Tag Archives: Cacao Fruit

Belize, Our Products

Cacao Fruit Elixir For Sale!

We are pleased to inform you that we have Cacao Elixir 8oz bottles for sale in The Apothecary.  Usually they are snapped up by chocolate connoisseurs at Elixir Tastings before they even get into the on-line shop.

Cacao Fruit Elixir 8oz.
Cacao Fruit Elixir 8oz.

The Cacao Fruit was gathered in May of Last year; the pods were cracked open and the Elixir has  been through a lengthy process of infusion and regular siphoning since then.

It started with the Cacao pods:

Cacao Pods.
Cacao Pods.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.

The Final Product:

Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.

This is our Profile for the Cacao Fruit Elixir:

Colour: Amber brown with hints of burgandy.

Clarity: Very slightly translucent.

Nose: Musky, earthy and reminiscent of freshly cut hay.

Taste: Sweet and coats tongue with an unctuous velvety layer.  Complex taste with chocolate tones.

Medicinal Indications.

Digestive Stimulant.  Mood-lifting properties.

Serving Suggestions.

  • Store in the freezer for a cool, sipping liqueur.  Pour into a liqueur glass or shot glass and enjoy.  Excellent after-dinner digestif especially after a heavy meal.
  • Serve in a highball glass over ice and top up with soda.  Add an orange twist to complement the chocolate taste and aroma.
  • Can be used to replace brandy in cocktails.

Cacao Fruit Elixir Alcohol Content: 33% w/v.

Amusing, Belize, Elixirs, Our Products

Elixir Tasting With Dandelion Chocolate.

Liqueur.Tasting.TogetherOn Monday evening we had an Elixir Tasting with Dandelion Chocolate, a company from California.  Greg D’Alesandre heads the group every year at Cotton Tree Lodge.  This year’s tasting was much the same with general fun, laughs and disruption (of course!) from Greg.  We attempted a “controlled brawl” under medical supervision (Ha-Ha!).  😉

Here are some pictures (sorry the “flash” on my phone is quite non-existent).

Elixir Tasting With Dandelion Group.
Elixir Tasting With Dandelion Group.

This is Greg intensely scrutinising an Elixir:

Greg From Dandelion.
Greg From Dandelion.

The Elixir Tasting was a success.  Our gauge was the general noise level and Drunken “I Love You, Guys!!”

The Cacao Fruit Elixir was of great interest to everyone since the group are here specifically on a chocolate tour.  Greg kept on murmuring  about a Fireball Whisky and Ginger Ale all through the tasting.  Apparently he thinks that the Lemongrass Elixir goes very well with ginger ale.  And the Fireball…hmmm…not sure if that was just an obscure comment about the cacao liqueur?!

Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Belize, Elixirs, Our Products, Plants

Elixirs at Cotton Tree Lodge.

Elixirs.Passion.Cacao.Roselle

We had an Elixir Tasting last night at Cotton Tree Lodge with a small group of six.  The lodge is having a Chocolate group at the moment so we set the mood for the night by starting with Cacao Fruit as the first tasting.  This was interesting because it was a new batch and we were curious as to the response from the group.

Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.

In this batch, we actually increased the sugar content in order to balance the astringent qualities of the cacao bean.  The result was a mellow, well-rounded flavour with a definite rich chocolate taste.  Overall, the group found this elixir complex, interesting and unique.

This time, we talked more about the medicinal properties of the Elixirs.  It was very clear that the Cacao Fruit had mood-lifting and stimulating qualities as the night proceeded!  This one got every-one into a talkative and lively mood.

By the end of the tasting, it seemed that the clear favourite was the Grapefruit Elixir.  This one is actually three years old and the maturation process brought out such interesting flavours!  It was a complex combination of pears, apples and honey.  Very silky smooth and unctuous and it had a lovely clear golden colour.

Grapefruit Elixir.
Grapefruit Elixir.

It just goes to show that aging a liqueur makes all the difference.  Most of the Elixirs that we have available are about 2 years old now and getting better.

Again, it was amusing to see the response towards the Culantro Elixir…you either love it or you hate it!!

Fresh Culantro.
Fresh Culantro.

Culantro is used interchangeably with cilantro in this country in cooking.  This herb lends a herbaceous refeshing taste to our Elixir.  Some people absolutely love it because they like everything with the taste of cilantro (culantro).  Others wrinkle up their nose in dismay and describe it as being “too soapy” or “too medicinal.”  The feedback is always very helpful!

Liqueur.Tasting.Together

For more information on our Elixirs, including taste profiles and medicinal properties, check out our link.  For our full list of Elixirs please check out The Apothecary.

