Photo by Carolina Gelen Somewhere along the way, Edible Arrangements got a bad rap. Is it impersonal? I suppose. But is an arrangement spiked with melon wedges, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and fresh pineapple formed in the shape of flowers delicious and succulent? Absolutely. Homemade chocolate-covered strawberries are, however, both personal and delicious. Give me a dozen for Valentine’s Day, along with a diamond ring from Tiffany for each of my fingers like I’ve won the last 10 Super Bowls and I’ll be a happy camper. From Our Shop Food52’s Recipes Resident Caroline Gelen already won Valentine’s Day with her technique for making Marbled Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, If you decide to make these marble masterpieces too, a good technique is nothing without proper storage. So what’s the best way to store chocolate-covered strawberries? Before you do anything (snacking on chocolate wafers included), stick a baking sheet in the freezer.
The metal tray will get ice cold, which will allow the warm chocolate to quickly firm up as soon as you lay the dipped berries on top of it. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Once the tray is in the freezer, you can begin washing and prepping the strawberries and melting the dark and white chocolates.
And with the magic of televisionthe prep work is done! Time to pull the tray from the freezer (wear an oven mitt, so your fingers don’t stick to the metal). Next, line the baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper (wax paper has more of a nonstick surface, which is preferred, but parchment will do in a pinch).
Lay the dipped chocolate strawberries on top of the lined tray, leaving a little bit of room between each berry. Once the tray is filled, pop it in the refrigerator for about an hour to allow the chocolate to completely harden. As soon as the berries are set, wrap them with plastic wrap and leave the strawberries at room temperature for up to 24 hours, at which point you can arrange them in a bouquet for your sweetheart.
(Or just eat them yourself, I don’t judge.) How long do chocolate-covered strawberries last, anyway? If you plan to keep them around for at least 48 hours, put them in the fridge, but do so with caution. The fridge will create extra moisture, causing the berries to appear as if they are “sweating.” Not cute.
Once again, I will turn to the dependable Edible Arrangements for guidance as to how to navigate this new challenge: “You don’t want to store the berries in an airtight container, because this will cause decomposition and mold at a much quicker rate than if the strawberries are lightly covered.” Instead, E.A.
(I have to give my crush a nickname, right?) recommends keeping the berries on the sheet tray but wrapping them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, which will increase the airflow and prevent said condensation. Better yet, place a sheet or two of paper towels dusted with baking soda at the bottom of the container, which will absorb even more excess moisture.
Lay the wax or parchment paper on top, followed by berries, and then wrap the whole tray with plastic wrap. “When you refrigerate your chocolate-covered strawberries, they won’t taste as fresh or flavorful as keeping them at room temperature. But, of course, you’ll get more longevity out of them,” says Edible Arrangements on their website.
A simple edible bouquet filled with chocolate-covered strawberries always has been, and always will be, there for me and that’s the greatest Valentine’s Day gift of all. But I will take ten little blue boxes, too. Ingredients
| 1 | pound large ripe strawberries, at room temperature |
| 6 | ounces (170 grams) dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup) |
| 1 | teaspoon refined coconut oil (optional) |
| 2 | ounces (56 grams) white chocolate, chopped (⅓ cup) |
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Share your pro tips for storing chocolate-dipped strawberries in the comments below!
Contents
What can I wrap chocolate in to stop it melting?
Step 4: Include Cold Packs – When you’re shipping perishables like chocolate, temperature control is crucial. The commute may subject your package to harsh environmental conditions like extreme heat or humidity. To help keep your chocolates intact and regulate temperature inside your package, carefully package your chocolates with cooling agents like gel ice packs or dry ice.
Why are my chocolate covered strawberries cracking?
Chocolate Covered Strawberries – TIPS – Chocolate Covered Strawberries aren’t hard to make but I do have two little tips:
- Make sure the strawberries are dry. Chocolate won’t stick to wet strawberries; and
- Tiny touch of oil for shine and soften chocolat e – The main reason I add oil to the chocolate is to soften it a touch. So when you bite into it, it doesn’t crack and fall off the strawberry (gasp! disaster!). The other incidental benefit is that it makes the chocolate a tiny bit shinier (melted chocolate = super shiny, once set = matte).
