When cacao trees start to produce fruits, known as cocoa pods, those fruits must be removed from the tree when they are at their ripest.
Although there are busier times of year, cacao pods mature all year long, therefore harvesting takes place all year long. Cacao is harvested by removing the enormous pods off the tropical trees on which they grow with a sharp object. A machete, a long sword-like implement that enables farmers to chop pods from the base, is the most popular equipment used to harvest cocoa pods.
In order to avoid damaging possible future pods, farmers must use highly sharp tools since cacao, or cocoa, may grow straight on the stem of the tree.
A pod’s colour changes often as it is ripe, alerting farmers that it could be time to harvest it.
Some farmers additionally tap on pods to test for maturity because not all ripe pods will completely change colour. If the seeds have just just begun to loosen, the pod is ready for harvest.
To verify the colour of the shell, you can also scrape the husk’s outside. It is still not mature enough to be picked if it is green on the underside. If you harvest cocoa before it is fully mature, it will start to germinate or ferment instead of continue to grow on the tree.
In order to protect the seeds from any harm during harvest, growers must take care not to open the pods. Typically, they will chop the fruits straight off the tree with the machete and place them in a nearby basket or sack. The pods are then transported to a hub site to start processing. The cocoa will taste better if post-harvest processing can start as soon as possible.
