About Cocoa
Drying the Beans
Cocoa beans being frequently turned and dried on raised bamboo mats
The moist beans are spread out to dry in the sun for up to seven days with frequent turning and checking for any spoilage.
Fermentation and drying affects the quality of the beans. They need to be dried sufficiently to bring their moisture level down as low as 8%. Properly dried beans lose about half their original weight.
When the beans are dried, they’re ready to be packed into sacks to be sold and transported. Most go to ports for shipping overseas.
