it won’t look as appealing and might taste slightly different.”