From Bean to Brew Part 1: The Journey of Coffee - The Harvest

Welcome to the first installment of our blog series, "From Bean to Brew," where we explore the fascinating journey of coffee from its origins as a cherry on a tree to the delightful brew in your cup. Today, we delve into the first stage of coffee production: harvesting, a critical process that sets the foundation for coffee's quality and flavor.

**The Importance of Harvesting:**

Coffee beans begin their life as the seeds of cherries from the coffee plant, predominantly Coffea Arabica or Coffea Canephora (commonly known as robusta). These plants are primarily grown in the equatorial belt, which includes countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. The climate here offers perfect growing conditions: ample sunshine, rain, and mild temperatures.

Harvesting coffee is a labor-intensive process that requires meticulous attention to detail. The timing of the harvest is crucial; cherries must be picked when they are perfectly ripe. This is typically determined by the cherry’s color, which should be a deep, vibrant red. Some high-end coffee producers even hand-pick cherries to ensure optimal ripeness and quality, a method predominant in regions like Colombia and Ethiopia.

**Methods of Harvesting:**

There are two primary methods of harvesting coffee:

1. Strip Picking: All cherries are stripped off the branch at once, either by hand or using machinery. This method is faster but can compromise quality since both ripe and unripe cherries are harvested together.

2. Selective Picking: Workers harvest only the ripe cherries and leave behind the unripe ones for later. This method is more labor-intensive but results in a higher quality batch of coffee since only the best cherries are picked.

**The Impact of Harvesting on Flavor:**

The method and timing of the harvest significantly impact the flavor profile of the coffee. Selectively picked cherries, being perfectly ripe, have had more time to develop their sugars and flavor compounds, resulting in a sweeter and more complex flavor profile. On the other hand, strip picking can lead to a mix of ripe and unripe cherries, which can introduce unwanted sour or bitter notes in the final brew.

**What’s Next?:**

Once harvested, coffee cherries undergo several more stages before they become the fragrant beans we use in brewing. The next step is processing, where the pulp of the cherry is removed, and the beans are prepared for drying. Stay tuned for the next post in our series, where we will explore the methods of processing and their effects on the taste of your coffee.

We hope this deep dive into the harvesting stage enriches your next coffee experience, adding an appreciation for the journey of each bean that contributes to the beloved complexity of your morning brew. Join us as we continue to trace these steps in our upcoming posts, bringing light to the art and science behind every cup of coffee. Cheers to the journey from bean to brew!