Latest news with #Vlatka
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Record
Your chocolate easter eggs will stay fresher for longer if you avoid doing this one common thing
Many homes will be filled with leftover chocolate after a busy Easter weekend. Now that Easter Sunday has been and gone, many households will be filled with leftover chocolate eggs. With Easter egg hunts now a common practice in Britain, it is more than likely that homes with left with a mountain of chocolate that may seem impossible to get through. Once the novelty of eating the eggs fades, the chocolate treats may end up sitting in the back of a cupboard for months, before eventually needing thrown out. To avoid waste and to keep your eggs fresher for longer, an expert has highlighted a common mistake that we should avoid this spring. According to Vlatka Lake, a storage expert from Space Station, many of us don't realise that exposing chocolate eggs to fluctuating temperatures can have a negative impact. One of the biggest signs that chocolate is not being properly stored is something known as "chocolate bloom', an 'unsightly' white coating or streaking occurs when chocolate is exposed to high or changing temperatures, reports t he Express. Though completely safe to eat, chocolate bloom makes your eggs look less appealing and can sometimes affect their texture and taste. 'It's also essential you keep them away from direct sunlight or interior heat sources, which could cause them to melt or become misshapen,' Vlatka added. There's one more thing to remember: chocolate is easily influenced by its surroundings. Vlatka warns that storing your eggs next to strong-smelling foods could alter their flavour. 'Wherever you choose to store them, make sure you keep them away from foods with strong odours as these can easily transfer their smell and alter their flavour,' she advised. The specialist added: 'When it comes to storing your Easter eggs, you should always keep them in their original packaging, leaving them sealed until you're ready to enjoy them.' "You should then set them in a cool dry place, like a pantry, cupboard, or fridge." If you can't keep the eggs in their original packaging, Vlatka recommended transferring them into an airtight container. 'This will help prevent it from oxidising,' she explained, noting how exposure to oxygen can ruin both the taste and texture. An independent chocolate brand recently created the "UK's biggest and heaviest" Easter egg. Cocoba, based in Kent, made the chocolate creation over about five days after many hours of planning. It which weighs nearly 300kg and stands at 7ft tall and has been given the name The Good Egg - because once Easter has passed, it will be melted down and turned into about 3,000 limited edition chocolate bars. A percentage of profits will be used to support local charities - and piecing together the mammoth handiwork, which is equivalent in weight to three baby elephants, was not an easy feat, taking two attempts to get right
Irish Daily Mirror
21-04-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
You can keep your Easter eggs fresher for longer by avoiding one common mistake
It's that time of year again when most people have too many Easter eggs to know what to do with. As it was recently revealed that €9million is wasted on Easter eggs in Ireland annually as almost one million are binned, it's worth figuring out the best ways to keep them fresher for longer to avoid waste. With many waking up to a mountain of chocolate treats this Easter Monday, a common mistake has been highlighted that may result in your Easter eggs losing their freshness more quickly than they should. Vlatka Lake, a storage expert from Space Station, spoke to The Express to reveal that exposing Easter eggs to fluctuating temperatures can actually have a negative impact on them. "It's also essential you keep them away from direct sunlight or interior heat sources, which could cause them to melt or become misshapen," Vlatka told the publication. It's a case of personal preference on whether you prefer to store your Easter eggs in a fridge or cupboard but moving them to areas where their temperatures vary can hugely affect how long they will remain fresh. It's also advised to store Easter eggs separate from other foods that might have strong smells, and keep them in their wrapping until the time comes to tuck in. "Wherever you choose to store them, make sure you keep them away from foods with strong odours as these can easily transfer their smell and alter their flavour," Vlatka said. The specialist added: "When it comes to storing your Easter eggs, you should always keep them in their original packaging, leaving them sealed until you're ready to enjoy them." A clear sign that chocolate is being affected by poor storage is something called 'chocolate bloom'. This is when an unappealing white coating appears on the product, which can occur when the delicious treats are left in areas with high or fluctuating temperatures. Chocolate bloom doesn't make Easter eggs any less safe to consume but it can affect their texture and flavour. "You should then set them in a cool dry place, like a pantry, cupboard, or fridge," Vlatka insisted. Should you be unable to store your Easter eggs in their original packaging, an alternative is to keep them in an airtight container which, according to the storage expert, "will help prevent it from oxidising."
