Have you ever wondered how that coffee came to be in your
mug this morning? Come along with us as we show you the
entire process, from bean to cup. Make sure you're wearing
sturdy boots and a pair of jeans that you don't mind getting
muddy, because where we're going, we'll be getting a little dirty.
mug this morning? Come along with us as we show you the
entire process, from bean to cup. Make sure you're wearing
sturdy boots and a pair of jeans that you don't mind getting
muddy, because where we're going, we'll be getting a little dirty.
We begin our morning leaving the mountain town
of Santa Rosa de Copán at sunup - after a hearty
Honduran breakfast of beans, eggs, tortillas, and -
of course - plenty of fresh coffee. Our destination:
Las Granadinas, one of hundreds of small coffee
farms dotting the mountainsides of western
Honduras. Las Granadinas is high in the mountains
at 1,400 meters (4,500 feet), an excellent altitude
for coffee growing. We seem to drive upward
forever through pine forest and past mountain
villages seemingly trapped in time.
of Santa Rosa de Copán at sunup - after a hearty
Honduran breakfast of beans, eggs, tortillas, and -
of course - plenty of fresh coffee. Our destination:
Las Granadinas, one of hundreds of small coffee
farms dotting the mountainsides of western
Honduras. Las Granadinas is high in the mountains
at 1,400 meters (4,500 feet), an excellent altitude
for coffee growing. We seem to drive upward
forever through pine forest and past mountain
villages seemingly trapped in time.
We are met at the farm gate by a curious Don
Luis, the overseer. He wasn't expecting us - Las
Granadinas is a long way from telephones,
radio, or electricity - but is pleased to show off
his finca, or coffee farm. "It's my life," he says
with obvious pride. He and his workers are
planting coffee seeds in the finca nursery. After
planting, the nursery will be covered with a
thatch roof to protect the young plants from
the sun while allowing rain to enter. Once
sprouted, the plants are cared for until they are
mature enough to be transplanted.
Transplanting takes place with much care during
the May rains that moisten the soil and
stimulate further growth.
Luis, the overseer. He wasn't expecting us - Las
Granadinas is a long way from telephones,
radio, or electricity - but is pleased to show off
his finca, or coffee farm. "It's my life," he says
with obvious pride. He and his workers are
planting coffee seeds in the finca nursery. After
planting, the nursery will be covered with a
thatch roof to protect the young plants from
the sun while allowing rain to enter. Once
sprouted, the plants are cared for until they are
mature enough to be transplanted.
Transplanting takes place with much care during
the May rains that moisten the soil and
stimulate further growth.
The timing and quantity of the rain is important, and is the subject of much
speculation every year by local farmers. Too soon, and the plants in the nursery are
unready for the shock of transplanting. Too late, and the plants get a late start and will
produce a meager harvest. Too little rain, and the transplants produce shallow roots
that stunt growth later. Too much rain, and the young plants can drown in
waterlogged soil.
speculation every year by local farmers. Too soon, and the plants in the nursery are
unready for the shock of transplanting. Too late, and the plants get a late start and will
produce a meager harvest. Too little rain, and the transplants produce shallow roots
that stunt growth later. Too much rain, and the young plants can drown in
waterlogged soil.
For three years Don Luis and his workers care
for the coffee plants growing under the
protective shade of the tropical forest. Finally,
in October of the third year, the slowly
maturing green cherries begin to redden. The
entire population of the countryside takes to
the hills to assist in the harvest. Only a few of
each plant's many cherries ripen at the same
time, so it is necessary to pick selectively and
return time and again, to the same plant. A
typical harvest will begin in October and not
end until March or April.
for the coffee plants growing under the
protective shade of the tropical forest. Finally,
in October of the third year, the slowly
maturing green cherries begin to redden. The
entire population of the countryside takes to
the hills to assist in the harvest. Only a few of
each plant's many cherries ripen at the same
time, so it is necessary to pick selectively and
return time and again, to the same plant. A
typical harvest will begin in October and not
end until March or April.
The harvesters must work fast because every day a few
more cherries ripen, and an overripe cherry is as
unacceptable as an unripe one. Overripe cherries produce
an inferior grade coffee. Unripe green cherries produce
café perico (parrot coffee, in reference to the green
plumage of the bird) and is tasteless. Yet the harvesters
must work carefully as well, because each cherry is
attached to a branch of the plant by a delicate stem. If
the stem is damaged, that part of the branch will no
longer produce beans. The annual harvest is thus labor
intensive, and indeed the Honduran school calendar's
annual vacation (November through January) revolves
around it. More than one village shopkeeper finds
himself without employees at harvest time as the staff
quits en masse to join the harvest.
more cherries ripen, and an overripe cherry is as
unacceptable as an unripe one. Overripe cherries produce
an inferior grade coffee. Unripe green cherries produce
café perico (parrot coffee, in reference to the green
plumage of the bird) and is tasteless. Yet the harvesters
must work carefully as well, because each cherry is
attached to a branch of the plant by a delicate stem. If
the stem is damaged, that part of the branch will no
longer produce beans. The annual harvest is thus labor
intensive, and indeed the Honduran school calendar's
annual vacation (November through January) revolves
around it. More than one village shopkeeper finds
himself without employees at harvest time as the staff
quits en masse to join the harvest.
The harvesters bring the picked cherries (café
galoneado) to the finca's depulping machine,
where the skin and pulp of the cherry is
removed and the inner bean is revealed.
