Methods for treating and preparing chocolate. In one aspect, a method includes heating a quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 46 degrees Celsius decreasing the pressure of in a pressure-controllable environment to about 25 Torr holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 25 Torr for a first predetermined period of time decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr and holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 5 Torr for a second predetermined period of time. Other aspects include ceasing heating the quantity of chocolate decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 150 Torr per minute decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 4 Torr per minute and others.
