PSA: The best time to eat your chocolate is now.

We’ve all been there before. We’ve purchased something a little bit “exorbitant”, and relegated it to the back of the cupboard for that super special occasion. Events keep ticking by, and for some reason it never feels like the right time to crack it open or indulge.

Five years pass, and suddenly it’s time(!!) to uncork that luxurious bottle of red wine that you’ve been saving…and, lo and behold, it’s turned to vinegar.

This is how I feel about craft chocolate. I know how tempting it is to stash something away for those milestone moments, but in reality, there is no better time to eat your chocolate than now.

There are definitely some things that age really well, and while chocolate does continue to evolve in flavour the longer you store it, it can also diminish a lot of the more bright, delicate notes that a maker has intentionally tried to hero in the right here and now.

Storage and packaging can also have a big impact on the aging of chocolate, as it quite readily absorbs odours. I’ve tried a lot of bars that have taken on the flavour of paper or cardboard which is always a disappointing experience. Temperature fluctuations and humidity can negatively impact the texture and the way chocolate expresses flavour too—think chalky and dry, instead of unctuous and melty.

So consider this your PSA, that the best time to eat your chocolate is now. Maybe also tomorrow…but make sure you enjoy it fresh, as the maker intended!