How to make chocolate?

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Native to lowland, tropical South America, cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC.� The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs.�

How to make Chocolate
by: wikihow.com

Roast the cocoa beans. The process is similar to roasting coffee beans, except with gentler requirements: 5-35 minutes at temperatures between 120-163 degrees C (250-325 F). You must generally expose the beans to an initial high temperature, lower the temperature gradually, and stop roasting when the beans start to crack.

If roasting in your oven, you will need to do a bit of experimenting because roasting times depend on the type of bean you’re using. Lay the beans in a single layer across a cookie sheet. Start off with an 18 minute roast in a preheated oven at 150 degrees C�

For roasting larger quantities of cocoa beans, you may want to invest in a drum, which is rotated over a gas grill.

You can crack the beans with a hammer and remove the husks by hand if you are working with a small batch. For larger batches, you can use a very coarse, Corona type mill or purchase a specialized mill to crack the beans into nibs.

To winnow the nibs, stir them gently with hands or a spoon as you blow on them with a hair dryer or small shop vac until the husks are blown away. Grind the nibs into a cocoa liqueur. You will need equipment strong enough to liquefy the nibs and separate the remaining husks. General food processors, Vita-Mix, coffee grinders, meat grinders mortar and pestles, and most juicers will not work. You may need to experiment to find equipment that gets the job done. Many home chocolatiers find success with a “Champion Juicer”.

Conch and refine the chocolate. By definition, conching affects the characteristic taste, smell and texture of the chocolate, while refining reduces the size of the cocoa solids and sugar crystals. Both processes can be applied at the same time with a powerful wet grinder�

Temper the chocolate. This is likely the most difficult part of the process, but it ensures that the chocolate will be shiny and have a “snap” to it, rather than being matte and soft enough to melt in your hands. However, the great thing about tempering is you can do it as many times as you like and the chocolate won’t be ruined.

Melt your chocolate carefully. You can accomplish this in the oven if you are using larger quantities of chocolate, or you can you a double broiler on the stove. It’s your choice, just make sure that the chocolate does not burn and you melt more than 1.5 pounds of chocolate. Any less and tempering could prove difficult. When the chocolate is melted to a temperature of around 110 or 120 degrees F, transfer it to a dry, cool bowl and stir until the chocolate temperature drops to about 100 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. The chocolate in the bowl should remain at the same temperature while you work with chocolate outside of the bowl.

Pour about one third of the contents of the bowl onto a hard, non-porous counter top or other surface. Spread the chocolate out with the spatula, and then bring it all back together. Continue doing this (about 10-15 minutes) until the chocolate is about 85 degrees F. By the time the chocolate cools down to that point, the chocolate should be a thick, gooey mass.

Add some of the 100 degree F chocolate from the bowl to get the chocolate workable again. Gently work the chocolate around. Return the chocolate back into the bowl with the 100 degree chocolate. Stir it gently, and try not to create bubbles.

Check the chocolate’s temperature. You want it around 90 degrees F, but never over 92 degrees. Anything higher than this and you may need to temper the chocolate again.
Mold the chocolate while it is still at about 90 degrees. Pour the chocolate into the molds, careful not to spill. Some people find it effective to use a large syringe to place chocolate in the mold, but it is all about personal preference. When all of the chocolate has been added to the molds, you may either freeze, refrigerate, or let them harden at room temperature. Again, it’s all about personal preference, and there is no right way to do it.
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