You probably don’t need it, but I’ve made a little recipe video – it’s below the recipe. 🙂 Oh! And of course, get as creative as you want with the coatings! I did some crushed nuts and coconut (they taste like lamingtons!). Happy weekend! – Nagi xx
Does a paper towel keep strawberries fresh?
How to Make Berries Last Longer – Just like with the lettuce, once you bring your berries home, open the container, place a paper towel over top of them, and store them in the fridge upside down. Make sure to wash the berries when you’re ready to eat them but don’t wash the whole container before storing as that adds extra unwanted moisture.
Should I put strawberries in Tupperware?
How to Store Fresh Strawberries I grow a few strawberry plants every year, and the best berries of the season are usually those picked in the yard and eaten as I survey the garden, anticipating a summer of luscious, homegrown crops. Growing strawberries at home is a pleasure I wouldn’t give up, but with “U-Pick-‘Em” fields and the farmers’ market offering the succulent, crimson berry for the next few weeks, the select strawberries from my yard will be overshadowed by gallons and gallons of sourced berries to be cooked into jam, churned into ice cream, served in smoothies and desserts or, best of all, eaten fresh by the fistful.
- Fresh strawberries are an unparalleled spring delight, but all too fleeting.
- Picking more than you can eat this season? Whether you intend to eat them today or six months from now, knowing how to store strawberries will ensure you get the best flavor without losing a single berry to a notoriously short shelf life.
Fresh strawberries can go directly into the refrigerator, but will do just fine on the counter for a couple of days. Remove any bruised or otherwise marred berries and place the rest in a colander or open-weave basket to allow good airflow. Stems should be left intact until the berry is ready to be eaten to protect the mold-prone, wet flesh inside from exposure.
While it is tempting to wash strawberries as soon as you get them home, resist the urge. Strawberries will soak up the water, making them more susceptible to spoilage. Even with careful handling, strawberries won’t last longer than a few days without refrigeration. Moisture is an enemy of the fresh strawberry.
The inclination may be to store them in airtight containers, but strawberries will rot more quickly when the moisture is trapped inside. Even the plastic containers in which many grocery store strawberries are packed are a bad choice for refrigerator storage.
Instead, immediately pack strawberries loosely in an open container or wide pan lined with paper towels to help wick water away from the delicate berries. Colanders are perfect for strawberry storage, allowing air to circulate freely. Unlike whole berries, once strawberries have been cut or hulled, they should be stored in an airtight container to protect the exposed flesh from mold and bacterial development, significantly reducing shelf life.
Strawberry season only lasts a few weeks, and there’s a reason it’s so hotly anticipated. Fresh strawberries picked just a week ago are already past their prime, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to enjoy this year’s haul well beyond the expiration date.
- Dry-freezing strawberries will retain much of the flavor and some texture for up to six months and can be stored for as long as a year (with some loss of quality).
- Strawberries canned or frozen in syrup keep some flavor, but will be soft and are best used in baking or stirred into yogurt or oatmeal.
- Then, of course, there’s strawberry jam.
Freezing comes closest to retaining the qualities of fresh-picked strawberries. Other tactics for long-term storage have their appeal as well, but no preservation method can truly retain the vibrant flavor and firm texture of freshly harvested strawberries.
How do you store candy coated strawberries?
Candied Strawberries – Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 25 minutes Course Dessert Cuisine American Servings 30 strawberries Calories 67 kcal
2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup light corn syrup ½ cup water 25 – 30 fresh strawberries
Wash and dry the strawberries. Lay parchment paper/wax paper down on a clean counter. In a large saucepan, add in the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Over medium heat, stir until combined and let it cook to 300 degrees. I would highly recommend using a candy thermometer for this. After the sugar mixture has reached 300 degrees, turn the heat off. Push a skewer through the tops of the strawberries. Hold the skewer and the leafy green tops and carefully dip the strawberries into the hot sugar. Give the wrist holding the skewer/strawberry a few gentle taps to remove any excess sugar. Place onto the parchment paper/wax paper to cool and harden. I recommend serving them/eating them on the same day. Store in the fridge in an airtight container lined with wax paper for no longer than 4 to 5 hours. The candy coating will get soft and form puddles around the strawberries after the 4 or 5-hour mark or so.
Calories: 67 kcal Carbohydrates: 17 g Sodium: 3 mg Sugar: 17 g Calcium: 1 mg (Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.) Keyword Candied Strawberries, Valentine’s Day Desserts