What is Cocoa Butter?
The oil from the cacao seeds, when separated from the seeds, is what we
call cocoa butter. It has a pleasant odor and chocolate-like taste. It
is used in making soap, ointments, etc.
[Illustration: HOW CACAO BEANS GROW
COCOA TREE WITH FRUIT KNOWN AS COCOA PODS, WHICH CONTAIN THE COCOA
BEANS.]
How is Cacao Gathered?
When the cacao pods ripen on the tropical plantations, where the
climate is such that they can be grown successfully, the native laborer
cuts off the ripened pods as we see him doing in the picture showing
the pods on the tree. He does this with a scissors-like arrangement of
knives on a long pole.
As he cuts off the pods he lays them on the ground and leaves them to
dry for twenty-four hours. The next day they are cut open, the seeds
taken out and carried to the place where they are cured or sweated.
In the process of curing or sweating, the acid which is found with the
seeds is poured off. The beans are then placed in a sweating box. This
part of the process is for the purpose of making the beans ferment and
is the most important part of preparing the beans for market, as the
quality and the flavor of the beans and, therefore, their value in the
market, depends largely upon the ability of whoever does it in curing
or fermenting.
Sometimes the curing is done by placing the seeds in trenches or holes
in the ground and covering them with earth or clay. This is called
the clay-curing process. The time required in curing the cacao beans
varies, but on the average requires two days. When cured they are
dried by exposure to the sun and packed ready for shipping. At this
time beans of fine quality are found to have a warm reddish color. The
quality or grades of beans are determined by the color at this stage.
[Illustration: CHOCOLATE MILL.]
How Chocolate is Made.
When the cacao beans arrive at the chocolate factory they are put
through various processes to develop their aroma, palatability and
digestibility.
~PROCESSES IN CHOCOLATE MAKING~
The seeds are first roasted. In roasting the substance which develops
the aroma is formed. The roasting is accomplished in revolving
cylinders, much like the revolving peanut roasters, only much larger.
After roasting the seeds are transferred to crushing and winnowing
machines. The crushing machines break the husks or “shells,” and the
winnowing machine by the action of a fan separates the shells from the
actual kernel or bean. The beans are now called cocoa-nibs. These nibs
are now in turn winnowed, but in smaller quantities at a time, during
which process the imperfect pieces are removed with other foreign
substances. Cacao beans in this form constitute the purest and simplest
form of cacao in which it is sold. The objection to their use in this
form is that it is necessary to boil them for a much longer time, in
order to disintegrate them, than when they are ground up in the form of
meal. For that reason the nibs are generally ground before marketing as
cacao or cocoa.
Another form in which the pure seeds are prepared is the flaked
cocoa. This is accomplished by grinding up the nibs into a paste.
This grinding is done in a revolving cylinder machine in which a drum
revolves. In this process the heat developed by the friction in the
machine is sufficient to liquefy the oil in the beans and form the
paste. The oil then solidifies again in the paste when it becomes cool.
[Illustration: CHOCOLATE FINISHER.]
What we know as cakes of chocolate are made from the cocoa-nibs by
heating the mixture of the cacao, sugar and such flavoring extracts as
vanilla, until an even paste is secured. This paste is passed several
times between heavy rollers to get a thorough mixture and finally
poured into molds and allowed to cool. When cool it can be taken from
the molds in firm cakes and wrapped for the market. This is the way
Milk Chocolate is made. The difference in the taste and consistency of
milk chocolate depends upon how many different things the chocolate
maker adds to the pure cocoa-nibs to produce this mixture. Often
substances such as starchy materials are added to make the cakes more
firm. They add nothing to the quality of the chocolate.
[Illustration: CHOCOLATE MIXER.]
~HOW CHOCOLATE CANDIES ARE MADE~
Chocolate-covered bonbons, chocolate drops, and the many different
kinds of toothsome confections are prepared in the American candy
factories, as we all well know. The chocolate covering of this
confectionery is generally put on by dipping the inside of the choice
morsel in a pan of liquid chocolate paste and then placing the bits in
tins to allow them to cool and harden.
[Illustration: CHOCOLATE MIXING AND HEATING MACHINE.]
A great many of the choicest bits of confectionery are now produced by
machines entirely. These machines are almost human, apparently, as we
see them make a perfect chocolate bonbon which is delivered to a candy
box all wrapped for packing. These wonderful machines thus give us
candy which has not been touched by the hands of any one prior to the
time we thrust our own fingers in the brightly-decorated box and take
our pick of the assortment it offers.
[Illustration: WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF CONFECTION ARE WRAPPED.]
[Illustration: THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD