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Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

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  • Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

    Was just wondering -- if 3 minutes is too long to leave ground coffee sitting around, how come powdered cocoa?

    Or is cocoa just fundamentally different?

    Got a vision of in 5 years time, a forum of chocosnobs all dissing us for being philistines :P

  • #2
    Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

    I know spices will lose their potency over time ... I have no idea about cocoa.

    I suspect the process is different however - unlike with coffee, its not as simple as roasting then grinding cocoa beans to make cocoa powder. Correct me if Im wrong though ...

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    • #3
      Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

      My hot chocolate packs have use by dates.

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      • #4
        Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

        Well, best before, anyway -- 2010 for my bag of CS Ivory Coast Red

        According to Wikipedia the process is more complex for cocoa. Both cocoa and coffee are fermented, washed, dried, roasted, and ground. But when we do this to coffee we end up with a powder (more or less), while ground cocoa ends up as a "creamy paste", which must then be further refined (pressed) to separate out the cocoa butter (leaving the cocoa powder).

        None of which really tells me why powdered cocoa is good for years (not that Im necessarily doubting this, mind -- just curious

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        • #5
          Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?


          The cocoa dates were given to me by the manufacturer, I just pass em on.

          Roasted and/or ground coffee has a 3 year shelf life, just check the packets in the supermarket (but please dont drink that stuff)

          Got a vision of in 5 years time, a forum of chocosnobs all dissing us for being philistines
          Yep, I agree. After making my own chocolate I thought the cocoa nibs improved with a rest after roasting and the roast and ferment flavours fell behind the chocolate flavours, I guess in time they continue to age an loose some punch.

          Having said that Im pretty sure it’s the volatile oils in coffee that give most of the aroma and experience and chocolate just has heavier fats that taste good.

          ;-)

          Happy to keep the cocoa experiance neanderthal at the moment:
          "mmmm hot chocolate - taste yum - Andy want more"

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          • #6
            Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

            Originally posted by Andy Freeman link=1216739345/0#4 date=1217256200
            Yep, I agree. After making my own chocolate I thought the cocoa nibs improved with a rest after roasting and the roast and ferment flavours fell behind the chocolate flavours, I guess in time they continue to age an loose some punch.
            Um -- you didnt really, did you?

            Just checking -- can be quite difficult to detect irony (or whatever : ) in text ;D

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            • #7
              Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

              [panto]
              OH YES HE DID!
              [/panto]

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              • #8
                Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                Dennis made some too simone.

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                • #9
                  Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                  Ive made a couple of kilos of chocolate.

                  I also tried making cocoa powder....just once. It was way too difficult to separate the cocoa butter from the ground nibs and ended up tasting dry/baked.

                  On the other hand, the home made chocolate is really superb. Intense without being cloy, and unlike any commercial chocolate Ive tried.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                    Got this answer on shelf life and other good stuff like roasting cocao from this Australian site
                    http://www.tava.com.au/product_nibs.html#shelf_life


                    Shelf Life
                    There are three main characteristics that give our cocoa products a very long shelf life. They are:


                    Moisture content
                    Fat stability
                    Antioxidants


                    (NOTE: How you store your nibs will also affect their shelf life. They will keep best in an airtight container, out of direct sunlight).


                    Low moisture content inhibits decomposition and the development of moulds. Our cocoa beans and nibs have a moisture content of about 6.5% or less, which, according to the experts is ideal [4]. In fact, low environmental humidity was one of the reasons we chose our current location.


                    The fat in cocoa nibs is highly saturated, and therefore chemically stable. Stable fats (like cocoa butter) are solid at room temperature. Stable fats are not prone to rancidity, nor are they damaged by exposure to high (cooking) temperatures. Cocoa nibs are approximately 55% fat. Of this fat, about 60% is saturated fat.


                    Rancidity in fat is caused by oxidation. Oxidation is inhibited by antioxidants. As explained above, cocoa is an amazingly rich source of antioxidants.

                    KK

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                    • #11
                      Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                      OMG you guys are serious. And you can even buy the "raw" ingredients online! I am boggling

                      But now I know it *can* be done, Im sortof itching to try ... Fresh nibs next beanbay Andy?? ;D

                      Looks like I better be happy with chocolate, though, from Dennis description of trying to extract actual cocoa powder. Not exactly a hardship, though.

                      Still -- wonder if an olive press would do :

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                      • #12
                        Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                        Have a read, see the pics, simone...

                        http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1174018247/0

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                        • #13
                          Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                          I remember coming across this topic before I joined coffeesnobs and I thought you guys were mad. Having done a couple of chocolate factory tours and seeing how much is involved  in making chocolate from scratch I am now convinced, but I think we all share a bit of maddness here.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                            I dont share any of my madness.
                            Get your own.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Shelf-life of powdered cocoa?

                              Woo. Oh boy oh boy

                              Having perused the extended mmmmm... chocolate thread (thankyou Dennis ) , followed some of the links, and boggled some more, I fear I am now in Remys "virtual chocolate mess is quite enough for me" camp :-/

                              Though if beans did become available again I wonder if Id be able to restrain myself?

                              Loopy. Completely loopy... ;D

                              Going back to the original point (yes, Im sure there was one, and in a minute Ill remember what it was ) ah yes, shelf life, and the incredible contrast with coffee in that regard...

                              Flavour not derived from volatiles -- check.
                              Highly saturated fat + heaps of anti-oxidants. Hmm.

                              Or, as Andy said (cue extreme irony here)
                              Roasted and/or ground coffee has a 3 year shelf life, just check the packets in the supermarket
                              Think Ill drink up ;D

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