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Mayan Cacao Fruit In Season.

Munchkin.Back.ViewThe Mayan Cacao Fruit Balam is now in season.  We have a few trees on the farm and this year they have been very generous.

Balam Fruit.
Balam Fruit.

This is Theobroma bicolor which is different from the Theobroma cacao in appearance and taste.

Theobroma cacao.
Theobroma cacao.

The Mayan cacao is also called “Balam” and it produces white beans as opposed to black/purplish beans of the normal variety of cacao.  The pulp around the beans taste of sweet musk melon.

Opened Balam Fruit.
Opened Balam Fruit.

We have had such an abundant crop that we have been eating the fruit everyday; it is really nice chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours…it really brings out the strong fruity flavour.

Balam Fruit.
Balam Fruit.

We also make a Balam Elixir with the pulp of this fruit.  The maturation process brings out the muskiness of the fruit and the end product tastes like a fragrant whisky.

Belize, Elixirs, Fermentation, Food, Our Products

It’s Cacao Picking Time!

TogetherApril and May are the months for collecting mature cacao pods here in Belize.  Today, we harvested a whole lot of pods; they come in all shapes and sizes and colours:

Cacao Pods.
Cacao Pods.
More Cacao Pods.
More Cacao Pods.

Here is a picture of an opened cacao pod:

Opened Cacao Pod.
Opened Cacao Pod.

The white pulp around the seeds is edible and has a sweet aromatic, acidic taste to it.  For the actual chocolate making process, the seeds/beans are fermented with the pulp and dried out in the sun (for up to 7 days).  Fermented cacao beans at this stage are shipped by container loads overseas to be processed into chocolate.

Dried Fermented Cacao Beans.
Dried Fermented Cacao Beans.

We use cacao in many of our products; one of the main ones is Cacao Absolute which we are know selling as a product in The Apothecary.  We use this essential oil in our soaps, body oils, massage oils and body sprays; for more information on how we make this check out Making Chocolate Essential Oil.

Cacao Absolute.
Cacao Absolute.

We are collecting the fresh cacao beans to make Elixirs (or liqueurs).  This is a favourite with the chocolate connoisseurs.  This is what it looks like initially:

Cacao Fruit Elixir Day One.
Cacao Fruit Elixir Day One.

This is on Day 7; look at the spectacular burgundy hues!

Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.

The Cacao Fruit elixir requires time to mellow out and develop the complex layers of taste of cacao fruit and bean.  The beans will be removed soon and thereafter it is left to sit to allow natural sediment to sink down to the bottom.  Every two weeks, the liquid is siphoned into another glass jar so that the sediment can be discarded.  There is a lot of work required in creating clarity in this product.  We will probably make a batch of about 5 gallons of this which will be ready in about 12 months time.  The best things come to those who wait!

Belize, Elixirs, Medical Related, Our Products

A Bit About Our Elixirs: Just A Smidgen.

Liqueur.Tasting.TogetherI have not written formally about our Elixirs but I am preparing the way for further pages on this subject.  The dictionary definition of Elixir is as follows:

An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one’s ills.

And so to fill you in on the background of Elixirs, or Liqueurs, they were once used as a preservation medium for plant-based medicine.

We make Elixirs because we enjoy the process of making them from different herbs and fruit on our farm, which vary from year to year.  In addition, there is a seasonal variation so it helps to keep up our interest through-out the year.  Elixirs can be enjoyed as a pleasurable drink for the tasting experience alone but for us, the important thing is that it is also Medicine preserved in a bottle.

This is just a brief introduction and I will be writing more about this over the next few weeks.  We are preparing for an Elixir tasting at Cotton Tree Lodge which is a few miles down the Barranco Road.  So, today I brought out some to bottle.  Here are a few pictures to show you the clarity and clearness of these products:

Mature Roseele (Sorrel) Elixir.
Mature Roselle (Sorrel) Elixir.
Passion Fruit Elixir.
Passion Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.
Cacao Fruit Elixir.

When we first make the elixirs, they are cloudy and gunky with all the raw materials mashed together.  So, when we eventually get this clarity, which takes at least 12 months, we are tremendously proud and pleased with the results.  It is a representation of our time, patience and love.

I bottled the Elixirs into Just A Smidgen 2 oz bottles which are great as little tasters:

Row of Just A Smidgen Elixirs.
Row of Just A Smidgen Elixirs.

Also…

today, Gnome bottled some of his mysterious beverage…I hope he will write some time to tell you about it:

Siphoning Mystery Wine.
Siphoning Mystery Wine.

Have a good evening!!