Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I was actually replying to Eric's post. Sorry for any confusion!
Forum Activity for @Sacred Steve
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I was actually replying to Eric's post. Sorry for any confusion!
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I think I misunderstood the request. When you said Hi Eric, did you mean me Paul?
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Eric,I am still interested in purchasing cacao from you, if you have any interest?Steve
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Robbie,I am a cacau farmer living in Brazil and export superior beans. When you speak of "large amounts" what does that mean? Sacks? Tons? Containers?You can contact me direct at cacaufarmer@yahoo.combest regardsJim Lucas
updated by @Jim2: 09/08/15 16:42:40
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Eric,Is it possible to sample some of these? Is there somewhere on this site that we can purchase large amounts of beans? Or is that something that needs to be taken care of over the phone?Thanks,Robbie
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I use a Ultra Pride +. I saw one on the Biong Biong Video for TCHO. It works well. I like it for its size. You can take to to demonstrations and let people dip into it for a sample of the chocolate liquor.One thing though, adding organic sugar causes a lot of sugar bloom. I'm not sure if the grinder is really that good at disbursing the moisture content in organic sugar. Something to pay attention too for sure.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Any chance of shipping to New Zealand? Costs etc?
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Anthony:It makes very little sense, economically or timewise, to get beans shipped here to the US and then ship them to South Africa. I think you're better off sourcing them from a grower in Africa.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Adriana:Eric classified the flavors.:: Clay
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
HiI am also interested in acquiring some of these beans, especially the organic raw beans as Steve has asked for. And I would also like to ask if you ship to South Africa? Many thanks.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Check out www.chocolatealchemy.com it has all the info there on grinders etc.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
DEAR TOMI AM FROM GHANA WEST AFRICA AND I AM INTRESTED IN PROCESSING OF COCOA ON A LARGE SCALE BASIS AND I HAVE [POSTED ON THE FORUM LOOKING FOR INVESTORS .BY THE WAY I READ YOUR POST AND I WILL BE INTRESTED TO KNOW HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW ME THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT ONE WILL NEED TO MAKE NON COMMERCIAL HOME CHOCOLATE AT HOME I WILL APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE TO ME
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Eric,I am a cocoa farmer in Bahia,Brasil.I would like to know who classified the cocoa flavour.Thks,Adriana Leal
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Eric, Any updates on your stock?Sacred
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Ok, great. Thanks for the info. I need a really clean bean, since I use the husk in my chocolate. Do you have any really clean beans that look like almonds they are so clean? A 3 day ferment on the Criollos is fine and a 7 day ferment on the Foresteros is fine. I just have to taste them to make sure. Can you send any samples of a super clean bean that is certified organic? I will look at any varieties and fermentation levels you have.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
There are also some criollo organic from Mexico and Peru. Not in stock but I can get them.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I am not aware of any at this time that have a fermentation of over 10 days. There are some criollo organic from Dominican and the Madagascar beans are not true criollo but their parent plants were criollo so they are an excellent choice. The others that are criollo are not organic certified yet. Panama is organic but not criollo.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Steve:I read what you are saying but I don't understand it. The standard fermentation range for all cacao beans is about 3-7 days with Criollos being on the short end and Forasteros on the long end.Asking for 14-day fermentation for Criollos does not make any sense at all as they would be putrid. 14-days for Forastero/Trinitario? Ditto.Zero I can understand because if they are not fermented you can guarantee that they will be raw.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Eric, What is the origin of your criollo? Do you happen to know the paticular varietal? I actually need all fermenation levels from zero fermentation to about an 8 to 14 day ferment depending on the varietal. Unfortunately, my hands are tied regarding organic certification. Since we are certified, we need to stick with certified beans. Can you still provide?Hearts,Sacred Steve
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I can get some criollo beans raw. Most of them are fermented but if I know ahead of time that you want some raw, I can arrange that with the plantations I work with. Many of the beans I sell are organic but some of them have not done the paperwork as it is a long and drawn out process.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Eric, Do you sell any certified organic beans that are considered raw? Do you sell any Criollo varieties?Hearts,Sacred Steve
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks that is great.Do you ship to Australia? If not would you consider it? How much for shipping?
