What is the shelf life of natural cocoa powder?

Shelf life and storage conditions of natural cocoa powder

According to GOST 108-2014, the optimal conditions for storing cocoa powder at home are:

• air humidity up to 75%;
• temperature – plus 18-22 degrees.

The permissible storage time is set by the manufacturer and depends on the raw materials and the presence/absence of additives.

Natural powder , consisting exclusively of ground cocoa and not containing any additives, can be stored for up to six months.

This cocoa is intended for brewing , where it is boiled in milk or water and then sugar is added.

A special feature of the natural drink is its thick sediment, which is darker in color than the drink. These are insoluble particles of cocoa beans.

Instant cocoa can be stored for up to two years. To make a drink from it, just pour a spoon or two of this powder with hot milk or water.

The long shelf life is due to the presence of preservatives , which are most often natural and safe for health.

Shelf life also depends on the storage method : soluble powder placed in a metal container can last from a year to two, in a glass jar or cardboard box - up to a year.

You can learn about the shelf life of chocolates and their storage conditions here.

Terms and conditions under which cocoa powder should be stored correctly

Typically, it is customary for manufacturers to guarantee the quality of their products for a period not exceeding 1 year. Cocoa powder in its pure form, intended for cooking, that is, without adding any impurities, can be stored for up to six months.

Cocoa powder added to products that have preservatives (as part of an instant drink) can be consumed much longer. In metal containers, the quality of the product is preserved for up to 1 year, and in glass or cardboard containers from six months to a year.

Consumers of cocoa powder should carefully re-read the storage conditions indicated on the packaging. Properly store the product:

• in a dark place where the humidity level is normal (no more than 75%);
• at temperatures from +18°C to +22°C;
• in a pantry or cabinet that can be ventilated periodically.

Cocoa powder is capable of absorbing third-party aromas, so you need to provide it with the “right neighborhood”. Do not use a refrigerator or freezer to store the product. The cold will cause the cocoa powder to become lumpy and shorten its shelf life.

How and for how long to store cocoa beans?

The storage conditions for cocoa beans are determined by GOST 32615-2014. The most important indicators are:

1. temperature (no more than +20 degrees);
2. humidity (maximum permissible - 75%).

That is, like cocoa powder, beans can be stored at room temperature, but avoiding extremes .

For more secure storage, it is better to use tightly closed metal, wooden or clay containers. Glass jars will also work.

If the beans are purchased for quick use, they can be left in a canvas bag .

During long-term storage, at least once a month it is necessary to open the container where the beans are stored under the lid. This should be done in order to check the safety of the product and “ventilate” it a little.

But as for shelf life, they are not specified in GOST. are installed independently product suppliers.

Typically, the shelf life in industrial conditions (in special warehouses) does not exceed 2 years from the date of harvest.

It is difficult to comply with all storage requirements at home, so 9 months from the date of harvest are considered optimal.

extend the life of cocoa beans a little Then they can be used for up to a year.

How to properly store cocoa butter

Although the oil does not change its consistency at room temperature, it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator. It is important to remember that cocoa butter can be for food use or strictly cosmetic. Edible oil can be used to prepare balms and masks, while cosmetic oil cannot be consumed.

The oil must be stored tightly closed, otherwise a white coating may appear on it, like on chocolate. Cocoa butter can be stored for about 2 years.

Popular manufacturers: Gold Label, Nesquik

These brands are among the most popular in our country. Based on the results of numerous studies, they are indeed recognized as the best , despite periodic deviations from GOST requirements.

Thus, starch . It is safe for health and is used for maximum flowability of the powder, but about this, indicating only cocoa and natural flavoring in the composition.

Nesquik sometimes sins by significantly underestimating cocoa butter.

But Nesquik honestly indicates the entire list of additives :

• emulsifier;
• flavoring;
• minerals;
• starch derivative (maltodextrin);
• sugar and salt;
• vitamins.

Products of both brands must be consumed no later than 12 months from the date of production.

Application of cocoa butter

Cosmetic use

Cocoa butter has many applications. It is actively used in cosmetology, and masks and balms can be made from this oil at home, significantly reducing the cost of purchased cosmetic products.

Here are just some recipes for using cocoa butter:

1. To nourish the skin, especially in winter, you can apply a thin layer of melted cocoa butter to the face and dry skin of the hands. This procedure must be carried out no later than two hours before leaving the house, otherwise after applying moisturizing and nourishing oil to the face in the cold, the skin will suffer and the effect will be the opposite.
2. You can use cocoa butter as a lip balm. It will heal chapped areas of the skin.
3. Apply cocoa butter to your hair and leave for 20-30 minutes, then rinse with water. Natural unrefined cold-pressed cocoa butter can soothe the scalp, relieve irritation and flaking. After several similar procedures, dandruff and scalp itching completely disappear.
4. You can also use the oil to treat cracked feet and rough skin on the feet. Apply a thick layer of oil to your feet, put on a sock and leave until morning. In the morning, wash off any remaining oil with water. This procedure will make the skin of your feet softer and silkier.

