Carobs are the seeds from the Ceratonia siliqua tree, commonly known as the Alfarroba, and high winds recently have encouraged the carobs to start their annual fall. It must be a good year for them, or maybe they are all falling at once - I can’t go out to my washing line without stepping on them.

When ripened they are dark brown, and although they will fall to the ground naturally, farmers and homeowners alike can be seen coaxing their crop of carobs from the trees - traditionally farmers will be seen spreading a huge sheet on the ground to catch them while a beater bashes the tree with a pole to shake down the ones higher up. The crop will be collected, sometimes with the whole family involved in ‘picking and packing’, with harvesting beginning early in the morning and probably going on all day until every pod is down and bagged up for sale.


Inside the pod

The carob seed itself possesses some benefits as a cocoa substitute. Containing calcium but not possessing the addictive attributes of caffeine, it makes it an excellent substitute for cocoa in ‘chocolate’ creations. It has its own naturally sweet, nutty taste. Some people like it. Others don’t. Although carob can be turned into what looks like chocolate chips, you can taste the difference, and while recipe developers have tried to treat the two powders as one and the same over the decades, real chocolate connoisseurs won’t be convinced.

Carob powder is also known as locust bean or St. John's bread. They are said to come from the belief that the ‘locusts’ sustaining John the Baptist in the desert, according to the Biblical story, were actually carob pods. The trees are native to the Mediterranean region, although they now grow throughout North America too.

The seeds need to be removed in order for the carob powder to be made, and one method of creating carob powder is by boiling the pods, cutting them in half, removing the seeds, then drying the pods and grinding them into a powder. Other methods would see the pods being roasted before grinding to make their colour darker and therefore more closely resembling cocoa. Either way, the powder ends up looking almost identical to cocoa powder, especially when roasted, and bears a pretty close resemblance to chocolate once cooked, which is a great alternative for those who are allergic to chocolate.


Food for Cattle

Farmers also use carob flour dissolved in water for a weaning diet for piglets, calves and other ruminants. Some equestrians will feed carob to their horses as part of a 'cool feed' (high fibre) or to replace sugary titbits. Dog ‘chocolate’ treats are made with carob powder, no chocolate used at all, and is safe for your pooch to enjoy. You can even make your own doggie treats using carob powder, there are plenty of recipes online.


Food for Us

But eating carobs do have their benefits - they are considered by some to be healthier than cocoa, as they contain polyphenols - antioxidants known to reduce the risk of heart disease. And it is said that 19th-century British chemists sold carob pods to singers – apparently chewing on carob pods helped singers maintain healthy vocal cords and for soothing and cleaning their throats.


Weighing it all up

There’s not much use for the seeds, however, though the seeds are pretty uniform in size and really hard, and can be further processed to make an emulsifier for smoothies and ice cream, etc. In past history, as one carob seed generally weighs around 0.20g, and a diamond weighing 20g would weigh the same as 100 carobs seeds, the seeds were once used by jewellers to weigh against their precious stones. The weight became known as a ‘carat’. However, it would be pretty simple to keep a heavier set and a lighter set on hand, depending or whether you were a buyer or seller!

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan