The cocoa beans are in the cocoa pods during the growth process, and the cocoa pods that grow on the cocoa trunk will be picked after they mature. In order to protect the cocoa seeds during the growth process, the cocoa pod will have a thicker shell. After harvesting the cocoa pod, how to cut cocoa pods?
The main growing places and forms of cocoa
Cocoa is native to central and southern America and is grown in tropical regions all over the world. In addition, the growing environment of cocoa requires evenly distributed rainfall, fertile and unblocked land. Under normal circumstances, the fruit will begin to bear fruit in 4-5 years after planting. And cocoa production will gradually decrease after 40-50 years.
Cocoa Harvest
When the cocoa harvest season comes, cocoa growers will collect cocoa pods from the tree in different ways, and then open the cocoa pods uniformly.
However, picking ripe cocoa pods is not an easy task. Because the cocoa tree is very fragile and has a shallow foundation, pickers cannot risk climbing up to pick the cocoa pods on the high branches.
Generally, the best picking method is to equip the picker with a long, hand-shaped steel knife. The steel knife is to reach and cut the tallest pods without hurting the soft bark of the cacao tree. The scimitar is used to pick the reachable cocoa pods that grow on the low branches.
In addition, the collector will work with the picker to collect the picked pods in a basket and transport them to the edge of the field and open the pods.
How to cut cocoa pods?
The most common way to cut cocoa pods is to open the pods manually and mechanically. Among them, the manual method is the most traditional way of opening pods. And the machine opening is the result of continuous reform and innovation in recent years. A simpler and more efficient way to open pods.
One of the most commonly used pod opening machines is the cocoa pod cutting machine. This type of cutting machine is a semi-automatic machine with both opening and screening functions. After the cocoa pods are put on the conveyor belt, they will be sent to the opening of the pod. After passing the blade, the pod is cut into two pieces and dropped into the sieving machine. Then through the rotating action of the sieving machine, the cocoa beans will be separated from the pods and fall out of the screen holes. And the cocoa pods will eventually be transported to the end of the machine along with the drum and discharged.
What to do with the cut cocoa pods?
The cocoa pod has a thick shell, which protects the cocoa beans greatly during the growth process. After the cocoa matures, its protective effect also ends.
Under normal circumstances, cocoa pods are of little use-value, and growers will discard them after the pods are cut, or pile them together to rot.
