Effect of Pod Storage and Drying Temperature on Fermentation Dynamics and Final Bean Quality of Cacao Nacional in Ecuador

The impact of pod storage (PS) and two drying temperatures of fermented cocoa beans was investigated in Ecuador. Therefore, four variations were simultaneously carried out three times at two locations, independently: 0, 3, and 5 days of PS, dried at 60 °C and 0 days of PS, dried at 80 °C. Pod weight during storage, pulp content, pH, temperature, microbial counts, total free amino acids, protein profiles, sugars, organic acids, cut-test, fermentation index, and sensory profiles were analyzed. Minor differences in fermentation dynamics and bean quality were found between variations with and without PS. A rather accelerated fermentation with pod-stored beans was observed (e.g., faster color change, slightly lower pH in cotyledon after 48 h), along with a significantly higher maximal temperature during 24–42 h (43.1 ± 3.2 °C compared to 39.2 ± 2.0 °C without PS). More well-fermented beans were reached with PS (52.3 ± 22.6%) than without (62.7 ± 9.2%). Differences during fermentation were observed between the locations (e.g., pH, acids, sugars), but sensory evaluation indicated that the impact of location was mitigated with PS. Drying at 80 °C showed no adverse effects, as evidenced by the results of the cut-test and fermentation index. However, sensory evaluations revealed significant differences between 80 °C and 60 °C, with the former exhibiting more bitter and astringent cocoa liquor.