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Plantation to your Cup – A coffee bean’s long journey

Without a doubt, Coffee is one of the World’s most favorite beverages. The coffee you sip and enjoy each day has taken a very long journey far across the world after undergoing multiple vetting and processing.

Vetted and chosen even before Grown

Coffee seeds are generally planted in large numbers. Not all Coffee seeds won’t grow without proper processing. The processed coffee seeds are planted in the right mud rich with organic nutrients. The seedlings will be watered regularly and shaded from sunlight until they are hearty enough to be permanently planted in the plantation. Planting Coffee saplings often takes place during the winter season, so that the soil remains moist while the roots become firmly established.

Handpicked for Harvesting

Depending on the specific coffee variety, it takes approximately 3-4 years for a newly planted coffee plant to bear fruit. The fruit, commonly termed as coffee cherries, depending on the degree of ripeness, turns from green to bright red. The unripe ones being green in Colour. Coffee Cherries ripen faster under higher temperatures and lower altitudes. Coffee can be hand-harvested by people to ensure that only the ripe coffee cherries are picked. coffee is always harvested by these two methods.

Strip picking: The cherries are stripped off from the branches, either in person or by machine.

  • Selective picking: The bright red coffee cherries are picked and the green ones are left to ripen. Picking is carried out at 10-day intervals. It is mainly used to harvest high-quality Arabica coffee.

Processing for the right maturity: After harvesting, coffee cherries are processed quickly to avoid spoilage. Depending on the location and available resources, one of the following methods is used to process.

Wet Method:

In this method, water is used to move the coffee fruit through the process and to extract the beans. This method involves both cleaning the cherries and removing unripe and overripe cherries; just as in the first method. Then cherries are processed in a pulping machine that squeezes out the skin without damaging the coffee beans. Then the coffee beans are put in large tanks and stirred often to ensure all the mucilage is dissolved. After it has dissolved the beans are washed repeatedly to remove any stickiness. Coffee beans are then dried in the sun for a day or two. The dry coffee beans are called parchment coffee.

Dry Method:

Dry method is an ancient method of processing coffee cherries. It is also known as natural processing. The fresh coffee cherries are spread out on a large surface and left to dry in the sun for 15 to 20 days. They are usually put on drying beds, to ensure air circulation around the berries. Coffee cherries are regularly turned and raked throughout the day to avoid fermentation and to dry evenly. The coffee cherries are then covered at night to keep them from absorbing moisture. Mainly depends on the weather conditions that the drying process may take several weeks until the picked coffee cherries have a moisture content of less than 11%. At this stage, the outer layer will have turned black and brittle.

Roasted for the right blend

Unroasted coffee is also known as green coffee and such coffee beans have all the flavors naturally in them. Roasting seeks to transform the green coffee bean into aromatic brown beans. Roasted coffee gives you a magical experience with its aroma and flavor that you witness every time. They vary as “Light, Medium & Dark Roasts”

Light Roast – Light browned coffee beans that retain most of their originality. Tossed with grain taste and sprinkles of acidity. Less caffeinated goodie.

Medium Roast – Balancing flavour, aroma and acidity medium roasts coffee beans are expected to have less caffeine with the medium brown color roasted surface.

Dark Roast – Brown to black roast, that shades the originality of the coffee flavour, leaving an oil coating on the bean. These beans are identified by the residue they leave at the end of the cup. Coffee with smoked or even burnt taste is experienced.

Coffee grinding & Packaging:

The primary goal of grinding is to produce the most flavour in a cup of coffee. Generally, the finer the grind, the faster the coffee should be prepared and could release its flavors. Coffee packaging is crucially important because any exposure to air could turn the coffee into a swelling. That’s the reason why coffee is usually packed in airtight containers and should be re-sealed carefully when not in use.

Every coffee powder retailer will mark their best type of coffee bean on their packages. Experience it all and enjoy the love you have for coffee. If you are a Chennaite definitely try Kaaveri coffee to have a variety of the world’s best coffee powders.

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