Continuing on with the goal of making more from and using what we have! I made a large batch of chocolate from our cacao this past week. Of course, if you start the timing from picking the fruit, and cutting open, then letting it ferment a week in a big pot, next drying on trays for about a week, then roasting, husking and grinding, the time can be spread out quite a bit. For more in depth instructions, see the Chocolate Alchemist's video series.
I usually let the beans sit in containers after the initial drying stage. They keep quite well and we can let them accumulate until there's enough to make a chocolate production worthwhile, instead of (as per usual) just using the ground, roasted nibs for my cocoa drink in the morning. As you might notice, our cacao tree, below, has no fruit at the moment. Though we have a few other trees, they're not yet producing. More on the process here, from an earlier post.
For making actual chocolate a melanger or chocolate refiner is necessary. That takes the broken up, roasted nibs and grinds them with some added sugar, for about 24 hours to get a nice, smooth chocolate. The previously used intermediate stage of liquefying first in a Champion Juicer has been eliminated, as an unnecessary step. Less clean-up and loss of chocolate. Another step skipped is tempering. Less clean-up and loss of ... you get the picture. I believe in simplifying.
This is 70% chocolate, which is just a personal preference. Infinitely adjustable. After pouring the refined product into molds, to which were added nuts, some with both fruit (dried banana) and nuts, it's set in the fridge to harden, then unmolded and wrapped. This is now perfect in my book! Some may like milk chocolate, some may like it sweeter and some without any fruit or nuts. To each her own.
Absolutely love the aroma throughout the house during this process. And, I ate my quota of chocolate for the day just doing clean-up. Not complaining. My nephew makes an unsweetened baking chocolate, which is not so delicious to clean up.
So, praise be to the good Lord, we'll have chocolate bars for awhile! About 3 lbs. worth anyway. And, totally delicious!! Will share the post over at Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking event. Lots of great food and some books too, so be sure to check it out!
7 comments:
You can MAKE chocolate? It grows on TREES? Having lived all my life in the temperate zone where chocolate doesn't grow, I think your description sounds like a fairy tale. Of course I've read books about chocolate's long history including about how Hershey developed industrial methods for making it etc. etc. but it STILL sounds unreal.
be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I bet your house smells awesome! I love learning about making chocolate at home; when I lived in Hawaii, I didn't know anyone who made chocolate . . . or maybe they just didn't want to share. LOL
This is all new to me but quite interesting. What a great project!
Having made chocolate bars a few years ago in a class here, I am so impressed that you made your own at home. Now I want a chocolate bar and it's only 6 AM! ;-)
How cool that you can do this at your home.
We went to a chocolate experience in Honduras last year and got to experience a rustic version which was a lot of fun. I posted about it last week too!
You are indeed in paradise if chocolate grows on trees and you can make it. Yum yum yum! I agre5with BFR, your house must have a heavenly aroma. Cool post!
That is so impressive! I tried a chocolate truffles recipe yesterday that wasn't an unqualified success -- although I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so I can't blame the recipe! But the chocolate cooking on the stove DID smell amazing, so I can imagine that again while reading.
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