# chocolate



## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

So i had this idea pop into my head today about vacuum sealing chocolate and other types of luxury food items that might not be as available in the future. im sure this might sound dumb but to me i think it might be a valuable trade item. i dont want to invest alot of money in it by any means but with halloween on the front door step history has shown me that the day after halloween all the candy goes on sale and every store trys to get rid of it as fast as possible. so i was wondering how well it will last if say i opened a buch of the chocolates and vacuum sealed the candy in my food saver bags. again i know this sounds crazy.


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## Gauge0317 (Dec 4, 2016)

Its definitely worth a try I'm going to try it myself now. I feel like you could get a good extension on their shelf life.

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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@Gauge0317 i feel less crazy now haha. thanks!


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Instead of chocolate candy, I store cocoa powder in my sealed mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. Would last much longer.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@******* id like to do that aswell. my thing is theres always going to be someone who would be happy to have some hersheys bar you know? and if i can keep a bit of chocolate on store for near to nothing it would hurt.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

I vacuum seal and freeze, so far it seems to work for me....


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@rstanek i read online that it messes with the chocolate if u freeze it you havent had any problems with that?


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

derbar said:


> @rstanek i read online that it messes with the chocolate if u freeze it you havent had any problems with that?


Bought three box's of 50 Hershey bars about two years ago, take one out every now and then, no different then the day I bought them, I think the trick is non-exposure to air, hence vacuum sealed....to add, I leave them in the original wrapper.....


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@rstanek i wasnt sure if the wrapper would cause a problem or not but im glad to hear that it shouldnt be a problem


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Chocolate should last about 2 years, the darker the better for storage. Maybe much longer when vacuum packed. Like anything with butter or oil in it (the cocoa butter in this case) it will eventually go rancid. A white coating on the surface does not necessarily mean it has gone bad, that's called 'bloom' and it's safe to eat. If mold spots are present, or it tastes funny, dump it.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@sideKahr thanks for the info. time to get the vacuum sealer out and save me some candy haha.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

sideKahr said:


> Chocolate should last about 2 years,


Ha,ha, maybe in your house it does but not around here at my house!!!

ETA: I like M&M's cause I think the candy shell help preserve them a lil'.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@Annie thats actually a good idea i didnt even think of M&Ms im thinking i might haft to broaden my candy selection. again tho after halloween all that assorted candy goes on sale.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Chocolate? Hell No! It attracts females and I have enough of them already to fend for. Geez .......


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

A Watchman said:


> Chocolate? Hell No! It attracts females and I have enough of them already to fend for. Geez .......


Me too! I have 4 daughters here. Chocolate is a good idea!

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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Annie said:


> Me too! I have 4 daughters here. Chocolate is a good idea!





A Watchman said:


> Chocolate? Hell No! It attracts females and I have enough of them already to fend for. Geez .......


What the hell is up with all this female crap? I ain't female but sure love me some chocolate.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

looks like i got a trend goin here haha.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

derbar said:


> looks like i got a trend goin here haha.


I think you are a wise prepper to plan on some of the luxuries of life... such as chocolate. Same with my cocoa. I figure the occasional hot cocoa or chocolate cake will do wonders for morale.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I did the vacuum saving thing with left over Christmas chocolate chips from baking. Kept them in 2 qt. jar and in the dark.
They kept fine for the year. I then tried it with left over Halloween candy. For some reason it only lasted a few weeks. LOL


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@******* im glad to hear you say that im just starting up and atm everythings a idea till i can get moving. but hearing other peoples opinions on it makes me have alot of faith in what im doing.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

@paraquack when you sealed the halloween candy what kind of candy was it and did you bunch the same types of candy together. also was it bagged or jarred?


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

A customer of mine has a bunch of vending machines on offices in several cities. He discovered that the machines in offices with many women sold twice the chocolate. He figured that if he could design a machine that just poured chocolate into a cup for those businesses he'd become rich.

But seriously,,, I'd love to figure a way to long term store chocolate fudge or Cocoa. But Chocolate has a lot of oils in it which makes it hard to store. Don't know about cocoa powder.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

******* said:


> I think you are a wise prepper to plan on some of the luxuries of life... such as chocolate. Same with my cocoa. I figure the occasional hot cocoa or chocolate cake will do wonders for morale.


Screw the chocolate ...... real men drink hot cocoa, you bet I have ample supplies in my stores! :tango_face_wink:


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

******* said:


> What the hell is up with all this female crap? I ain't female but sure love me some chocolate.


