Chocolate Manufacturing

The Chocolate Manufacturing Process

Did you know it takes 72 hours to manufacture a Hershey's milk chocolate bar from cocoa bean to finished product? That same company can produce 40 million chocolate kisses each day.

The following is the step by step process in the manufacturing of Theobroma, food of the gods.

Sorting:

The beans are cleaned and separated by country of origin.

Roasting:

The beans are heated in 400-500 degree F air for 15-20 minutes.

Shelling:

The husks are removed, leaving the "nibs" --- the meat of the cocoa bean.

Grinding:

A machine grinds the beans making them warm enough to melt the cocoa butter. This liquid is called chocolate liquor.

Extracting:

Some of the chocolate liquor is ressed to take away the cocoa butter, leaving dry cocoa powder

Mixing:

Condensed milk, sugar, and some cocoa butter are added to the chocolate liqour and completely combined.

Refining:

Steel rollers smooth out the tiny particles of cocoa, milk, and sugar.

Conching:

The chocolate is smoothed even more as additional cocoa butter is added to mixing machines. Originally, these machines resembled seashells.

Tempering:

The smooothed chocolate is cooled from 125 F to about 85 F, and is ready to be molded into candy shapes.

Return To Chocolate!

Return To Home Page