Covering the beans is a sticky honey like
substance remaining from the pulp and must
be removed by soaking in tubs of water. The
tubs are left in direct sunlight for a day,
warming the water, after which the honey is
easily washed away with spring water. Free at
last, the beans separate into their characteristic
halves.
galoneado) to the finca's depulping machine,
where the skin and pulp of the cherry is
removed and the inner bean is revealed.
Covering the beans is a sticky honey like
substance remaining from the pulp and must
be removed by soaking in tubs of water. The
tubs are left in direct sunlight for a day,
warming the water, after which the honey is
easily washed away with spring water. Free at
last, the beans separate into their characteristic
halves.
Waterlogged, the beans are set to dry in patios set aside for this purpose. During a
harvest it is impossible to find a country home or hut, however humble, that does not
have beans - called café pergamino mojado at this stage - spread to dry in the sun. In
good weather the beans may dry in three days. Without strong, direct sunlight, not
only is the drying process prolonged but the beans do not dry evenly. If not spread out,
wet beans will ferment in two days and be ruined.
harvest it is impossible to find a country home or hut, however humble, that does not
have beans - called café pergamino mojado at this stage - spread to dry in the sun. In
good weather the beans may dry in three days. Without strong, direct sunlight, not
only is the drying process prolonged but the beans do not dry evenly. If not spread out,
wet beans will ferment in two days and be ruined.
Once sun dried, the beans are called café pergamino húmedo and are ready to be sold
to a beneficio (coffee brokerage). The beneficio takes a random sample of beans and
checks humidity (40% is normal) and quality. Good quality beans should be well
formed, neither over ripe nor under ripe, unbroken, clean, and free of foreign matter.
The beans are machine dried by the beneficio to achieve a stable 13% moisture content.
At this stage the beans are called café pergamino seco. "Pergamino" refers to a paper
like coating that surrounds the bean, and the beneficio must next remove the
pergamino with a special machine for that purpose. Once cleaned of its pergamino, the
bean is referred to as café verde no clasificado - unclassified green coffee. "Green" here
means unroasted rather than unripe, and indeed unroasted coffee with the pergamino
removed has a faintly green tint.
to a beneficio (coffee brokerage). The beneficio takes a random sample of beans and
checks humidity (40% is normal) and quality. Good quality beans should be well
formed, neither over ripe nor under ripe, unbroken, clean, and free of foreign matter.
The beans are machine dried by the beneficio to achieve a stable 13% moisture content.
At this stage the beans are called café pergamino seco. "Pergamino" refers to a paper
like coating that surrounds the bean, and the beneficio must next remove the
pergamino with a special machine for that purpose. Once cleaned of its pergamino, the
bean is referred to as café verde no clasificado - unclassified green coffee. "Green" here
means unroasted rather than unripe, and indeed unroasted coffee with the pergamino
removed has a faintly green tint.
The next step, then, is to classify the beans;
that is, sort them by quality. Even the best
finca will produce a few bad beans: malformed,
black, broken, fermented, or unripe. Modern
beneficios use mechanical and optical sorting
to remove the obviously bad beans, but the
final classification in any good beneficio can
only be made by hand by experienced workers.
The beans - now called café verde clasificado -
are bagged and shipped to buyers, usually green
coffee brokers in Germany, Finland, France,
Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.
that is, sort them by quality. Even the best
finca will produce a few bad beans: malformed,
black, broken, fermented, or unripe. Modern
beneficios use mechanical and optical sorting
to remove the obviously bad beans, but the
final classification in any good beneficio can
only be made by hand by experienced workers.
The beans - now called café verde clasificado -
are bagged and shipped to buyers, usually green
coffee brokers in Germany, Finland, France,
Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.
The very best grades of green coffee are retained for
making our Santa Rosa and San Marcos coffees. A random
sample of the selected beans are cupped. Cupping is the
coffee roaster's equivalent of wine tasting: green beans
from different sources are roasted and brewed, and the
resulting coffee is compared. Cupping samples is time
consuming, but is the only sure way to insure quality.
making our Santa Rosa and San Marcos coffees. A random
sample of the selected beans are cupped. Cupping is the
coffee roaster's equivalent of wine tasting: green beans
from different sources are roasted and brewed, and the
resulting coffee is compared. Cupping samples is time
consuming, but is the only sure way to insure quality.
Upon receipt of a customer's order, and not
before, the best beans are then roasted to order.
Crimson Life's Santa Rosa coffee uses only High
Grown (HG) beans, grown at an altitude of at
least 900 meters (3,000 feet). Our San Marcos
coffee uses only Strictly High Grown (SHG)
beans, grown at greater than 1,350 meters (4,500
feet). The roasting is supervised to insure that the
beans are done to your preference (regular or
dark roast), are quickly ground (if desired), and
packaged the same day in airtight bags to insure
freshness. The order is then shipped that or the
next day, again to insure that you receive the
freshest coffee possible.
before, the best beans are then roasted to order.
Crimson Life's Santa Rosa coffee uses only High
Grown (HG) beans, grown at an altitude of at
least 900 meters (3,000 feet). Our San Marcos
coffee uses only Strictly High Grown (SHG)
beans, grown at greater than 1,350 meters (4,500
feet). The roasting is supervised to insure that the
beans are done to your preference (regular or
dark roast), are quickly ground (if desired), and
packaged the same day in airtight bags to insure
freshness. The order is then shipped that or the
next day, again to insure that you receive the
freshest coffee possible.
| Crimson Life Coffee ~ From Seed to Harvest |
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