Ganache has only two main ingredients—chocolate and cream—but it is a very versatile food that can be used as frosting, in truffles and inside various desserts, among other things.
Properly storing ganache when it isn’t being eaten is important. Ganache has to be either refrigerated or frozen, otherwise the ingredients will go bad.
How To Store Ganache
Typical ganache is made when you simmer some cream, then pour that cream over chunks of chocolate. Afterward, you whisk the chocolate and cream until the mixture is smooth and completely melted. It should also be a little bit shiny.
Firm ganache results when you add a little extra chocolate, and after it’s refrigerated it becomes a little firmer. On the other hand, when you add a little extra cream, it results in a softer ganache that can actually turn to liquid when it gets to room temperature.
While it won’t hurt the delicious ganache to be at room temperature for a few hours, it is recommended that you keep it in the refrigerator as much as possible at all times, just to be on the safe side. After all, melted chocolate and cream are considered dairy products, and you never want to leave dairy products out at room temperature for very long.
To store ganache, you’ll want to either put it in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Storing Ganache in the Refrigerator
If you have leftover ganache, you can refrigerate it until you need it again, provided that time isn’t too far away. Before you refrigerate it, place some cling wrap over the top of the container so that no air gets in and ruins the dish. Make sure the cling wrap is tight and there are no tears or holes in it. If you have to, place a second piece of cling wrap over the ganache.
When you take the cold ganache out of the refrigerator, it might be a little hard. If it is, place it in a warm area in your kitchen and keep it there for one hour. You can also put the ganache on a plate or bowl and place it over a bowl filled with warm water to “thaw” it out. It’s best to thaw ganache out slowly so that it is at the right texture and temperature when you eat it.
When ganache is being stored in the fridge this way, you can keep it there for several weeks before you have to throw it out. Different ganache recipes call for different ingredients, and some recipes may allow the ganache to last longer than two weeks. That being said, it’s just safer to go ahead and throw it out after two weeks.
Storing Ganache in the Freezer
One of the most convenient features of ganache is that you can make it ahead of time and place it in the freezer, and the fact that it’s been in the freezer for a while won’t affect either its taste or its texture. This is perfect for those times when there is a holiday coming up and you want to make your ganache ahead of time, but you still want it to taste good when the time comes.
When you freeze ganache, you should first wrap it tightly in some type of cling wrap, then place it in a tightly sealed freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Don’t forget to put the date on the freezer bag, and make sure you don’t keep it in the freezer for longer than three months.
How To Defrost Ganache
To thaw out frozen ganache, you should first put it in your refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. The next day, you can do one of two things to finish defrosting it:
- Cook it in the microwave and check it every 15 seconds until it’s done, stirring along the way.
- Put the ganache over a bowl filled with warm water until it’s defrosted. Make sure you stir the mixture and never let any of the water get mixed in with the ganache.
How Long Can a Ganache Cake Sit Out?
Ideally, your ganache will be kept in the refrigerator unless you are eating it, but as a very general rule, you can keep it out on your countertop for a few hours before doing anything with it, even though most experts believe keeping it in the refrigerator at all times works even better.
Some people believe ganache can be kept out for up to three days, but that will depend on the ingredients in your ganache. To be on the safe side, always refrigerate or freeze your ganache until you need it.