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Here is a brief descriptor of the beans offered here. For more specific onformation just ask and I'd be happy to respond.DR Hispaniola - Luscious, earthy toned bean with a lot of complexity. Fruity as well as hints of rum and green tea with a nice cocoa aroma.DR Sanchez This is the same bean used in the Hispaniola with the exception that this bean is not fermented. Just sun dried.Mexican Tabasco - Savory, meaty, mouthwatering a very pleasant earthy aroma, with very little astringency. A bit tangy. Dont be afraid to give these a full roast but dont roast them until they popPanama Light fruitiness (apple and fig), earthy and classic cocoa taste. Not too complex and just enough bitterness to balance). Medium roast for best flavor.Madagascar - Light chocolate flavor with intense flavor notes of citrus and raspberry. Be careful with the roast. Youll have to toy with it but a little under roasted or over roasted makes a huge difference with this bean.Ecuador Nacional - Delicate cacao flavor, accented by a perfumed floral scent and lovely floral tones including a dominant jasmine note and nutty after-tones.Ecuador CCN-51 A great overall bean. Classic cocoa taste and aroma. Not too complex.Rio Caribe - A Trinitario bean grown near the Rio Caribe, in the Sucre State of Venezuela. This cacao has a slight dark tone and a refreshing bitterness. Common flavors are coffee, almonds, slight red fruits, and pure cocoa.Sur Del Lago - This cacao is hearty and robust, and bears an extreme dark tone with flavors of butter, hazelnuts, and red fruits plus floral tones.Carenero Superior Fairly smooth and well rounded. The two best characteristics of this bean are the cherry like taste and the aroma of sweet tobacco.Ivory Coast This cacao has classic chocolate aroma with hints of coconut and dark spice. This can handle a little darker roast. Feel free to let it pop. It will bring a nice depth to your chocolate.Ghana This cacao has classic earthy chocolate and light vanilla aroma. There is also a hint of peach while roasting.Papua New Guinea This is an interesting bean. They are smoke dried and not sun dried. They taste a little like bacon and leather. Very interesting.
Cocoa beans at great prices
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Clay I noticed that you are selling small amounts of beans. I make chocolate at home and am interested in trying some of the origins. I was wondering if anyone else here had used them to make chocolate and what they thought about them. A little speil about what flavours to expect, heavy or light roasting, why you chose those beans to sell would be great. I can roughly gather what they would be like by experience with tasting chocolate and making using similar origins and what I have read but I want something to draw me in and get me excited about choosing one and giving it a go.
updated by @Tom: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Thanks I know they have it but have you used it? Do you know how the colors turn out?I don't want to spend $20 a bottle for drab colors. My customers like the color. They say they want natural things but thats not what they buy.
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
yes I know about Chef rubbers organic cocoa butters but have not tried them.I didn't see them on the shelf when I was there a few weeks ago. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has used them.
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Melanievery nice chocolates .i know that there is a natural coco butter ...BUT,it is soo hard to work with .it actually very sensitive .it oxidize if the chocolates are not well stored,you can find these organic colors at chef rubber.best regards
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Hi Melanie!Have you heard about the natural cocoa colored butter from chefrubber? I use it a bit.
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Like many, I have been inspired by the work of Norman Love and would love to take a workshop with him to learn airbrush techniques. My question would be if he has found the colorants in red cocoa butter to be any more problematic than other colors and if there is any benefit to sprayng uncolored cocoa butter in the mold before adding color. Also are there are any organic colorants out there that can create spectacular effects and additional shine. People love the color but often are concerned about the ingredients/dyes used. www.sweetparadisechocolate.com
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Considering I am just beginning my chocolate journey, I think my question would be:What are some pointers you could give to someone who is changing careers from a boring cubicle to an exciting chocolate kitchen?Andre CostaChocolatier-to-be
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Since most artisan chocolates use natural ingredients and are preservative free, I would be interested in hearing the steps he takes within a recipe to increase shelf-life. Additionally, how Mr. Love reduces unbound water (aw values), and how he views the role of ph levels within a recipe.
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Yes, it's just taking a lot longer than I thought to get 10 questions! I just extended the deadline to Valentine's Day.:: Clay
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
Good day.I was wondering what happened to this thread? Is Mr. Love still going to answer some questions? I would be very interested in his opinions and feedback.Thank you,Andre CostaChocolatier-to-be
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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As someone starting a business in this industry I'd like to know what is Mr. Love's favorite part of owning a chocolate business... and then the aspects he likes the least. What is his advice for a budding chocolatier?
