It takes a proximately 3 to 5 years for a coffee tree to bear fruit and between 6 to 8 years to reach its maximum development and productivity.
Coffee is really a fruit which comes out after the branches have produced delicate and aromatic Jasmine-like flowers. After this, the flowers blossom and last approximately a couple of days giving way to coffee fruits that start green and become deep red in colour when they are ripe resembling a cherry.
Harvesting
Colombian coffees are hand harvested when the berries are a rich, red colour indicating that they are ripe.
De-Pulping
The berries are de-pulped (removal of the ripe red covering skin) from the bean whilst the fruit is still fresh.
Soaking and Washing
The beans are then soaked in cold mountain water for 24 hours to loosen the excess pulp. This initial soaking starts a slight fermentation that is of vital importance for the aroma of the coffee. The beans are then washed again in long concrete troughs to remove remaining pulp and debris. All of our Colombian coffee is "washed". The washing process releases many impurities and acid agents giving Colombian coffee its rich taste and aroma.
Drying
Once washed, the beans are spread out on great open-air terraces or closed patios, where they are turned regularly until they have been dried completely.
Hulling
This is a mechanical process for the removal of the remaining tough parchment husk/silvery skin that surrounds each bean after it has been dried. This process exposes what is termed the “green” coffee bean that is supplied for roasting.
Roasting
All our coffee is roasted using “traditional” methods always bearing in mind that “roasting” and “cupping" go hand-in-hand.
Did you know that?
The leaf has a life of 350 days, the primary branch various years and an open coffee flower 3 days.