Can chocolate go off?

[catalyst2]

Just eating some chocolate buttons, survivors of the Battle of the Buttons, I think, but they had a strange consistency, almost gritty. I thought I might look at the expiry date - January 23rd 2003. Hmmmmmmmmm, just a little old. Still, apart from the grittiness, they taste OK. I think I've asked this before but does chocolate really go off?

Comments

[asgaja.livejournal.com]

Just a little old? *laughs* I'd say that's a lot old. And yes, chocolate can go off due to containing milk to some degree.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

If this is 4 and a half years out of date and still hasn't gone off, I wonder how long it takes?

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

In this particular case, though, it sounds more like they have lost temper. Which is to say that they have warmed and cooled in such a way that the cocoa butter has solidified into crystals.

If the milk solids had turned there would be a distinct rancid taste.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

I first read that as "... they lost their temper" - my chocolate got angry? - but then I read it properly. It is definitely temper then because there's no rancid taste at all, just the grittiness! I always wondered what the mechanism is and now I know - thanks!