Cocoa butter has an analgesic effect and can heal wounds, cracks and dry skin.

Cocoa butter in cooking

In addition to its cosmetic effect, cocoa butter can be used as an ingredient for making raw food sweets or carob chocolate.

For example, you can make natural chocolates at home. To do this you will need:

• Cocoa – 30 g
• Carob – 3 tbsp. l.
• Natural honey - 2 teaspoons
• Cocoa butter – 100 g
• Dry ground ginger – 2 pinches
• Walnuts – 3-5 pieces
• Prunes – 3-5 pieces
• Water – 1 tbsp. l.

Carob candies

Preparation:

Carob candies

1. Prepare the ingredients.
2. Place cocoa butter, carob, cocoa in a saucepan and add a spoonful of water.
3. Heat the mixture over low heat until it melts and becomes a homogeneous mass.
4. Add chopped prunes and chopped nuts to the mixture.
5. Cool the mixture to 40 degrees and add honey and ginger.
6. Place the cooled mixture into silicone molds and leave in the refrigerator for an hour.
7. Take out the resulting candies and treat your guests!

© Angelina Sakharova

#raw

  

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Indicators of a quality product

that this is high quality natural product

1. The powder is brown in color , which may be darker or lighter. The presence of a gray tint or dullness indicates the use of low-quality raw materials.
2. The powder and the finished drink should exude a single aroma - fresh chocolate . The presence of other odors may indicate the presence of flavorings.

Among them can be both natural - vanilla, and synthetic additives with milky, floral, confectionery odors.

3. When rubbed between your fingers, an oily feeling . But the structure of the powder must be uniform - not contain lumps or hard grains.
4. The finished drink tastes like chocolate . It can be exclusively “chocolate”, or it can contain a slight bitterness. The difference depends on the type of cocoa. Most often, a cheaper product with bitterness is found.

Here you can find out whether coffee beans and ground coffee have an expiration date.

"Chocolate" butter - cocoa butter))

We all know that cocoa butter is used to make our favorite chocolate) But it also has a lot of useful properties, which will be discussed below..

HOW IS COCOA BUTTER OBTAINED?

.The main producers of cocoa butter are the countries of West Africa: Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
Ivory Coast produces about 43 percent of the world's cocoa. Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil, Malaysia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic also produce cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is obtained from the fruits of the cocoa tree, and freshly picked cocoa beans do not have the taste and aroma properties characteristic of chocolate and cocoa powder; they have a bitter-tart taste and a pale color.

1. Seeds extracted from the fruit of the cocoa tree undergo a process called fermentation, resulting in a darker brown color and a "chocolate" smell and taste.
2. Next, these seeds are sorted, cleaned, heat treated, crushed into grains, which are ground very finely to obtain grated cocoa, from which cocoa butter is obtained by hot pressing, and the cake remaining after pressing is used to prepare cocoa powder.
3. The cocoa butter is then refined, depending on the application.

Natural cocoa butter, used in cosmetology, has the highest level of purification and does not contain any chemical or harmful impurities.

One of the best for making homemade cosmetics is virgin cocoa butter - high-quality unrefined cocoa butter.

It is not deodorized, and therefore has a delicious, rich aroma of dark chocolate, and also completely retains all the beneficial properties of cocoa butter.

COCOA BUTTER PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Natural cocoa butter , which is used in cosmetology, has a yellowish cream color and a characteristic subtle, barely noticeable aroma of cocoa beans. Cocoa butter belongs to solid oils (butters) - Cocoa Butter

At temperatures up to 25-27°C, cocoa butter remains solid in consistency and breaks easily.

Its melting point is 28-34 C degrees, which makes cocoa butter very convenient for use in cosmetology, because upon contact with the skin, whose normal temperature is 36 ° C, cocoa butter begins to melt and is easily absorbed by the skin, immediately relieving its dryness and irritation.

Cocoa butter is one of the most stable, highly concentrated natural fats.

Chemical composition of cocoa butter

Cocoa butter contains unsaturated and saturated fatty acids such as oleic, stearic, lauric, palmitic, linoleic, and arachidic acid. These acids are partially present in natural skin secretions, and therefore they all play a very important role in the life of our skin (they help moisturize it, restore it, and slow down the aging process).

