Anyone else have bad luck with boxed chocolates?

i got a boxed chocolate as a gift, left it downstairs for nny neighbors, inn prediabetic, so i didnt really want it

I bought a box of chocolates for my gal friend one time that must have been kept in an overheated place because they were all melted together. They were ok though not gone stale or a hundred years old.

You should probably chuck 'em. This post was edited by Kittigate at December 25, 2018 8:14 PM MST

"Yes" ... a two pound box of See's Candy.  ($38.00)

Sugar bloom is caused by moisture, most often in the form of condensation or humidity. When chocolate comes in contact with moisture, and then subsequently dries out, it causes the sugar in the chocolate to crystalize, leaving discoloration and splotches on the surface.

Chocolate with fat bloom may have a soft or crumbly texture, and it will often have tan or grayish-white blotches on its surface. Neither sugar bloom nor fat bloom are harmful to people. However, either condition will probably render the chocolate unpleasant to eat.

Oh no, that is very unfortunate.  I love chocolate. I won't buy any because I will just pig out. I did receive a box of chocolate-covered macadamia that was SO good.   I would probably eat the chocolate even if it were oxidized.   This is why I won't buy any for myself.

How about not eating any candy.  How about not eating anything with sugar in it?  How about just forgetting about garbage that does nothing for your body ever?  

You don't need any of that stuff you were programmed to want.  Sugar is garbage no matter how you dress it up.

Alf sort of stole my answer. One of my clients is a relatively well-known chocolatier and I actually had to write the care instructions that go out with their boxed chocolates. They didn't have me address fat bloom at all though- it's not a problem with their chocolates, I guess. I have to wonder if it's more something that's triggered by the initial manufacturing phase and that perhaps certain brands/ certain recipes experience it more than others. I looked it up just now and found nothing at all online that officially explains what causes it. 

What you describe could be sugar bloom too. Like Alf described, that comes from moisture/ condensation, which typically means the chocolate was not kept at consistent temperatures or was improperly chilled/ frozen. 

Most manufacturers give it a best-by date or consume-by date that's at least 6 months out from production, but it can actually last a year or so in its original unopened box. By law, they have to give it a date... at least in the US. Even water has a best-by date. It should be on the box itself, but maybe they stamped it on a plastic outerwrap or something dumb and it got discarded. 

If it's sugar bloom, the top will be dry. You could put a drop of water on the flaky white stuff and it will dissolve into it... really no different than if you dropped some water onto a spoonful of sugar. Sugar bloom isn't harmful at all- you can eat chocolate with it, but it does change the texture and the taste some. Ergo, it's really up to you whether you want to eat it or not. 

If you decide not to, you can play detective too. Somewhere between manufacturing and the box landing in your lap, the temperature had a lapse. Perhaps the store let it warm up or perhaps your friend put it in the refrigerator or freezer thinking she was preserving it. You can reach out to the manufacturer and ask them to replace it. Many will, purely from a customer service standpoint. They may also want to do their own investigation into whether their distributors are mucking up the care. The store it was purchased at may also let you do an exchange, which could be helpful if the giver is the one mistreating the chocolate. 

Depending on the nature of your relationship with the giver, you could also let her know the chocolates have bloom. If it's her doing it, she'll likely want to not do it again. She may have left them in a warm house or car, then tossed them in the fridge thinking they'd be ok... an easy mistake if you don't know chocolate. 

I've personally never had a bad box of chocolate. I don't buy them for myself and I rarely give them, but the obvious tricks are to 1) Choose a good brand. 2) Purchase from a good distributor who understands confections. 3) Keep it at below 70 degrees (but not in a fridge or freezer) prior to giving. 

If you're worried about offending the giver and find the chocolate unpleasant, toss it, and don't feel bad about it. Or, investigate/ return/ exchange if you feel like it. If it was me and I had given someone chocolates that had bloom, I'd personally want to know and get the box exchanged or find something non-chocolate to give, but as a recipient, I wouldn't likely say anything more than "thank you" unless the giver was someone I was really close with and would receive the information well. Chances are, I'd either toss it or give it to my kids if they wanted it. 

I would throw them out and forget about it. 

A gift that is given with love and gratefully received has served its purpose. No need to feel guilty about throwing them out.

I love chocolate and have never had a problem with any gift received other than knowing that I'm not going to eat it. My boss bought me a custom-designed box of chocolates. He had me choose which ones I preferred and then ordered it. I felt uncomfortable circling each chocolate from a catalog but, I did it. He presented me with the chocolates on Friday. I thanked him and then later that night gave them to my husband who took them to work to give them out to "the guys".

Candy...evil.

bring them to work and feed them to your coworkers

Anything I am gifted that I don't care for or don't eat I try to give to someone who will appreciate them.