What to do when your KAKAO shows up melted, hardened, or not in granular form
If your KAKAO showed up melted and still in liquid or semi-liquid form, do NOT open it! Otherwise you will lose some product. Place it in the fridge or freezer right away and do not open until it completely re-hardens.
Why this happens and what to do about it:
KAKAO is simply whole organic cacao beans that have been traditionally stone-ground into a paste :) For your convenience, we chop that paste up so you can scoop it into your blender or pot for convenient mixing, however in these hot summer months it can arrive in a block like most ceremonial-grade cacao.
If your KAKAO does arrive melted, don't fret. When this happens, it invites us to slow down, breathe and allow the gift of stillness to be embraced. In this busy & stressful society, that in itself IS medicine and the gift that cacao provides during the summer months.
Even if your KAKAO has melted, it is still entirely safe to consume and it is still delicious, potent, and pure.
Please Note: Most ceremonial grade cacao comes in a block, so this process outlined below is actually quite normal. The KAKAO Team puts extra time and resources into bringing our product into a granular form, but the downfall of this is that the work gets reversed any time the product is exposed to excess heat.
You can absolutely still enjoy your KAKAO and receive its potent healing benefits. We have loyal customers of many years that are used to this process in the summer, as they know that KAKAO is the highest quality ceremonial grade cacao on the market. It is already expensive enough considering we pay BEYOND 'fair trade' prices to our farmers, as cultivating true heirloom cacao is much different than commodity cacao. If we were to add enough ice packs and insulated boxes to keep it from melting, it would add at least an additional $25. plus the materials which aren't super sustainable.
Below we have included instructions and important details on how to break up your bag of KAKAO if it does end up on your doorstep not in its standard granular form.
It’s simple: just shave your KAKAO with a knife and place it back into a bag or storage container.
For ease, weigh out 40 grams per day using a kitchen scale. I love to use a scale every day with my KAKAO regardless (instead of scooping)! Especially for making multiple servings / for groups, a scale makes it way easier.
1. First, make sure it has completely cooled down ~ You can place your KAKAO in the refrigerator to help it harden/re-solidify.
2. Break up the KAKAO using a knife & cutting board. You can use a knife to shave the edges into flakes. Optional (but ideal!): If you have a food processor, this will blitz the KAKAO quickly and easily. Just be sure to not run the food processor too long as the excess heat produced by the food processor may end up re-melting the KAKAO.
3. After bringing it back into granular form, stir and mix it up very well to ensure all the ingredients and cocoa butter are evenly dispersed. When our product melts, the cocoa butter can separate and concentrate in one part of the bag. Therefore, it's very important to mix the KAKAO all together again to ensure consistent taste and texture.
4. Tip: Instead of using a tablespoon to measure out your KAKAO, use a small kitchen scale! 40 grams of KAKAO is a full dose. Adjust to your preferences as needed.