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
Here are the three questions I would like to ask:(1) How do you airbrush your chocolate molds? Does the chocolate need to be tempered beforehand? How do you keep the cocoa butter from hardening inside the airbrush? This is a technique I'm dying to try, and am wondering what equipment I will need and how to go about it.(2) Have you ever made your own chocolate transfer sheets, and if so, how would you advise going about it at home? I have made one or two attempts at silkscreening and found it excruciatingly difficult with white chocolate, and nearly impossible with cocoa butter. How is this done commercially?(3) Is there any place - class, online, in a book, or elsewhere, where you would recommend going to learn about creating chocolates as beautiful as yours?
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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Should cacao be reclassified from the traditional 3 (Forastero, Criollo, Trinitario) into the 10 categories suggested in the research study *Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree*?The suggested new categories areAmelonado - BrazilContamana - PeruCriollo - Central America, Venezuela and ColumbiaCuraray - EcuadorGuiana - GuyaneIquitos - PeruMaraon - Brazil (Amazon) and PeruNacional - EcuadorNanay - PeruPurs - Peru http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0003311
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
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HelloHere is the question I'd like to ask Norman Love.........What are you doing to help ensure the survival of Theobroma cocoa? There are all sorts of rots and fungi that can cause massive losses as well as the destruction of habitat. Does your company help the farms, farmers and plants that help you to make your business a success?Thanks,Lynn
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
ditto about him coming to Israel. Can he give classes here? That is my question, even though I am not a fan of artificial colors, I still like the technique adventures and can use a few natural colors.
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
I apologize in advance for the somewhat long introduction that follows, but Norman Love really changed my direction in life.I was in my first trimester at Johnson & Wales University Baking and Pastry Arts program- their inaugural year (2002). I was undecided as to whether I wanted to be a culinary student or a pastry chef. I as a 4th generation baker in my family and thought that I would get more out of the culinary side. At the same time, I am an observant Jew who does not mix meat and milk. This problem led me to decide to start off with the pastry program so as not to make my religious life complicated. As the Good L-rd would have it, this was a very important decision. My first class was Intro to Baking & Pastry taught by Chef Elena Clemens.Shortly after the year progressed, Norman Love came to the campus, and specifically to our class to do a private demo for the 20 of us. Chef Clemens had worked with Norman at the Ritz Carlton and as a result we got extra time with him. At that time, I had never seen chocolate with colors. I also was totally unaware of using chocolate in architectual creations. In short my mind was blown. I also was totally unaware of the varying qualities of chocolate.My experience at my grandfather's bakery had led me away from chocolate- it was a new york retail bakery that made everything from scratch and didn't use to much high quality chocolate. The dark chocolate I grew up with was sickly sweet, and I tended to prefer cheese bialys and other savory breads to the sweet stuff. After seeing Norman's demonstration I immersed myself in trying every kosher dark chocolate I could. I was hooked as they say. I decided after that seminar I wanted to work with high quality chocolate.Fast forward 7 years I find myself in the Holy Land, Israel on the brink of opening the first bean to bar microbatch chocolate company here, and much of that has to do with Norman. I would like to thank him for his openness in continuing education, through seminars and the world pastry forum in Vegas, as well as his committment to the highest quality with Norman Love Chocolates (formerly ganache chocolate). I learned so much in such a short time with him that words really can't convey my appreciation.Finally since this forum is about questions for Norman, I guess I would ask if Norman would ever consider making his own chocolate from the bean, on a limited basis similarly to the European chocolatiers. I know I would "love" to see what his take would be on the bean to bar or confection.AlsoI know he has travelled the world and I wonder if he has been to Israel yet. If not, I send an open invitation to visit and show the locals just how amazing of a medium chocolate can and should be.And FinallyWhat do you think the next "big thing" in chocolate will be
Top 10 Questions You'd Like to ... Ask Norman Love
Posted in: Opinion
I would love to know when he will be having his classes again. Would he ever fly to, say, Phoenix and do a class here? Perhaps in Scottsdale? I bet that there are lots of Chefs here who would love to learn from him. It would be great to have this happen!!! I bet we would fill out that class in record time, too. Maybe he would have to teach several classes?