While to some prepping chocolate may not seem like an
essential item but to me it sure is. Not
just because I like to eat chocolate either.
I decided to add chocolate to my prepper pantry for a number of reasons,
not the least of which includes morale, very important, as well as its value as
a tradable item. As I'm prepping those
are two important areas to consider.
Morale during a crisis is tenuous at best. But if you have the ability to brighten your
day with a chocolate chip cookie for instance then all the better. Chocolate chips and baking cocoa are also
great items to use to trade for something else you might need. Like toilet paper!
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| Measured out in 2 cup increments |
I was really fortunate and found some nice semi sweet
chocolate baking chips at Grocery Outlet on sale for 99¢ a bag so I bought
five. I would have loved to buy more,
but under the current circumstances I felt it best to leave some for
others. I opened all the bags and dumped
them into a bowl so I could measure out two cups and placed that into a
sandwich bag which I left open.
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| I wrapped each packet in a chip wrapper |
I cut the ends off the wrappers so I could use them to wrap
around the baking chips and that gave me my label with all my nutrition
information plus a recipe for cookies as well as a light barrier. I slipped my little packet of baking chips
into a vacuum sealing bag and used my vacuum sealer to finish up my packaging
and I wrote the date on each packet.
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| Then I sealed each packet |
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| I even included some white chocolate baking chips |
I only use a cup of chips when I make a batch of cookies so
I felt that it would work best for me to measure out in two cup increments and
store it like that. Two batches of
cookies per packet and the contents will fit nicely inside a pint sized mason
jar once opened. The others stay fresh
and stored away until needed.
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| All sealed, labeled and ready for long term storage |
I did the same thing with a bag of white chocolate chips too
so I have variety. As I am able I will
add more to my chocolate stash. As far
as baking cocoa I left it in its original containers and tucked them into
Ziploc bags simply to keep them clean and better protected. They are already nicely sealed and the
containers will protect them from light as well.
Don't you just love the vacuum sealer. I have one for many years and keep finding new ways to use it. Love your blog. Joyce
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Joyce. I do love the vacuum sealer. I used to have one a few years ago and gave it away. Can you believe I did that?!
DeleteChocolate! You are wise!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you. :)
DeleteDoes the sealer keep them from getting that white cast? I've had both choc chips and candy bars do that, even though the taste remains. (The cutoff date seems to be anywhere from 6 months to a year.) I've also had choc go bad (stale) after more than a year. Not with cocoa, though.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are talking about. My understanding is yes because oxygen causes the chocolate to oxidize and vacuum sealing removes the oxygen so it seems reasonable to assume it wouldn't go white. I'll find out once I open up a bag I guess. ;o)
DeleteWhat you are talking about is chocolate bloom. You get bloom from the fat if it's kept too warm, and bloom from the sugar if it's kept in too humid an environment. But, it doesn't effect taste or flavor, and disappears if you melt or bake with it. Beeswax gets bloom too--it's one way to tell if you have 100% beeswax, btw. But, yes, sealing your chocolate in an airtight container will prevent bloom.
DeleteI always buy chips when they are on sale and have a variety in my freezer, including some pumpkin spice ones from after Thanksgiving which were 69 cents a pack. I think I have 4 or five of them. For the record the pumpkin spice flavor is delicious in oatmeal cookies.
ReplyDeleteI bet I would love those! I will have to watch for them next fall and give them a try. :)
DeleteAnne, you may buy my share of pumpkin spice chips! Just never got into this flavor much, though I enjoy making fun of people who rejoice when Starbucks and others start bringing it out in the fall. (Spank me very much.) But butterscotch, oooh. And dark chocolate every time. I'll have to look for these more carefully.
DeleteSurprisingly I am not a pumpkin spice fan either, but the cookies with the spicy chips were really delicious. And yes to butterscotch. If I am not careful I will open the pack and mix some with pecans and just eat them.
DeleteI seal in jars - love my sealer. I've sealed up chocolate in various forms and it's been good 5 years later. I seal candy too for the same reasons you gave. The only thing is, some chocolate with nuts gets funny. Not peanut M&M's, Hershey kisses or nuggets, or Snickers but some candy bars. It's been awhile and I can't remember what candy bar it was. Coffee is great sealed in jars too whether it is beans or ground. Cocoa is like sugar, it never goes bad. I enjoy reading about your prepping - such a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam! And thank you for the great tips and ideas. :o)
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