How is chocolate made?
Roasting-
the cacao beans are roasted in large, rotating ovens, at temperatures of about
210-290F. Roasting lasts from half an hour up to two hours. The heat brings out
more flavor and aroma, and it dries and darkens the beans
Cracking-The
husk must be removed from the shell, roasting will make the husk loose. When
the husk is cracked the process of removing the husk from the nibs (winnow) can
begin.
Winnowing
(discarding the shells) - The beans are transferred to a
“winnower” that removes the shells of the beans and leaves the “nibs”—the
essence of the cocoa bean that’s full of cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Milling
(grinding)-The nibs are then
transferred to a mill where they are ground to a liquid. The liquefied beans
are called chocolate liquor, but no alcohol is involved. The term means
"liquid." The liquor is poured into molds and, when it hardens, is
plain unsweetened chocolate.
Pressing-
To produce cocoa powder and cocoa butter, the unsweetened chocolate is pumped
into giant hydraulic presses that weigh up to 25 tons. Under pressure—up to
6,000 pounds per square inch—the cocoa butter becomes a yellow liquid that
drains away through metallic screens and is collected for later use. What
remains is a dry, pressed brown cake that is cooled, pulverized, sifted and
sold as cocoa powder.
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