Chocolate production

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Chocolate production
Anniina Teittinen - 2006
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The production

• Harvesting the cocoa beans
• Fermenting
• Roasting
• Blending
• Conching
• Tempering
• Moulding
• Storing

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Harvesting

• Harvesting the cacao pods
• Separating the beans

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Fermenting

• Pouring into baskets
• Fermentation
• - biochemical changes
• - determines the smell, taste and quality
• Drying the beans
• Bagging for transport

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Roasting

• cleaning, inspecting and sorting the beans at the
  factory
• Roasted in special equipment at a temperature
  of 130-150 ?
• the shells are removed and the cocoa beans are
  crushed into cocoa nibs
• cocoa-nibs are ground (75 microns)
• cocoa liquor

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Blending

• Cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter
• plain dark chocolate
• milk or milk powder and vanilla
• milk chocolate
• - cocoa liquor
• white chocolate

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Conching

• intensive mixing at high temperature
• A conche (container filled with metal beads) acts
  as grinder, also heavy rollers can be used
• more homogeneous consistency
• the length of the process determines the final
  smoothness and quality of the chocolate

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Tempering

• long and complex process
• chocolate mass must be cooled
• specific heat treatment
• the problem cocoa-butter is a polymorphic fat
• crystallizes and congeals
• takes different consistencies
• the purpose
• to assure that only the best form is present
• the uniform sheen and crisp bite
• best appearance and mouth feel
• most stable crystals so the texture and
  appearance will not degrade over time

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Moulding

• pouring into heated moulds
• adding extras, if wanted (like nuts)
• the chocolate solidifies
• packed

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Storing

• ideal temperature between 15 and 19
• relative humidity of less than 50
• stored away from other foods
• can absorbs different aromas

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Repetition