Pods containing Cocoa beans grow from the branches and trunk of the Cocoa tree. Harvesting includes take away ripe pods from the trees and opening them to extract the wet beans. With the help of a well sharpened blade, the cocoa pods can be harvested manually done by making a clean cut through the stalk. Cocoa harvest begins when the fruits are completely ripe.
After two years of the planting of Cocoa flowers, the pods take approximately 140 to 160 days to mature and ripen. Only ripe pods to be harvested without damaging the flower cushion at regular intervals of 10 to 15 days. The Cocoa pods are harvested by cutting the stalk with the help of a sharp knife. The harvested pods must be kept for a minimum period of 2to 3 days before opening for fermentation.
