The best way to store chocolate covered strawberries, plus a recipe

Somewhere along the way, Edible Arrangements got a bad rap. Is it impersonal? I suppose. But is an arrangement enriched with melon wedges, chocolate-dipped strawberries and fresh flower-shaped pineapple delicious and succulent? Absoutely. However, homemade chocolate covered strawberries are both personal and delicious. Give me a dozen for Valentine’s Day and a Tiffany diamond ring for each of my fingers like I’ve won the last 10 Super Bowls and I’ll be a happy camper.

Recipes from Food52 Resident Caroline Gelen has already won Valentine’s Day thanks to her technique for making marbled chocolate-covered strawberries. If you also decide to make these marble masterpieces, good technique is nothing without proper storage. So what’s the best way to store chocolate covered strawberries? Before doing anything (chocolate wafer nibbling included), stick a baking sheet in the freezer. The metal tray will become glazed allowing the hot chocolate to firm up quickly as soon as you place the dipped berries on it. But let’s not rush. Once the tray is in the freezer, you can start washing and preparing the strawberries and melting the dark and white chocolates. And with the magic of television. . . the prep work is done! It’s time to remove the tray from the freezer (wear an oven mitt so your fingers don’t stick to the metal).

Then line the baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. (waxed paper has a more non-stick surface which is best, but parchment will do in a pinch). Lay the chocolate-dipped strawberries on top of the lined platter, leaving a little space between each berry. Once the tray is filled, place it in the fridge for about an hour to allow the chocolate to harden completely. As soon as the berries are ready, wrap them in plastic wrap and leave the strawberries at room temperature for up to 24 hours, after which you can arrange them in a bouquet for your beloved. (Or eat them yourself, I’m not judging.)

How long do chocolate covered strawberries last, anyway? If you plan to store them for at least 48 hours, put them in the fridge, but do so with caution. The refrigerator will create additional humidity, making the berries appear to “sweat”. Not cute. Again, I’ll turn to reliable edible arrangements for how to tackle this new challenge: “You don’t want to store the berries in an airtight container, as that will lead to rotting and mold at a much faster rate than if the strawberries are lightly covered.” Instead, EA (I have to give my crush a nickname, right?) recommends keeping the berries on the leaf tray but wrapping them in plastic wrap or foil. aluminium, which will increase airflow and prevent said condensation.

Better yet, place a paper towel or two dusted with baking soda in the bottom of the container, which will absorb even more excess moisture. Lay the wax or parchment paper on top, followed by the berries, then wrap the entire tray with plastic wrap. “When you refrigerate your chocolate-covered strawberries, they won’t taste as fresh or flavorful as storing them at room temperature. But, of course, you’ll get more longevity out of them,” says Edible Arrangements on their website. . A simple edible bouquet filled with chocolate covered strawberries has always been and always will be there for me and is the best Valentine’s Day gift. But I will also take ten small blue boxes.

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Recipe: Chocolate Covered Marbled Strawberries