Effect of maturity on some chemical components of cocoa

Abstract

Abstract Immature harvest of cocoa to prevent losses due to pests and pilferage is common in Sri Lanka. The effect of maturity on the levels of some components of the Amelonado variety of cocoa grown in Sri Lanka is reported here. The major problem posed by immature harvest is the loss of fats which has been shown in this study to be of the order of 50% when the crop is harvested 1.5 months early, although the fatty acid composition does not vary significantly during this period. The pulp of immature cocoa pods contains less free sugars and produces less ethanol on yeast fermentation than pulp of mature pods but the methanol content of the distillate is higher in immature pulp. The pectin content of the pod endocarp declines as maturation proceeds.