Does it get any better than FREE chocolate at Acorn?

submitted by Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café

Come join Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café this Saturday, August 20, for FREE samples of some amazing chocolate! Mindo Chocolate Makers will be there with their delicious chocolate samples from 10am to 1pm.

When asked to share a little more about their company, Mindo Chocolate Makers replied, “Mindo Chocolate Makers is a woman-owned, family-run, local Michigan small business! We have control over the product from the time it is harvested from the heirloom cacao trees in Ecuador to the product on the shelves. Mindo Chocolate Makers takes great pride in our ethical practices, sustainability, the quality of our products, and the support of our local economy.“

Mindo also shared a little about the harvesting process through words and photography, “Carmen (the quality harvester pictured) is removing the seeds and fruit from the cocoa pod,” said Alicia Meza, Demo/Events Coordinator at Mindo Chocolate. “The seeds are encased in a white, fleshy fruit. The fruit is delicious! The pod’s outer shell is similar to a pumpkin in texture and hardness.“

At this point in the process, any rotten, moldy, diseased beans should be discarded. However, when Mindo started making chocolate, they had to work hard to get the farmers to sell them only the highest-quality cocoa beans. The farmers were used to selling the diseased and moldy beans to other cocoa brokers.

“We had to negotiate with them to only get the healthy beans. The farmers were reluctant because they had always sold all the beans to cocoa brokers, no matter the condition,“ Meza added.

Now the company pays a premium and works with one or two select farmers who sell them only the best quality cocoa beans. “We keep working with them to always continue improving the quality.”

Come taste and see that this chocolate really is good! Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café is located at 455 W Main St and is open daily from 7am to 9pm.

Taste some excellent (and free) locally made chocolate at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café on Saturday from 10am-1pm

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.