Every other Wednesday is cocoa day...
the cocoa pods slowly ripen from a minty green...
to a rosey color...
while the cacao seeds grow and fill the inside of the pod
when the pods are a deep rose color...
it is time to harvest
the cacao pod is split open in the middle...
and the seeds are taken out...
and put into buckets
the dark seeds grow covered with a white, sweet, juicy, edible pulp...
that is fun to eat like candy
we take the cacao in to the cocoa association on the island...
either, wet or dry
most times, we take it in wet and they do the drying
a higher price is fetched when we do the drying ourselves
it just all depends on how much time we want to take to dry the cocoa...
it can take up to 2 weeks to dry in the sun
this is what I do with the cocoa we keep for ourselves...
we dry it in the sun;
roast it lightly to easily shell and bring out the cocoa flavor;
then, bag it to store in the pantry
I put some into my "coffee" mill jar to store for our evening cocoa tea
this jar has a mill on top to grind the beans for making cocoa tea...
I use my electric coffee grinder for a more powdery cocoa for baking
Now, I have got to show you my new rose...
my tiny rose bush has grown and blossomed out another soft pink rose...
this is not the same rose I put up on this post...
it is a second rose that quietly bloomed overnight...
and made me cry out in delight to my husband to come see!
I must say...
it wasn't quite as exciting to him, but that is okay...
he wanted the rose for me
may your day, or night be blooming ever so pretty
