As we all know, chocolate is one of the most popular sweets in the world. You can find chocolate in all shapes, textures, and flavors. The process of making chocolate from cocoa is a complex one that requires technical skills and in-depth knowledge of the various production stages. How to make chocolate with cocoa in industry? Here are the general steps involved in making chocolate from cocoa industrially.
General Steps of Making Chocolate from Cacao
- Cacao Harvesting and Fermentation: The cocoa pods are hand-picked and opened to extract the cocoa beans. The beans are then fermented to develop their flavor and aroma.
- Drying and Roasting: After fermentation, the cocoa beans are dried in the sun or in mechanical dryers. They are then roasted to enhance their flavor in a cocoa roasting machine.
- Grinding and Crushing: Roasted cocoa beans are ground to produce a liquid cocoa paste called “cocoa mass.” The cocoa mass is then pressed to extract the cocoa butter and produce cocoa powder.
- Blending and Conching: Cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar are blended in specific proportions to produce chocolate. The mixture is then conched for several hours to enhance the chocolate’s texture and flavor.
- Tempering and Molding: The chocolate is then cooled and heated to precise temperatures to make it glossy and crisp using a professional chocolate tempering machine. It is then molded to produce chocolate bars, candies, and other chocolate products in a chocolate molding machine.
Here are the ingredients you typically need: cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, and milk powder. Of course, you can also add nuts or milk for a more delicious taste according to your needs. You can also experiment with different types of cocoa, sugar, and milk to create your own unique chocolate. You can also add other ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon, and even fleur de sel to personalize your chocolate.
How is chocolate made from cocoa in the industry? In short, making chocolate from cocoa is a complex process that requires specific techniques and chocolate making equipments. Chocolatiers must be experts in the various production stages to produce high-quality chocolate. Good luck!