I was lucky enough to be given a couple of fresh pods of cocoa recently. Being my first experience of working with the fresh organic material I was of course super excited.
First thing was to spilt open the pod using a machete which is the principal "go-to" tool for many jobs here in the rainforest.
Inside was a little goldmine of fleshy covered seeds - the seeds being the cocoa beans themselves.
So first job was to eat off the delicious outer layer of the seeds as much as possible. The taste was extraordinary. A little comparable to fizzy pineapple in flavour which was surprisingly tasty and refreshing.
Having sucked out all the flavour you are left with a tough outer skin covering the brown cocoa seeds. It is at this point the locals informed me how they leave these out in the sun for a few days to "cure and mature".
So I did as I was told and left them out in the sun for four day. The first two days they got a lot of attention from fruit flies but this receded as the days past.
After four days the skins had dried to the point where it was easy to rub them off and at last there were the brown chocolate beans I had been so excited to see. Looking very chocolate like but at this point not a chocolate aroma as such.
So all that was left to do was roast them and powder them.
Roasting is done in a dry pan shaking them every few minutes to turn and make sure all sides are nicely toasted.
This was the point the kitchen started to fill will the most insane chocolate aroma you can imagine! The enjoyment begins here, even before you get to eat it.
It takes about five to eight minutes to toast them, keep them moving in the pan as you would toasting nuts, so no burning occurs.
Leave to cool completely before crushing to nibs or powder with a pestle and mortar.
They do say homemade is the best and I think when it comes to chocolate it is no exception to that rule.
I hope you get the opportunity to roast some chocolate for yourself one day.
Have a beautiful day.
Very interesting! I would like to see and taste it in person. May I come for a visit? Hahaha
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haha do pop in if you are passing lol - your nose will lead you
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This post received a 4.7% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @sallybeth23! For more information, click here!
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Very good. .. Nice post @sallybeth23.
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You've got the X-factor!
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Thanks very much - hope you are having an awesome Friday!
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I'm so impressed!
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I have never tried to make chocolate from scratch but doesn't sound that difficult.
Perhaps the problems come when you can't stop eating the freshly made chocolate or the neighbors are enticed by the aroma eminating from your kitchen...
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hahaha I think you have hit the nail on the head so to speak @cecicastor
You can't keep the smell in either - everywhere smells like the best chocolate in the world. Smiles spread like wildfire - it is quite extraordinary.
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Can you bottle that and send some my way?
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I would love to! lol
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Very informative post. I am definately a chocolate addict. 🐓🐓
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thanks very much. haha Mm it is hard not to be!
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Isn't that the truth! Can't imagine how wonderful it is fresh like you had it. Thanks for dropping by. 🐓🐓
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