Choc Dipped Strawberries-Refrigerate Or Not?
Decorating By sweetchef Updated 4 Jan 2007 , 4:57pm by sweetchef


If I recall correctly we made and sold them last year and they kept fine in our pastry case for a day or two. I don't know that I would keep them much longer than that. That is the only problem with strawberries, they are very delicate and go bad so quick. Good luck & Happy New Year!

Yes, they're so easy to make but so complicated to store. I assume I'll have a lot of customers want to buy Valentine gifts 2 or 3 days before. They always ask me if they should refrigerate they're gift box of strawberries or not, and I never know what to tell them. Since it's tied with ribbon, they don't see the berries until they open it...so I'd hate for them to refrigerate it and only see the sweaty, messed up berries days later. My pastry case is a little warmer than my walk-in with less humidity...maybe I should do a tester batch.

Don't refrigerate...they will sweat and not look pretty. If you're selling for Valentine's take pre-orders and have pickup that day. That's easiest way to make sure they are fresh.


Hrm, I've never had a problem refrigerating them before. I usually dip them in white chocolate a day ahead of time, and keep them in the fridge overnight, wrapped in plastic wrap on the tray they will be served on, and take them out at room temperature for the party or whatever. No clue why it would sweat for some and not for others.
The only thing that comes to mind is the possibility that the strawberries are still damp when you dip them? I always roll my strawberries around gently in a kitchen towel, then leave them out to dry for a couple of hours after rinsing so there's absolutely no moisture still left when I dip them.

Do they have the stems on them? They will last longer with the stems on, and if you cut the end off the stem and wrap it in wet paper towel, it should last at least another day.
My experience has been that locally, strawberries will mold after two days, especially around the calyx area. I do not store them for more than 1 day, and they are always refrigerated.
Theresa

So if I only leave them out for 1-2 days at room temp, should I tell the customers to refrigerate them after purchase? Should I tell them that they must be eaten same day (you know, for liability reasons)?
Valentine's Day is on a Wed this year! Yuck! Everyone's going to try to celebrate the weekend before..or not...since it's my first year with a store, I never know what to expect. I want to make a TON of strawberries but I'm just not sure what day will be best. Arrgh...I hate planning!

I agree with the ones that say take preorders and make the day of.I love chocolate dipped strawberries,but a mushy one is sooo gross!
Maybe you could do preorders and just make some extra's?
Good luck!
Emily

There will be celebrations the weekend before, the day of, and the weekend after. So, you should have 5 days of pickups for these (Fri, Sat, Wed, Fri, Sat). Preorders for those days are a great idea, or a "first come, first served" for a limited amount above what is ordered.

I had a friend send some she ordered and they came mailed to me with paper towel layer and gel/ice pack--
here is some info for what is it worth....good luck
Chocolate Covered Strawberries....
Strawberries must be dry when dipping. The California Strawberry Commission recommends buying berries no more than a day ahead of when you want to dip them. Store the berries refrigerator, but allow them to warm to room temperature beforedipping. After dipping, let chocolate set in refrigerator, but do not store the strawberries there. Eat within 48 hours.
Since strawberries grow on the ground, they should be washed before they are eaten or dipped. Leave the green caps on and wash the berries gently with cool water flowing from the tap so as not to bruise the fruit.
If you are going to dip berries in chocolate or vanilla, they need to be completely dry. Just a tiny drop of water in the melted chocolate can cause the whole batch to seize (curdle) and it will be impossible to melt the chocolate and use it again. After washing the berries, pat them dry with a paper towel and place them on a dry paper towel until needed.
margery

When I make my chocolate strawberry basket, I get the cake all done and basketweaved and the morning I'm to deliver I dip the dry strawberries 2/3 of the way up and let them dry for a few minutes on wax paper. I tried doing this the night before and putting them on the cake and putting the cake in the frig, but it sweated and by the next afternoon there was strawberry juice dripping down the sides of the cake. Remember that the sugar in the chocolate will react with the sugar in the strawberries to start making them juicy, so the last thing you want to do is the strawberries.

Absolutely do not refrigerate. The condensation from the warming to room temperature, will break down chocolate. Chocolate bark also sweats and the juices of the strawberry will run. Strawberries should be done hours before serving for the best results.
Those that put them in the refrigerator, whether you see them sweat or not they do, you may not see this take place if you have them covered.
Working with bark and real chocolate are completely different. I have done both. If you are using real chocolate DO NOT refrigerate.
And they will not keep after dipping at room temperature for 2 or three days. They need to be consumed the day they are dipped, at least within a 12 hour time frame.
When strawberries are dipped in hot chocolate, the juices begin to flow and the fruit itself starts a breakdown process that will also breakdown the chocolate after more than 12 hours or so.

So if I only leave them out for 1-2 days at room temp, should I tell the customers to refrigerate them after purchase? Should I tell them that they must be eaten same day (you know, for liability reasons)?
Valentine's Day is on a Wed this year! Yuck! Everyone's going to try to celebrate the weekend before..or not...since it's my first year with a store, I never know what to expect. I want to make a TON of strawberries but I'm just not sure what day will be best. Arrgh...I hate planning!
I know you've heard this over and over, but I wouldn't make them 2 days ahead. Maybe the night before, but not before then. Tell the client to not refrigerate the strawberries. Sure you can tell them to eat the strawberries the same day, but chances are, they won't eat them all, so there's nothing you can do about that. That doesn't mean that when they eat them in 2 days (when the strawberries are 5 days old) that they aren't going to come back to you, and tell you that you gave them bad strawberries.
Past experience with valentine's falling during the week, people celebrate that day. I think a small percentage will celebrate during the weekend.
Also, don't wash your strawberries. Take a damp paper towel or towel and clean your strawberries. This will remove the dirt and most seeds but not saturate the berry with water. This will allow the berry to keep a little longer. Hope that helps.

I agree with Mendhigirl, make them the night before. I made some for Christmas, dipped them that morning to use for garnishment on top of a cake. After the second day at room temp, they had kind of lost their crunch so to speak.
Good luck


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