Cocoa butter contains:

• Organic acids: stearic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic
• Polyphenols
• Antioxidants
• Theobromine
• Vitamin E and K
• Minerals: manganese, calcium, zinc, sodium, copper.
• Flavonoids
• Amino acids: tryptophan, dopamine, tannin
• Caffeine
• 3% polyunsaturated fat
• 35% monounsaturated fat
• 61% saturated fat

COCOA BUTTER COSMETIC PROPERTIES

The main feature of cocoa butter is its high content of antioxidants (cocoa mass polyphenols) and its unsurpassed ability to increase skin elasticity.

• Due to the high amount of oleic acid , cocoa butter is able to restore the barrier functions of the surface layer of the skin and retain moisture in it, therefore it can be successfully used in products for dry and flaky skin.
• Due to the content of palmitic acid , cocoa butter has lipophilic properties, due to which cocoa butter enhances the penetration of active substances into the skin.
• Natural vitamin E (tocopherol), which contains cocoa butter, has skin moisturizing properties as well as antioxidant properties, it enhances collagen production, thereby reducing wrinkles and increasing skin elasticity.
• Polyphenols of the CMP type (cocoa mass polyphenols) inhibit the production of immunoglobulin IgE, which is responsible for allergic reactions, so cocoa butter can be used to treat allergic dermatitis.

COCOA BUTTER APPLICATIONS

• Cocoa butter is included in cosmetic products for the care of the skin of the face and neck, décolleté, lips, and hands.
• Cocoa butter is able to regenerate skin cells, so it can be included in products for restoring the surface layer of the skin, and can also be used in anti-aging cosmetics to treat wrinkles around the eyes and in the corners of the mouth.
• Cocoa butter has protective properties, so it can be used to protect the skin during low temperatures in winter.
• Cocoa butter has a high emollient effect and is also a lubricant, enhancing the sliding effect of oils when applied to the skin.
• Cocoa butter, due to its caffeine content, is included in anti-cellulite cosmetics and is used to prevent skin stretch marks and increase its elasticity.
• Cocoa butter can enhance tan production, so it can be added to tanning lotions. But it is worth remembering that it does not have a sun protection factor (SPF).

HOW TO STORE AND SHELF LIFE OF COCOA BUTTER

It is recommended to store cocoa butter tightly sealed in a cool, dark place. Shelf life 2-3 years. Can be stored in the refrigerator.

Signs of damage

If storage conditions are not met or the expiration date has expired, it is advisable to periodically check the product. Signs of damage will be :

• the appearance of a musty smell ;
• any change in original color ;
• identification of insects that have “settled” in the product;
• the presence of mold , which happens when you constantly take the powder with a wet spoon;
• resulting lumpiness .

In any of these cases, cocoa has one path - to the trash bin.

Cocoa butter: properties and applications

Cocoa butter is often used in making delicious desserts. However, this aromatic product is used not only for culinary purposes. The oil is popular in the field of aromatherapy and cosmetology. The beneficial properties of this tasty product cannot be compared with any other product. In order for the oil to have the expected effect, it is important to choose it correctly and know about all the intricacies of use and storage. The article will tell you about all these important points.

Useful qualities and composition

The trees grow wild or are specially bred. Initially, cocoa was used in the manufacture of chocolate bars; thanks to this oil, the sweet bar is able to keep its shape. Gradually, cocoa butter began to be used in aromatherapy and used in the field of cosmetology.

Composition of the product

The product contains various nutritional fatty elements:

• Stearic;
• Lauric;
• Arachinovaya;
• Oleic;
• Palmitic.

It also contains glycerol ethers, namely triglycerides. The importance of these elements lies in the fact that in certain small quantities these substances are secreted by human skin. Therefore, for the skin of the body to function well, it is necessary to obtain these important elements from the outside, additionally moisturizing and restoring the epidermis. Cocoa consists of a large number of microelements:

• Phosphorus;
• Potassium;
• Magnesium;
• Manganese;
• Iron;
• Zinc;
• Vitamins;
• Caffeine.

These components are also important for nourishing the skin.

Beneficial features

Cocoa butter is the most accessible vegetable fat of natural origin to humans. The active components make it possible to classify the oil as a product with pronounced medicinal properties. Cocoa has a positive effect on the human body from the inside and outside, so it can be used in various ways. The product is often found in various types of care products. Useful qualities of the substance:

• Emollient effect - used in the treatment of damaged skin, burns and rashes;
• Accelerates epidermal regeneration processes;
• Has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• Nourishes and moisturizes;
• Protects skin from external influences.