Make Chocolate Sauce Last Longer By Storing It In The Freezer

Congratulations, you just made your first batch of homemade chocolate sauce! Once the ice cream sundaes have been served, though, reality sets in — there aren't a ton of everyday uses for chocolate sauce, so what do you do with the rest of your yield? Luckily, homemade chocolate sauce can be frozen for up to a month without spoiling.

Homemade chocolate sauces and syrups will typically contain dairy products like butter, so you can observe the same storage and freezing guidelines here as you would for milk or cream. The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days if stored in an airtight glass or plastic container. Keeping dairy foods away from excess air prevents oxidation from setting in, which would accelerate the process of bacteria potentially growing within the food. Use a similar container when it's time to move the chocolate sauce to the freezer; just be sure to double-check that you're using freezer-safe storage containers. Otherwise, paper containers and thinner plastics may not be strong enough to prevent leakage and air contamination.

Bear in mind that these tips only apply to chocolate sauces that contain dairy elements. Major brand store-bought chocolate syrups are typically dairy-free, and stay shelf stable for much longer. Unopened chocolate syrup can be kept in a cool, dry place for up to two years; an open bottle will stay fresh in the fridge for six months.

When you're ready to use your stored chocolate sauce, it will take a little finesse and planning ahead to get it back to a silky, spreadable consistency. First, don't attempt to reheat the sauce directly from the freezer. Chocolate sauce and any chocolate that has been frozen should sit in the refrigerator to thaw; otherwise, the sauce may take on excess condensation, which will cause the development of white grainy spots known as sugar bloom. (Chocolate with sugar bloom is still safe to eat, but it looks odd). Thawing the sauce in the fridge can take up to 24 hours. Then, remove from refrigeration and allow the sauce to come to room temperature.

By this point, the sauce should look more like a manipulable substance than Magic Shell. A double boiler is the recommended method for reheating; set this up by resting a heat-resistant bowl on top of a saucepan containing about an inch of water. The bowl should be able to nest on the pan without falling in or touching the water. Bring the water to low heat and stir for a few minutes until the proper texture is achieved.

A microwave can also be used; however, be careful to heat the sauce in short bursts of time and stir frequently or set the microwave to lower power. This keeps the sauce from burning or seizing, which happens when a substance is warmed at too hot of a temperature too quickly, creating lumps in the sauce mixture.