Collecting the Pods The pods (Cocoa fruits) have to be cut down from the trees with large steel knives. They are collected in baskets and taken to be opened once split open the beans and pulp are scooped out. Inside the pods are between 20 and 50 plump almond shaped seeds surrounded by the whitish pulp. These seeds are the precious cocoa beans. At first the beans are creamy white in colour but as they are exposed to the air they changed to purple. Fermentation The pulp and the seeds are put into large heaps either on the ground or in the boxes or the baskets (sweat boxes), where the temperature is allowed to raise 40-50˚C. The white pulp ferments and produces alcohol and then acetic acid. The fermentation is stopped as soon as the mass of the beans passes in to the acid stage. Which can take from two to six days. The beans turn brown and become separated from the pulp. There are several reasons for the fermentation. • To kill the germ. • Prevent germination of the seed and decomposition of the bean. • To encourage the enzyme reaction reducing bitterness and developing flavor. Drying the Beans This is done either by laying the beans out in the sun for two or three days and occasionally turning them over or by passing them through a mechanical drying chamber. When completely dried the beans should have a moisture content of less than 4%. Cleaning It is necessary to clean cocoa beans after delivery to remove any earth fragments or broken beans and other foreign matter that may be present. Beans from the storage hoppers should be conveyed over a counter –current air flow to remove the lighter material. They should then be passed to high energy vibratory screens of different mesh size which incorporate hot air of predetermined velocity, should then be blown through meshed conveyor belts that cause the beans to float, leaving behind any heavier contaminants. Roasting This stage is essential to develop the flavor and aroma of the bean and give it an even colour. Suitable roasting temperature is 114˚C to 140˚C. A short roast for 20 minutes at 200˚C may give a better product than longer but lower temperature conditions. 06
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