How to make your own chocolate-covered strawberries at home

• You can make simple yet decadent chocolate-covered strawberries at home.
• For every pound of strawberries, you should use 8 ounces of chocolate.
• Chocolate-covered strawberries are highly perishable and best consumed within 24 hours.

Chocolate-covered strawberries may be a luxurious hotel amenity and quintessential romantic dessert, but you can make these treats easily at home too with just two ingredients — chocolate and strawberries. Chocolatier Nicole Patel of Delysia Chocolatier enjoys making chocolate-covered strawberries with her son and shares her tips and tricks for getting it right every time.

"They are the perfect pairing to an effervescent glass of champagne," she says. Chocolate-covered strawberries are a great vegan dessert too, so long as you select a dairy-free chocolate.

How to melt chocolate

You can easily melt chocolate at home without any special equipment, either on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Just be patient and attentive, and stir often to prevent scorching your chocolate. Use a high-quality dark or milk chocolate to ensure it melts smoothly.

How to make chocolate-covered strawberries

Patel recommends using 8 ounces of liquid chocolate for each pound of strawberries.

1. Select and wash your strawberries. Choose semi-ripe to ripe strawberries with minimal whiteness towards the stems so that they are beautiful, but flavorful as well. Ensure that the strawberries aren't too ripe or they will become mushy very quickly once dipped in the chocolate.
   
   Be sure to keep your stems on to make dipping easier. Wash your strawberries a few hours before you plan to dip them so that they have plenty of time to air dry, as any water can seize chocolate. "Water is ultimately the enemy of chocolate," Patel says.
2. Prepare your workspace. Before you start dipping the strawberries into chocolate, be sure that your workspace is prepped and any toppings are at the ready. "Chocolate sets very quickly," Patel says. "Once your chocolate is melted there is no time between dipping, coating, and placing to grab tools or chop ingredients." Patel also recommends covering your space with parchment or wax paper to help make cleanup easier.
3. Melt your chocolate. Detailed instructions to melt chocolate can be found here. You can use either a stovetop or microwave and choose dark, milk or white chocolate. For a hard glossy shell, you'll need to temper your chocolate, which involves heating and cooling it to precise temperatures.
   
   Even if you don't want to temper, you can simply dip your strawberries in melted chocolate and let them cool, though you may not get a shiny crunch. If you're tempering your chocolate, it's ready for dipping when it reaches 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Dip your strawberries. Hold one strawberry at a time by the stem and dip in the chocolate, turning to coat. Lift the strawberry, swirling gently to let the excess chocolate drip off, and then carefully scrape the bottom against the rim of the bowl.
5. Decorate your strawberries. If you aren't decorating the strawberries with toppings, then immediately place them on the parchment or wax paper. If you are coating the strawberries with toppings then immediately roll the strawberries into the coating of choice, working quickly before the chocolate sets. Chopped nuts, sprinkles, and cacao nibs are all great toppings.
6. Let strawberries set. Let the chocolate-covered strawberries set at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them — that can cause the chocolate outer layer to crack or show condensation because of the temperature fluctuation. "If your house is between 70-75 degrees, the strawberries should set relatively quickly on the counter," Patel says.

Tips for making the best chocolate-covered strawberries

Here are a few tips to take your chocolate-covered strawberries to the next level:

• Use high-quality ingredients. There are only two ingredients — chocolate and strawberries — so make sure you use the highest quality of both.
• Dry your strawberries. Ensure your strawberries are totally dry before dipping or the chocolate will seize, or tighten up.
• Add a crunchy topping. Sprouted buckwheat is a great nut-free, crunchy topping for those with nut allergies.
• Try incorporating a chocolate drizzle. If you're adding a drizzle of a different type of chocolate as decoration, wait until the outer shell has completely cooled before adding it. Melt the second chocolate and transfer it into a plastic sandwich bag, snipping a very small tip off the corner of the bag and drizzling to create patterns. Then allow the chocolate decoration to set.

How long do chocolate-covered strawberries last?

According to Patel, chocolate-covered strawberries start to go bad the moment they are dipped in chocolate.

"Chocolate halts the airflow needed to keep the strawberries fresh, so they will start sweating and make the outer chocolate shell slightly moist," Patel says. "That totally ruins the beautiful outer coating. Within a day or so, the fruit becomes soggy and starts to spoil."

Chocolate-covered strawberries are best served fresh, so make them a few hours before serving and enjoy them within 24 hours.

If you aren't eating your treats right away, the best way to store chocolate-covered strawberries is at room temperature. If conditions don't allow strawberries to be stored outside the refrigerator, then line a sealable container with paper towels to remove any moisture. Place the strawberries in a single layer, cover, and refrigerate.

"Be aware that condensation will occur and the chocolate may get white and chalky," Patel says.

Insider's takeaway

Chocolate-covered strawberries are an easy dessert to make at home that requires just two ingredients — chocolate and strawberries.

Wash and dry your strawberries, and prepare your workstation before you start melting the chocolate. Once the chocolate is tempered, you have a short window of opportunity to work with it before it sets.

You can get creative decorating your strawberries with toppings like nuts, sprinkles, and cacao nibs. Once the chocolate sets, these perishable treats are best enjoyed within 24 hours.