The moist seeds, surrounded by pulp, are placed in piles, placed in baskets or boxes, and covered with leaves, under which the pulp undergoes fermentation.
After about 5-7 days, the fruit pulp drains and the seeds acquire a characteristic aroma and color. After drying the seeds, their water content drops to 6 percent. Dry beans are an export product of cocoa-growing countries. Further processing of the seeds takes place mainly in developed countries.
The first stage of seed processing is roasting them and removing the husk. The remaining part, mainly the nibs, is ground into cocoa mass, also called cocoa nibs. A by-product of seed processing is cocoa shells, which are added to animal feed and used as fertilizer or bedding.