If a man feels the need to get in touch with his feminine side ........ oh well, who am I to stand in his way? :sad2:


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

A Watchman said:


> If a man feels the need to get in touch with his feminine side ........ oh well, who am I to stand in his way? :sad2:


To be honest, I'm in my 60s now and feel like I've got more female hormones flowing thru the system than male. I'm OK with that. I've always liked women better than men anyways. 

Used to be when checking out women I allowed myself to read the menu but restrained myself from ordering... even when offered. I still enjoy reading the menu but no longer have any huge desire to order.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

******* said:


> To be honest, I'm in my 60s now and feel like I've got more female hormones flowing thru the system than male. I'm OK with that. I've always liked women better than men anyways.
> 
> Used to be when checking out women I allowed myself to read the menu but restrained myself from ordering... even when offered. I still enjoy reading the menu but no longer have any huge desire to order.


Psst ....... don't tell anybody, but I enjoyed my chocolate covered raisins last night while enjoying the evening at home. :vs_blush:


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

A Watchman said:


> Psst ....... don't tell anybody, but I enjoyed my chocolate covered raisins last night while enjoying the evening at home. :vs_blush:


Busted!

And I enjoyed the white chocolate covered strawberries at my son's Halloween party. Went back 3 times for those babies.


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## derbar (Oct 29, 2017)

ill be honest i love all kinds of chocolate stuff idc what anyone thinks haha.


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## Gauge0317 (Dec 4, 2016)

Hahaha the post his hilarious. 

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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

derbar said:


> *vacuum sealing chocolate and other types of luxury food items that might not be as available in the future. im sure this might sound dumb*


That is not a dumb idea, it is a brilliant one; chocolate and liquor would be worth more than money, in a long, long crisis. The problem might be shelf life; since even if it is frozen, it is very perishable item. If it gets freezer burn, it might not be any good; so you would have to pretty careful, and package it heavily.

BTW: I am a chocolate eating fiend, and I have diabetes to boot. It makes for some tricky blood sugar levels at times, but I am an addict.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

MisterMills357 said:


> That is not a dumb idea, it is a brilliant one; chocolate and liquor would be worth more than money, in a long, long crisis. The problem might be shelf life; since even if it is frozen, it is very perishable item. If it gets freezer burn, it might not be any good; so you would have to pretty careful, and package it heavily.


Not sure it would work but what about keeping the ingredients to make chocolate? Longer shelf life possibly?

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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

Sasquatch said:


> Not sure it would work but what about keeping the ingredients to make chocolate? Longer shelf life possibly?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


I looked at cocoa powder, on Reference.com; and they figure that a can is good for 2 years after the expire date. But eventually it would all go bad, anything choco; and that would make life insufferable in some ways! I say eat it, and drink it now, while time remains!
https://www.reference.com/food/cocoa-powder-expire-3dc545226877cb15


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

MisterMills357 said:


> I looked at cocoa powder, on Reference.com; and they figure that a can is good for 2 years after the expire date. But eventually it would all go bad


I look at cocoa like my garden seeds in storage. They will only store properly a few years and after that will start going bad. Not unusable but heading south. I consider both important enough to live with that limitation & understand I need to replace them occasionally. I also feel like my storage condition in my prepper room, where it stays in the 60s, dry & dark, could very well extend the shelf life, as most studies that determine this date assume a bit harsher conditions. I seal 25 lbs of cocoa per mylar bag, with oxygen absorbers included. That should be superior to most normal packaging. Can't see well, but here is a bag up on a shelf.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

******* said:


> I look at cocoa like my garden seeds in storage. They will only store properly a few years and after that will start going bad. Not unusable but heading south. I consider both important enough to live with that limitation & understand I need to replace them occasionally. I also feel like my storage condition in my prepper room, where it stays in the 60s, dry & dark, could very well extend the shelf life, as most studies that determine this date assume a bit harsher conditions. I seal 25 lbs of cocoa per mylar bag, with oxygen absorbers included. That should be superior to most normal packaging. Can't see well, but here is a bag up on a shelf.



View attachment 59426

You are an exceptional thinker, most folks would not think it through, as well as you have. And you will have items of trade, if things ever became Hell On Earth. Chocolate is right there with coffee in my book of "wants".


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Carl knows what's up!










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## Alex (Nov 5, 2017)

I love the Chocolate but I don't think I will do something like you. hahaha


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