Will you store them, or will you eat them? Learn how to keep your berries fresh and delicious with these helpful tips.
It’s the day before, of, or after Valentine’s day. You have a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries on the table, but you’re not quite sure how you’re supposed to store them and how long they’ll keep.
Hey, you may not even be reading this in February. It could be the day of Christmas. Or maybe you just can’t get enough of this delicate dessert and prefer to enjoy it all year round. (Don’t worry, we’re not the calorie police here, and we don’t judge!)
The truth is, you could be here for many reasons, but none of them really matter. All that matters is that we’ve got you covered. We scoured our cookbooks and the Internet for advice and put together this no-B.S. guide to preserving chocolate-covered strawberries for you—so you won’t have to. Read on for our best tips and tricks.
How Long Do Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Last?
There are three ways to store chocolate-covered strawberries, whether you made them yourself, bought them from the confectionary, or got them as a gift. These three storage methods are on the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer.
Now, how long the chocolate-covered strawberries will keep depends mainly on how you choose to store them. The rule of thumb is that chocolate-covered strawberries keep for 24 hours at room temperature and 48 hours in the fridge. In the freezer, they stay safe to eat almost indefinitely but retain their best quality for only 3 months.
Remember that chocolate-covered strawberries are a perishable food. They taste their best the moment you’re done preparing them, bring them home from the confectionary store, or receive them as a gift. From that moment on, their aroma, flavor, and texture begin to deteriorate.
How to Store Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Now that we’ve gotten the basics out of the way, let’s take a minute or two to talk about the specifics of each storage method for this delicious dessert.
On the Counter
As long as the chocolate-covered strawberries are intact, they’ll keep on the counter for up to 24 hours.
To keep chocolate-covered strawberries on the counter, line a baking sheet or shallow plate with parchment paper, keep it out of direct sunlight or heat sources, and spread the strawberries out on a single layer.
To put it simply, store your chocolate-covered strawberries in a shady spot on your countertop. Sunlight and heat will cause them to deteriorate faster. So avoid areas on the windowsill, near the stove, above the dishwasher or dryer, and on top of the fridge.
In the Fridge
When refrigerated properly, chocolate-covered strawberries can keep for up to 48 hours.
To store chocolate-covered strawberries in the refrigerator, line a baking sheet or shallow plate with parchment paper, place the strawberries on a single layer and then store them on the top or middle shelf of the fridge, where the temperature isn’t necessarily the coldest.
It’s important to note that when the chocolate-covered strawberries are stored in the fridge, condensation will form, and they will appear to “sweat.” If you’re hosting a party, the Berries.com team recommends not putting the berries in the refrigerator until after serving.
There are differing opinions on whether it’s a good idea to store chocolate-covered strawberries in an airtight container or not. Caroline Gelen of Food52 advises against it because moisture accumulates and promotes mold growth. Food Network recommends the opposite, especially if you want to keep the strawberries in the refrigerator for longer.
In the Freezer
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, foods frozen at temperatures of 0°F (-18°C) stay safe to eat almost indefinitely. However, they will eventually dry out and lose their aroma, flavor, and texture.
As a general rule, chocolate-covered strawberries will keep their best quality for up to 3 months in the freezer. But there’s a catch: Although chocolate-covered strawberries freeze well, they don’t thaw well. When the strawberries thaw out, they become soft and mushy, and the lack of crispness ruins the entire experience of eating this dessert.
Then again, who said you need to thaw them? You can still freeze and enjoy chocolate-covered strawberries if you want to eat them slightly frozen like ice cream, especially on a hot summer day.
When freezing chocolate-covered strawberries, follow the reverse rules of refrigeration. Place the strawberries in a single layer in an airtight food storage container so they don’t take on odors from the cold air in your freezer.
