Wholesale Carob

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen native to and cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Although the tree is shrub-like in appearance, this member of the legume family can reach a height of nearly 60 feet and have a trunk more than three feet in circumference. The branches of the carob tree sport oval-shaped evergreen leaves and clusters of delicate red flowers. But carob's most interesting feature is its seedpods. The unripe pods are bright green, soft and fleshy and look very much like a pea pod. Ripe pods (sans the seeds) taste sweet when chewed but—due to a high isobutyric acid content—release an aroma reminiscent of Limburger cheese when opened. When the pods are fully ripe and dried, the hard seeds inside detach from their "cells," which produces a rattle effect.

According to legend, carob bean pods were the “locusts” that sustained St. John the Baptist as he preached throughout the desert wilderness. For this reason, carob pods are commonly called St. John's Bread and, less often, locust bean. Of course, the preacher didn’t actually eat insects as suggested by the term locust, which was later ascribed to swarming grasshoppers.

Some scholars speculate that reference to the word may stem from two factors: the translation of kerátiοn, the Greek word for the genus name of the carob tree, the root of which means "horn"; and the simple fact that, like locusts, the tree is highly resistant to the harsh environmental conditions of its native climate. This means that carob likely represented a reliable food source during times of famine triggered by drought or war. In fact, this idea is expressed in the parable of the Prodigal Son, who, after squandering his father’s wealth, is tempted to consume the carob pods used as swine fodder because he is starving—spiritually as well as physically. Aside from the moral lesson gained from the story, feeding carob pods to agricultural animals eased the burden of the poor farmer—a boon during the social and political turmoil of the Biblical period. However, carob pods proved to be a life-saving food source to regional inhabitants of other eras, such as the residents of Malta during World War II.

The seeds of the tree were used by the ancient Romans as a weight comparison against pieces of gold. Over time, a standardized method of determining the purity of the metal was established based on the fact that a single gold coin called a solidus was the same weight as 24 kerátiοn, or carob seeds. Eventually, the term for this unit of measurement evolved into carat, and a label of 24-carat meant the object was 100% pure gold.

Carob was once the primary source of sugar until cane sugar became widely available. Today, it’s a substitute for chocolate, which contains an enzyme called theobromine that is highly toxic to dogs and some people.

Formulas & recipes
Carob beans have long been considered “famine food” during times of scarcity. Carob beans are sometimes called locust beans, which is what is referred to in the Bible when John the Baptist survived on honey and locusts alone. Carbo has a distinct, chocolate-like taste and aroma and was a common sweetener before sugar cane was widely distributed.

Today, there are two distinct forms that carob beans are processed into. The first is carob bean gum, which is mainly used as a binding agent in certain recipes. The other is carob powder, which is known for its extreme similarity to cocoa powder. Carob powder is sometimes used as a cocoa powder replacement, the main difference being carob powder is sweet on its own, unlike cocoa and carob does not contain any caffeine. Carob chips are great when wanting to use them as a substitute for chocolate chips or other solid forms of chocolate.

Carob covered strawberries recipe
Ingredients:
-1 large container of strawberries
-1 ½ cups carob chips

Make sure your strawberries are rinsed and patted completely dry. Cover a tray with parchment paper to be prepared for dipping. Using a double boiler, melt the carob chips until it’s a nice, smooth texture (melted chocolate-like). Start dipping the strawberries one by one and place them on the parchment-covered tray to dry. You can add chopped pistachios, sprinkles, or anything to add some interest to the strawberries. Let the chocolate dry on the strawberries, or to speed up the process, place the tray in the fridge until they are solid enough to eat.