# Storage Life of Cocoa Powder + Bonus Hot Chocolate Recipe



## spiffydave (Mar 19, 2008)

I buy dutch-process cocoa powder from the bulk bins at Winco and was thinking of storing 10+ pounds in #10 cans with oxygen absorbers.

They'd be placed in a cool internal closet. Any idea of the storage life in this environment?

BONUS HOT COCOA MIX RECIPE

It's getting a bit cooler here in the Intermountain West and my kids have started asking for homemade hot cocoa. Here's an Alton Brown recipe that is excellent, easy, and much better for you than those with hydrogenated oils (Nestle, Stevens, LDS Cannery, etc.).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17908,00.html

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water

SPIFFYDAVE NOTE - I like grating some nutmeg and/or cinnamon in mine as well.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk.


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## fin29 (Jun 4, 2003)

I would personally vaccuum seal it in invidual packages--maybe 2 cups--THEN seal it in cans. Cocoa powder does have enough fat to go rancid if enough oxygen gets to it.


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## diane (May 4, 2002)

Well, when I was cleaning out my cubbard last winter I came across a can of Hersey's cocoa powder that was still the tin kind of can. That has to be about 10 years old. The cocoa was not rancid. I used it to bake and it was just fine. I am thinking the shelf life if kept dry must be pretty good.


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## Bonnie L (May 11, 2002)

I buy cocoa in 5 pound bags. We go thru it sporadically so sometimes it stays around for a while. I've never stored it in anything except the bag it comes in & I've never had a problem. I think the longest time on the shelf was about 4 years.


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2008)

Cocoa fat is highly saturated and very resistant to rancidity. I can't recall ever having had any go rancid. It can mold though or pick up off flavors.

.....Alan.


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## ailsaek (Feb 7, 2007)

Try adding a few dried hot pepper flakes with the cinnamon. Yummy. (I make my hot chocolate in a double boiler because I need it to be dairy-free and I've never seen powdered non-dairy milk.)

Hmm. Now that's a great mental image - making homemade hot chocolate in a double boiler (OK, actually a metal bowl over a saucepan of water) on top of my woodstove. I just need one of those fireplace popcorn poppers to complete the image.


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## avandris (Jun 8, 2007)

I get a powdered non dairy milk called "better than milk" it is made from rice.


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## Deena in GA (May 11, 2002)

In 1998 we bought a 50 pound bag of cocoa powder - one of the best investments we ever made!  We packed it into #10 cans and put an oxygen absorber in each can. We're still using that cocoa - have a couple more cans to go and it is absolutely fine. I'm thrilled with it, just wish I had another 50 lbs now, lol.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=251067

this fellow is selling about a ton of cocoa powder, and the thread has been going for awhile, and I've not gotten one complaint about it from anyone that's purchased from him.

Just in case you want to check it out.

Angie


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## spiffydave (Mar 19, 2008)

Sounds like #10 cans w/ absorbers should work great. Thanks for the excellent info!

I might just try the poster with the 50 lb bags, but it's not much less than I can get at my local Winco, once you add in shipping (around $60 for me) plus it comes from a known source (no offense meant to the party with the ton of cocoa - I'm sure it's all good).

Thanks again (heading off to drink another mug of hot cocoa )

EDITED TO ADD: Just watched an episode of McLeod's Daughters last night (http://mcleodsdaughters.ninemsn.com.au/) where Stevie ordered some organic oats off the internet and ended up with rat poison in them right when she was trying to get hooked up with someone wanting to buy her certified organic sheep.

It's just got me a bit more wary of my food-based purchases for a bit...


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## Deena in GA (May 11, 2002)

Thanks for the link to that thread!


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