Resumen

NOGALES, Jairo; GRAZIANI DE FARINAS, Lucía  y  ORTIZ DE BERTORELLI, Ligia. Physical and chemical changes of sun dried cocoa beans fermented in two designs of wouden boxes. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2006, vol.56, n.1, pp.5-20. ISSN 0002-192X.

Cocoa, Theobroma cacao L., fruits, criollo type, from Cuyagua, Aragua State, were manually shelled, mass (seeds and pulp) fermented and sun dried in order to determine the physical and chemical changes that occur during the drying process. Fermentation was done during five days in square and rectangular wooden boxes, and drying was conducted for six hours of daily sun exposure during five days. Throughout the drying process certain physical indexes and chemical properties of grains were measured. Results showed an increase of grain temperature during daylight, depending upon environmental conditions. The fermentation index and color parameters L and a_L increased as the drying process progressed, while b_L decreased. Parameter bL was the only one affected by fermentor design, with a smaller value in the square box. Moisture content, total sugars, total acidity, and ash content decreased while tannin content increased as grain was dried; performance of proteins and pH was not conclusive. The highest values for moisture content, total sugars, pH, proteins, and tannin content corresponded to cocoa beans fermented in the square box; this fermentor seems to be the most suitable for cocoa post-harvest processing. Chemical indexes varied with respect to drying time and fermentor design, while physical characteristics were not affected by the last factor.

Palabras clave : Theobroma cacao L; fermentation; drying; chemical indexes; physical characteristics.

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