Chocolate is a delicious treat, a popular cooking ingredient and chocolate hampers make excellent gifts for all occasions! While chocolate is easy enough to store during the cooler months, when temperatures rise, it can get just a little bit tricky.
 
The first tip is to look for a dark, dry place and, preferably, below the level of your kitchen worktops. It really is true that hot air rises and cold air sinks. So, the higher you store your chocolate, the warmer it will get. It’s also important to keep your chocolate out of the sun of course. Even on a relatively cool day, the direct rays of the sun will cause it to melt.
 
If your kitchen tends to become really warm and you have another, cooler room in your home, you might like to consider storing your chocolate elsewhere. Place it in a plastic container and store in the coolest spot you can find.
 
Should temperatures throughout your home become rather stifling, then refrigeration might be your only option. This is not ideal since refrigeration can affect the original flavour of the chocolate. Place the chocolate in an airtight container to prevent other smells from affecting the chocolate. Remember not to place the chocolate near the back of the fridge since this is where the most moisture gathers.
 
Chocolate can be frozen but only if you plan on using it for cooking purposes. If you freeze chocolate and wish to eat it, you will notice that it won’t have much flavour at all. Again, make sure that you place the chocolate in an airtight container to protect it from absorbing other smells.
 
When buying a chocolate gift basket, you have a few options. You can have the hamper delivery made straight to the recipient. This way you won’t need to trouble yourself with proper storage and delivery. If you wish to make the delivery yourself, then you will need to store the hamper in a cool, dark, and dry place. If you have a basement, you can choose to store the hamper here. Provided, of course, that you protect the hamper from exposure to moisture and water. Alternatively, make space in your fridge if possible or place in an air conditioned room. If none of these options work for you, you will need to find the coolest place in your home and store the hamper here until you can make the delivery. When transporting the hamper, make sure that you keep it cool and out of the sun. Place the hamper on the floor in the front of the car (front passenger side) and point the air conditioning vents on the basket to keep it cool while you drive.