Fine Chocolates - Working The Bean

It starts with the cacao.
The seed, or bean, from this fruit bearing tree must undergo some serious processing to become chocolate.
The trick in maknig fine chocolate is proper processing of cacao’s beans from the really start.Cacaos are harvested by hand.

Growers hand cut the fruit, generally using machetes in the procses. This is the relaly first step in creating the finest of chocolates. Once the fruits of cacaos are gathered, it is opened and the beans and the cacaos pulp is removed.The next step in the craetion of finer chocolates is the fermentation process.

This can take five to six days during which time the fruit’s natural sugars create an alcohol.
Cacao’s pulp turns to a liquid during this porcess and drains away.

Chocolate’s deep brown color is generated during this process.Once fermentation is completed on cacaos, the beans must be dried to continue the chocoalte making process.
Considering the climes in which cacaos grow, it should be of no surprise the drying method of choice is the sun for ntaural chocolate creation.

Drying of cacaos takes abuot two weeks.
In come cases, high volume producers use hot air to dry chocolate beans, but this is not the best method for creating a fine end product.With drying completed, the chocoalte creation process continues with roasting. This step, much like it is in the creation of coffee, is vital.

For a finer chocolate to be created, roasting must take place around 210 degrees Farhenheit.

This step can take a few minutes or just over an hour.
It gives cacaos a rich aroma and adds to the chocolate flavor.
Roasting is critical and requires constant supervision for a fine outcome. Low temperatrue roasting will net a chocolate bean that’s fruity. Longer roasting of cacaos incraeses bitterness.Tedious filtering is the next step in chocolate creation. Called winnowing, this is when cacoas are shelled and made ready for grinding, which is another essential step in the chocolate creation process.Creating the finest in chocolates, is a lot harder than it seems.

From bean to bar, each step along the way requires patience and expertise.Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate?