Abstract

GRAZIANI DE FARINAS, Lucía; ORTIZ DE BERTORELLI*, Ligia; LEMUS, Marjorie  and  PARRA, Pablo. Efecto del mezclado de granos de dos tipos de cacaos sobre algunas características químicas durante la fermentación. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2002, vol.52, n.3, pp.325-342. ISSN 0002-192X.

Summary During fermentation of coca mixture, theobroma cacao L, sterculiaceae, in proportions of 100/0; 50/50 and 0/100 criollo and forastero types cultivated in cumboto, the effeect of the blending on chemical properties was evaluated. Blends were fermented for 4 days in wooden boxes and cocoa mass was removed at 24 and and 72 hourst after the initiation of the procces. Analysis of humidity, tannins, proteins, pH, total acidity, reducing and total sugars were perfomed in the cotyledon and the pulp + testa at 0, 2  and 4 days of fermention. Results revealed a similar behavior of chemical parameters, during fermentation of all blends. In cotyledons, humidity, tannins and total acidity increased  while proteins, pH reducing and total sugars decreased, while total acidity decreased the second day and increasd on the fourth day. In addition, variations of chemical characteristics of the blends were observed which were not related with the proportions of blendig used and cannot theresfore be attributed to the differences in the types of cocoas of the blends. They may be related to variations in the degree of maturity of the fruist as well as to the great. diversity and heterogeneity of the material which form the cocoa woods in the coastal region of aragua state

Keywords : Theobroma cacao L.,; Sterculiaceae; criollo cocoa;; forastero cocoa; blends; fermentation; chemical characteristics.