If you’ve peeked around our dessert recipe archives, you might notice that we’re quite sweet on one timeless fruit treat: chocolate-covered strawberries. That is, unless they’re passed their prime. Just like the fruit at their core, these chocolate-dunked delights don’t last forever. So we spoke to two experts in this area to clue us in about how to store chocolate-covered strawberries.
Nothing can competes with the classic, whether you’re enjoying chocolate-covered strawberries at the end of a date night dinner, gifting them as a Valentine’s Day dessert for your sweetie, or simply treating yourself to one (or a dozen). Any which way, it’s always a good time for chocolate-covered strawberries.
Angela Johnson, Chief Innovation Officer at Edible
Jennifer Simon, director of product development for Shari’s Berries
How to Store Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
As we mentioned in our guide for how to store strawberries, the shelf life of these fragile yet fantastic fruits begins to count down as soon as they’re picked. The freshness of the ingredients—namely, the berries—will contribute to the overall shelf life of the chocolate-covered strawberries, Johnson verifies.
Her team at Edible has conducted “a great deal of research into the best process,” for how to store chocolate-covered strawberries, “and we’ve learned a lot along the way.”
Beyond the age of the berries themselves, Johnson reveals five major factors that might increase the rate of spoilage:
- The moisture content. Strawberries are 90% water. “When dipped in chocolate, the chocolate not only adds a little more moisture to the item, but it also traps the existing moisture,” Johnson says.
- The humidity. High humidity generates condensation, which often leads to moisture forming on the chocolate surface, affecting its quality. In an ideal world, chocolate-covered strawberries would be stored in an environment that’s as dry as possible.
- The temperature. Rapid changes in temperature leads to condensation, “which increases the rate of bacterial growth,” Johnson confirms.
- Air exposure. This also increases moisture levels; the exact opposite of what we’re going for in our mission to discover how to store chocolate-covered strawberries to keep them fresh.
- Sunlight. “Exposure to direct sunlight can cause the chocolate to melt and affect the overall quality of the strawberries,” Johnson says.
For these reasons, Simon and her crew at Shari’s Berries advise their clients to enjoy their chocolate-covered strawberries the day they receive them, if possible.
“They can be stored at room temperature for up to a day. Then they should be refrigerated if you’d like to save and devour them later,” Simon says.
Here’s how to store chocolate-covered strawberries in the refrigerator:
- Transfer the chocolate-covered strawberries to a container that’s airtight to help minimize exposure to air, moisture, and prevent the absorption of odors, Johnson recommends. Dark or opaque containers help reduce light exposure.
- Place the container in a refrigerator set to 40°F, with humidity at less than 50%. (Dialing in the settings on your crisper drawer can help with this!) While chocolate does best when kept between 60° and 70°F, berries must be stored at refrigerator temperature to reduce the risk for bacterial growth. This fridge-temp with low-humidity combo is the sweet spot that aligns best with the ideal storage conditions of both the chocolate and the berries, according to Johnson.
How Long Do Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Last?
“The freshness of the strawberries and the quality of the chocolate used play a significant role in determining how long they will remain in optimal condition,” Johnson admits.
As a general rule, when stored at room temperature, the chocolate-covered fruit will last up to 1 day. If stored in the refrigerator following the tricks we mentioned for how to store chocolate-covered strawberries, they can typically last for about 2 to 3 days.
How to Tell if Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Have Gone Bad
Your nose—or eyes—will likely know if your berries have gone bad.
Fresh chocolate-covered strawberries should have a pleasant aroma and look like—you guessed it!—fresh berries.
Simon and Johnson caution that if you notice any of the following changes to the chocolate-covered strawberries, it’s wise to add them to your compost:
- Any changes in color of the berries, such as dark spots, off-color patches, or any other abnormal discoloration.
- The berries feel excessively slimy to the touch or have a strange texture; this is a potential sign of bacterial growth or spoilage
- The fruit and/or chocolate emits unusual or off-putting odors.
- The chocolate coating is separating from the strawberries or there's a visible gap between the chocolate and the fruit (the berries have likely released moisture, affecting the chocolate's adhesion).
Why Are My Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Sweating?
If you’ve ever noticed moisture building up on the exterior of your chocolate-covered strawberries, you’re not alone.
“This phenomenon is known as ‘chocolate condensation’ or ‘chocolate bloom,’” Johnson says. “When moisture comes into contact with the chocolate, the cocoa butter in the chocolate separates from the cocoa solids. Chocolate bloom doesn't make the chocolate unsafe to eat, but it does affect the texture and appearance.”
This may happen due to:
- Rapid changes in temperature. Moving the strawberries from a cool environment, like a fridge, to a warmer one, like a picnic table on a summer day, (or vice versa) is a recipe for condensation. “When warm strawberries come into contact with cooler chocolate, moisture forms on the chocolate's surface,” Johnson says.
- Beginning with wet berries. If the berries were not dried properly before they were dipped in the chocolate, “the fruit will stay moist and form condensation, causing the chocolate coating to separate from the fruit in transit,” Simon adds.
To minimize the risk of chocolate bloom, ensure the berries are very dry before dunking (if you're going the DIY route), avoid large temperature shifts during transit and storage, and store the chocolate-covered strawberries in an airtight container to prevent moisture absorption.
“When removing them from the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature inside the container to minimize condensation,” Johnson advises.
Can You Freeze Chocolate-Covered Strawberries?
Since the refrigerator lifespan of chocolate-covered strawberries is about 3 days max, you might be curious if you can store chocolate-covered strawberries in the freezer. Technically, yes, and this will prevent spoilage and extend the life of chocolate-covered strawberries. But Johnson and Simon agree that it’s not a wise strategy if you eventually would like to enjoy those berries at room temp.
“Like many other fruits, once strawberries are defrosted, they can become soggy as they warm to room temperature,” Simon admits.
The texture and quality is drastically compromised, Johnson says, and “they become very mushy.”
The Bottom Line
If you’re searching for how to store chocolate-covered strawberries, your best bet is to transfer them to a dark, airtight container and place them in the refrigerator at 40°F in a drawer that has the humidity set to less than 50%. Under these conditions, your chocolate and fruit snacks should last for about 2 to 3 days.
Start here with a primer about how to melt chocolate so you (and we!) can make a big batch at home. We’ve also dreamed up several creations that are inspired by the concept, including an eye-catching Layered Brownie Heart Dessert, fudgy Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies, and single-serving Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cakes.
