Forum Activity for @Bette

Chocolate Technique: What would you like to learn more about?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I didn't see a discussion of 'conching' mentioned anywhere. That still is a bit of a mystery to me.Also, how would you handle blending chocolate to dip biscotti in?

Roasting Cocoa Beans

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Thanks for your reply. I have already visited chocolatealchemy and read his 'take' on roasting beans.I'm considering taking the on-line course for making chocolate through ecole chocolat next spring.I'm trying to find a less expensive source for larger quantities of cocoa beans to roast.It's a fun journey.

Roasting Cocoa Beans

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I want to try roasting my own cocoa beans at home. I stumbled across a 1947 'Home Ec' booklet put out by General Foods (now Kraft) that gave a brief history of cocoa making in the US and talks about the fact that Baker's Chocolate for baking is just roasted and shelled cocoa beans ground up.I understand that there is quite an art to making chocolate. I have looked at options for roasting cocoa beans and I wonder of a coffee roaster could be modified to do the job right.I have been researching vanilla for awhile and I am a friend of 'The Vanilla Queen', Patricia Rain. I have also imported some vanilla beans from the only commercial vanilla bean farmer in Australia. They are lovely.I am in serch of the best and freshest products to use in my own cooking and I hope to promote such to others.I, too, am looking into how I can buy fermented, but not yet roasted cocoa beans of good quality in bulk amounts at favorable prices.
updated by @Bette: 04/09/15 05:24:37

Indian Cacoa

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Raji, thank you for your reply. I did not hear back from you in a few days and I forgot to check back after that time due to our recent American Holiday, Thanksgiving. I'm sorry for the delay in my reply.I hope that you are not personally touched by the recent events in your country: such un-necessary heartache.I do not know anything about the prices of cocoa beans in India. What do the big chocolate companies usually pay the growers per Kg - of do they buy it by the ton?In your reply to a separate inquiry from Erin, I realize that I need to ask the form of your cocoa beans. Do you ferment them yourself? I would be interested in beans ready to roast, but I could learn to ferment them myself, if necessary. Perhaps they need to be fermented before leaving your country, because I understand that such a process kills any bacteria they might contain.When you use the term: 'wet Cocoa beans', I believe that you mean the un-fermented bean, yes?How far do you take your chocolate product yourself? Do you make chocolate bars or cocoa powder?I am interested and prepared to import some of your product. I have the FDA registered separate storage facility to receive such a shipment. We would have to agree upon a price and an amount and I would need to check on the form the beans need to be in to enter this county.If you need an export license on your end, I hope that will not be too costly or troublesome for you. What is the state of your shipment services from your country? Our USPS has flat-rate boxes for international shipments.I also am still willing to share in the importing of some of your beans with other 'The Chocolate Life' members if there are any takers out there.I await your reply and I am willing to e-mail you off of this site.

Indian Cacoa

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Rajarajeshwari, are you interested in exporting some of your cocoa beans to the USA?How much cocoa do you grow? Is it just enough for your use? Would you be able and interested in expanding your cocoa growing orperation if you had an increase demand for your product?I have a commercial building that is registered with the US FDA as a storage facility for imported food products.We would have to agree upon an amout of product for an initial order and register that shipment prior to it being shipped. I can send a wire transfer to pay for the shipment with the proper bank routing.I would be willing to order a sample shipment of your cocoa beans and share this opportunity with other 'Chocolate Life' members, especially Sarah Hart & Madame Cocoa.How do you grow your beans? Are they organic? How do you ferment them?As Madame Cocoa asks, 'Do you have any pictures to post?'