Need some chocolate help ...

[mbcakes]

I was just approached by a local gourmet shop to supply them with cookies and chocolate truffles, covered pretzels, etc. I've sold cookies and truffles retail, as wedding favors, etc to be eaten same day but never wholesale to be stocked. This gourmet shop does not have refrigeration so everything is kept at room temp. My question is can chocolate truffles be kept at room temp and for how long? I'm definitely concerned about shelf life considering they contain cream and butter...how well does the chocolate preserve the truffle center???

Also, is there a rule of thumb for determining shelf life or sell by date of cookies?

[danno]

Mbcakes I think as long as the room in which they are going to be sold isn’t to hot they should be fine. I think but I may be wrong and im sure someone will correct me but I think that chocolate and chocolate products are best stored between 65 and 72. there are cases that a specially made for chocolates which maintain a specific temp range. I would think that the truffles as long as they are covered to keep dust off they should be good for a month.
Good luck
Danno

[W.DeBord]

If you need your truffles to store at room temp. you'll need more science then I can offer. Just plain truffles (choc., cream, butter, liquour) won't hold out of the cooler for more then a couple days. Personally I'd find it more trouble then it's worth, unless they could really make some good money for you.

Chocolate covered pretzels are easily kept at room temp. but (this is a pet peive for me because I LOVE choc. pretzels) so often they are kept too long. Alot depends upon how well you wrap them and how fresh your pretzels were to begin with. I'd say if you push it they'll hold 3 weeks.

There isn't any guidelines I've ever seen about shelf life. Each recipe differs and so does the enviroment. I've worked places that held cookies too long! If their fresh and scratch baked about 1 week is all they hold. I also don't buy into biscotti that everyone sell for a year or so!

To keep cookies and pretzels longer having them sealed up well is helpful. No storing different cookies together unless their sealed. Another pet peive buying cookies from bakeries that are all store together....they all taste the same and have the same texture after a day or two, yuk.

My guess is this gourmet shop hasn't found anyone else to provide these items to them because it's a bit of a hassle. There's plenty of good gourmet truffles out on the market I'd stear them to or tell them they need a cooler to make it worth your time. Perhaps you can talk them into sharing the expense of staling product?

[mbcakes]

Thanks for the info. Actually I've decided to keep away from the truffles because I don't feel comfortable taking a chance with them left at room temp. The liablility isn't worth the effort. This gourmet shop is fairly new and was looking local for suppliers so I figured I'd consider it...coming up on my one year anniversary and I've definitely noticed locals go out of their way to patronize local businesses especially when owned by locals. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if I lived in town...Anyway, I've got a lot on my plate right now and If I can't do it right I'd rather not do it.

Wendy, I'm with you on the choc covered pretzels! Made a bunch last xmas and ate just about every single one that broke, cracked, looked less than perfect.....hence the weight I've gained since opening

Thanks again for the info!