| A Trip Through the Coffee Harvest |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
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.
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.
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 seed 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 seed 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 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 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 the hills to assist in the
harvest. Only a few of the hills to assist in the
harvest. Only a few of each plant's many cherries
ripen at the same each plant's many cherries ripen
at the same time, so it is necessary to pick
selectively and 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 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 the hills to assist in the
harvest. Only a few of the hills to assist in the
harvest. Only a few of each plant's many cherries
ripen at the same each plant's many cherries ripen
at the same time, so it is necessary to pick
selectively and 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 green cherries
produce café perico (parrot coffee, in reference to the
green plumage of the bird) and 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 green cherries
produce café perico (parrot coffee, in reference to the
green plumage of the bird) and 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 which
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 which
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 in
Crimson Life's Ambex coffee roaster. We use
only High Grown (HG) beans, grown at an
altitude of at least 900 m (3,000 ft) in our Santa
Rosa coffee. 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 air-tight 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 in
Crimson Life's Ambex coffee roaster. We use
only High Grown (HG) beans, grown at an
altitude of at least 900 m (3,000 ft) in our Santa
Rosa coffee. 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 air-tight bags to insure freshness. The
order is then shipped that or the next day, again
to insure that you receive the freshest coffee
possible.
