How coffee is grown and processed

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Coffee seeds are planted in large beds in shaded nurseries where they are watered and cared for until they are hearty enough to be permanently planted. Planting is often done during the wet season, when the soil is moist while the roots become firm. 

It will take approximately 3 years for the newly planted coffee tree to bear fruit. The fruit or coffee cherry turns a deep red color when ready to be harvested. The cherry is selectively picked by hand to ensure only the ripe cherries are harvested. The pickers rotate among the trees every 8-10 days or when a new batch ripens. 

The harvested cherries are passed through a pulping machine to remove the  pulp from the bean, leaving only the parchment skin. The beans are separated by weight as they pass through water channels. The lighter beans float to the top as the ripe, high quality beans sink to the bottom. The beans are then left in fermentation tanks for approximately 12-48 hours to dissolve the slick layer of mucilage still attached to the parchment.

The beans still inside the parchment skin are spread onto concrete floors where they are turned regularly for a few days until the moisture levels are around 11%. After the drying process is complete we are left with parchment coffee.

Machinery  removes the parchment layer and sorts by size and weight. Beans that are unsatisfactory due to deficiencies are removed ensuring that only the finest quality coffee beans remain. We are left with green coffee.

Roasting transforms green coffee into the aromatic brown beans we all know. The machines have a temperature of around 550 degrees Fahrenheit and are kept moving through the entire processes to prevent any burning. When the bean reaches an interior temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit it begins to brown, this is where the flavor and aroma begins. 

After the desired roast is obtained the beans are cooled by air and ready for grinding. The ground coffee can be used in your brew of preference. And your cup is ready to enjoy!