How is Coffee Produced?
Has your delicious mug of Brazilian coffee, from a little cherry across the world, ever make you ask: How is coffee produced? Check it out!
Coffee lovers find that staying away from those life needs and brilliance is just impossible. Some people can’t even imagine their day without an early nice warm cuppa-Joe. And what about that mid-day slowdown when a fresh mojo is just what we need to get through the rest of the day? Sounds familiar?
Coffee – Actually a Fruit
Lots of people don’t picture coffee grains growing from some exotic plant they can’t even imagine. However, what those people don’t acknowledge is that coffee doesn’t begin in a bean form whatsoever. Also, that the plant is quite dull to the average person.
Coffee beans are, in fact, seeds that come from certain kinds of Coffea cherries. Consequently, we can state that coffee beans, in reality, come from fruits!
Coffee fruits usually contain seeds (beans) that are split into two halves which can both germinate, but there is also a seldom account of the “mono-seed” form.
Field Production
A coffee plant may take up to five years to provide its precious fruits, or, better said, it can take from around three to five years to mature to their full production potential, and needs distinct climates along the year for the full process. To produce a healthy harvest, a coffee tree requires proper care and attention to soil balance. The weather conditions under which Arabica and Robusta coffee trees grow well is typical of the warm, subtropical and equatorial climate regions.
Coffee Harvesting
The cherries are usually harvested using machines or picked by hand. To extract the beans, farmers need to remove and process the fruits.
Coffee Processing
Dry processing is the traditional method by which coffee beans are placed in the sun and “shelved” to dry uniformly.
Wet processing is a modern approach that consists of seed washing and fermentation.
When finishing the processing stage, the “good” green coffee beans are sorted, stored and then bagged for shipping.
Coffee Roasting
Roasting, an essential step in coffee production, requires perfect profile timing and temperature to provide an excellent product.
The longer the roast, the stronger the flavor will be, and, yet, less of the original taste will come out. Contrarily, the caffeine account will be lower, since the heat removes chemicals.
You can buy your beans already roasted, but for the freshest experience, many people prefer to roast their beans at home.
Coffee Grinding
Grinding and brewing are the last stages of the process and are closer and more commonly controlled by the consumer, that can buy their personal grinders, if desired.
Small variations in all stages of the process can make significant differences in the final cup. Preferred coffee profiles are different everywhere around the world.
I have a lot of coworkers who loves coffee. You are right about them. I can’t imagine them not drinking coffee for even half a day. They just have to buy a cup of coffee no matter what time, location, or mood they are in. I had no idea that coffee beans are actually seeds from fruits. I always thought that they are like cocoa beans (for chocolate). What really surprised me is that the cherry used to grow coffee actually takes five years to fully mature and be ready to picked. Does that mean that all the coffee we drink actually takes five years of waiting time. Growing coffee as a business is not easy man. It explains why coffee is almost never cheap. Thanks for the information. It was really eye opening.
Hello, Blame,
Actually coffee trees can take from three to five years to mature to their full production potential. Nevertheless, you are absolutely right: growing coffee is a complex job. But don’t you worry about that. Coffee farmers are crazy coffee-farming addicts. They love it and just can’t live without it. 🙂 Cheers!