Blooming Chocolate: What's That All About?

Today I want to talk to you about chocolate blooming.  Because of the heat and humidity in the summer, this subject is more relevant now than at other times of the year.  I am hoping that knowing what blooming in chocolate is will help you to decide what to buy and when to buy it.
First of all, that sort of grayish look you find occasionally on chocolate is NOT mold.  What is happening is one of several possibilities.
Sugar Bloom is caused by surface moisture.  Moisture causes the sugar to dissolve and when the moisture evaporates, what is left is sugar crystals.  If this situation repeats, the chocolate can become sticky and look discolored. 
Fat Bloom is similiar to sugar bloom, however in this instance it is the fat or the cocoa butter which separates from the chocolate and deposits itself on the outside of the candy....thus that grayish color.
Changes in temperature, as well as moisture, are both enemies of chocolate and other candy.  At Sweet Tooth we attempt to keep both the temperature of our store (70 degrees year around on the candy side) and the moisture at as much of a minimum as possible.  Quick changes in temperature, from cool to warm to cool can be a source of blooming in chocolate.
Chocolate also absorbs flavors from food or from other items like scented candles and perfumes which are stored nearby.  This is the reason why Sweet Tooth does not sell scented candles or perfumes and why we do not make gift baskets which have other flavors or scents near the chocolate.
Bloomed chocolate can be eaten.  The texture might be a bit grainy, however the chocolate should taste ok.
At our store we also encourage our customers, particularly in summer months, to store their candy in a cool, dark place in their home.  If they buy chocolate while they are out shopping or traveling, it would be best to keep that chocolate in a cooler until arriving at home.
The chocolate we sell does not require refrigeration and should, under the correct conditions, last for a number of months.  We carefully watch manufacturing dates of our chocolate and attempt to adhere to a fairly strict schedule of when the chocolate is manufactured.
Now you know why we say that chocolate can be a fragile and delicate food...one you want to handle and store with care.