# Expired baking chocolate?



## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Does anybody know how important the expiry date on baking chocolate is? I've got six squares of semi-sweet that expired in August. I want to use them for the top layer of a dessert square (Nanaimo bars). Would they still be okay to eat? Is the expiry a taste thing, a safety thing, a texture thing? Anybody know.


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

My food hoarding dad gave us two commercial-size (like 10+lbs) of baking chocolate and it took me years to use it up. I never noticed a difference in taste. Mine was dark chocolate, I don't know if the coco butter content plays into it or not.


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## annran (Jan 26, 2008)

I think its a safety thing, chocolate spoils like all foods, and additionally, there may be a change in taste or texture,etc

That said, it may still be good a while after the expiry date, the manufacturers tend to leave a margin on the expiry. But maybe 4 months is too long after?

I do know however that dark chocolate can be stored for years. If yours is the dark variety, would be safer than the others to use


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

How has it been stored?

I have (and have eaten) chocolate that is more than 10 years old.







:

The depth of flavor may suffer, but as long as it hasn't gone rancid, it should be fine.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

It's stored in a cupboard up above our stove. That sounds pretty bad, but it's not really. It doesn't get that hot up there.

annran: It's semi-sweet, so it's pretty dark. Maybe I'll nibble a corner and see if it tastes right (ie. not very good







). I think it's two years old. I generally only make Nanaimo bars at Christmas. I think I bought the chocolate for Christmas in 2006. Normally, I'd have used it the following year, but having lost Aaron so recently, I didn't do that much baking last Christmas...


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## crunchy_mama (Oct 11, 2004)

I wouldn't sweat it myself as long as it tastes ok.


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## HappiLeigh (Mar 30, 2005)

I had chocolate fall behind other stuff in a pantry once, and when I found it again it had an off-smell. I think if it smell okay and tastes okay, it's probably fine.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

So - the chocolate was fine. I did have to buy some more for my second batch, because I accidentally used a non-microwave safe bowl to melt it on my first attempt. I didn't think I could use chocolate full of hard little burnt bits for a bake sale...

Oddly enough, I ended up sitting next to the woman who bought my _entire_ plate of Nanaimo bars.


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