Green Coffee Beans – From Picking to Grading

What are Green Coffee Beans?

Green Coffee beans are not actually beans, but seeds of a yellow or red fruit. You can find these beans or seeds inside the Coffee Cherry.
The outer part of the fruit is removed, leaving the seed behind, starting the process of producing coffee beans.
The brown coffee beans that we regularly see are produced through drying, roasting and fermentation of the green coffee beans.

It is advisable for you to drink coffee produced using organic green coffee beans, as these are more beneficial for your health in comparison to those that are cultivated with the help of chemical additives.

The Procedures Involved in Growing Green Coffee Beans

The highest quality green coffee beans grow perfectly if they are cultivated in places that have no significant changes in temperature.
To ensure that the green coffee beans grow in the most desirable manner, farmers have to make sure that they cultivate them in a place with a temperature that is not hotter than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and doesn’t have significant drops in temperature for long periods throughout the year.
After planting green coffee beans in a nursery, farmers will need to wait at least three years before they can start to find small white flowers. Once these are visible, then the farmer will still have to wait upto 36 weeks before the plants are ready to harvest.
The success achieved in growing green coffee beans is completely dependent upon the chosen location, as some areas are more fertile than others.

Harvesting Green Coffee Beans

The coffee plants that hold the green coffee beans can grow up to six feet tall. Once the plants reach this height, then the farmer will prune them so they will have an easier time picking the cherries.

It should also be noted that there are two methods in picking the fruit.

• The first one is by using a machine, which is capable of shaking the limbs of the tree. This method is a good choice if the cherries that contain the green coffee beans are already too ripe. You will know if the fruit is already ripe if it comes with a bright red color.
• The second method of harvesting the cherries is to handpick the green coffee beans that are already perfectly ripe. This method ensures a higher quality green coffee bean, as it is guaranteed that every coffee bean is ripe, whereas the first method may produce unripe beans.

During the harvesting process, there is a great possibility that there will be a mix of under ripe and over ripe fruits.
The coffee farmer must make sure to remove the under ripe and the over ripe fruits from the harvest, as these are capable of effecting the flavors of the green coffee beans.
The under ripe fruits are capable of producing green coffee beans with less flavor, while the over ripe ones can produce green coffee beans that are extremely bitter. The perfectly ripe fruits are then processed to produce the best green coffee beans.

How to Grade green Coffee Beans

Green Coffee beans are graded carefully to ensure that they reach the market with the right label.
Bear in mind that different types of coffee also use different grades of green coffee beans, so an expert must be present and know exactly how to grade them.
In grading green coffee beans, you have to make sure that you spend time looking at the similarity in their colors. If you realize that the green coffee beans have diverse colors, then there is a great possibility that these are dried in different methods. Different colors also show that the green coffee beans are collected from a number of cultivators and this results to the irregularity in the roasting process and in the flavors of the beans.

When grading the green coffee beans, it is necessary to check them for any spots or white edges. These spots indicate that the beans are inadequately dried or stored in an area that is filled with moisture.
Bear in mind that these spots can negatively affect the taste of the coffee, so you have to be really careful when evaluating the green coffee beans.

It is also advisable to smell the green coffee beans when grading them.
You will know if the green coffee beans are of the highest quality if they produce a fresh aroma. If you are unsure about how to perform this process, then you should consider hiring an expert grader.
An expert is capable of detecting the quality of the green coffee beans just by smelling them. They will immediately know what is lacking in the beans

Differing qualities of Robusta and Arabica.

You should also take note of the fact that green coffee beans come in two different varieties.
Coffee Robusta is the first type of green coffee beans and these are said to be lower in quality in comparison to the second variety. Because of its low quality, you can expect it to come at a less expensive price.
Robusta green coffee beans are also less flavorful and contains a higher level of caffeine.

Arabica green coffee beans are also available in the market. These green coffee beans are high in quality so it is no longer surprising if you find a lot of coffee shops who use these in their beverages.
This type is capable of producing fine tasting coffee. Among the different types of Arabica coffees that you will surely enjoy, are Costa Rican Tarrazzu, Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona coffees.

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Category: Green Coffee