THE PROCESS OF COFFEE
The first step to planting coffee is growing the roots of the seed. The actual coffee beans we drink are, the seeds of the coffee plant. A farmer will hand select the right beans to be used for making the next generation of the coffee plants, the seeds are grown in the sand until they have roots deep enough to secure them into the ground. At this point in time a farmer will take the seeds from the sand and transplant them into a small pot.
The small pots are kept in the shade and frequently watered to insure the roots have enough nutrients to grow. the coffee plants will remain under man made shade for the first few months to insure that heavy rain does not damage the plant. When the plants become slightly more mature around 4 months old they are moved to natural shade where they can continue to mature until they are then transplanted into the ground.
The small pots are kept in the shade and frequently watered to insure the roots have enough nutrients to grow. the coffee plants will remain under man made shade for the first few months to insure that heavy rain does not damage the plant. When the plants become slightly more mature around 4 months old they are moved to natural shade where they can continue to mature until they are then transplanted into the ground.
WHEN TO HARVEST COFFEE
Coffee will live in these shaded environments for the next 3 years without giving coffee cherries that can be used to roast and grind. However after three years the plants will then begin to have green fruit on them, when the green fruit become fire engine red they are then ready to be picked and harvested. The red outer layer is shelled by a machine revealing a green coffee bean.
The beans are then dried, for the best results the beans are dried with their thin protective shells on. Traditionally the beans will be dried in sunlight allowing the natural heat to extract the moisture from the bean, for larger quantities a more sophisticated method is used; a drying machine is used to extract the moisture from larger quantities insuring all beans dry evenly and creating an overall higher quality of coffee.
The beans are then dried, for the best results the beans are dried with their thin protective shells on. Traditionally the beans will be dried in sunlight allowing the natural heat to extract the moisture from the bean, for larger quantities a more sophisticated method is used; a drying machine is used to extract the moisture from larger quantities insuring all beans dry evenly and creating an overall higher quality of coffee.
ROASTING AND GRINDING
After the drying process is complete the men and women in the coffee factory remove the husk of the coffee and reveal the green bean without any protective layer. during this procedure quality control is taken into action and any poor grade beans are removed.
The beans are then sent to the roaster, this process is relatively quick and gives the coffee its amazing color and flavor. when the coffee cools it is then ground to the requested grade and then packaged.
The beans are then sent to the roaster, this process is relatively quick and gives the coffee its amazing color and flavor. when the coffee cools it is then ground to the requested grade and then packaged.
FAIR TRADE
All of the coffee that is endorsed and shown on this site is Fair Trade certified. Fair trade coffee helps support the local growers who endure labor intensive procedures to produce a single cup of coffee. the proceeds of this process is redistributed back into the community and help enrich the lives of those involved. In the city of Los Cacaos the majority of the inhabitants are involved in the coffee making process be it growing, cultivating, sorting or packaging.