Specialty coffee, from green fruit to roasted bean

THE COFFEE FRUIT HOW IT IS. FROM THE NATURE TO YOUR MORNING CUP

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The Fruit

Coffee is a most common drink in everyday lives, but let's talk about those living in non-coffee countries, who have never seen a coffee cherry or sometimes called coffee berry or coffee fruit. We will call it fruit to avoid mixing up.

The size of the berry varies, depending on coffee varieties, but in general, it has the size of a small cherry. Unlike cherry, specialty coffee berry has much less pulp, and almost the entire volume occupied the seed. 

Fresh Specialty coffee cherry with it's flesh

 

Sometimes the fruits are squeezed to make a drink, but it is not a really good source of sweet refreshing juice, because you have to put a lot of effort to separate the seed from the pulp.

The skin of coffee fruit is turning from green color to deep red when it is completely ripe. Although some coffee trees have some special yellow or orange color of matured fruit, it can happen when the red tree crosses the yellow-fruiting tree.

Even though the color doesn't influence the harvest, the farmers try to avoid yellow-fruiting trees as it is harder to determine when the coffee fruit is ripe.
Red fruit starts green, then turns to yellow, and after that turns red. It's much easier to identify the ripeness when future coffee beans are being picked by hand. Like almost all fruits on the planet, ripeness determines by the quantity of sugar in the fruits, which is an important consideration when farmers are growing high-quality and delicious coffee.

Fresh Specialty coffee cherry fully ripe

The seed

Coffee seed or we should call it coffee bean has a few layers. The first layer around the bean is called silverskin, and after it goes the protective layer - parchment. The sticky, sweet coating after parchment is called Mucilage, then there is pulp, and finally skin. You can see in the picture below, how the coffee cherry looks. Almost everything around the bean will be removed during the processing, leaving us high-quality green coffee that we can roast, grind and brew in the end. 

If you notice that the coffee bean is flattened along one side this is because most coffee fruits contain two seeds, which are faced each other. But sometimes you can find only one rounded seed called Peaberry.
It's a naturally occurring mutation in Arabica and Robusta varieties that leads to developing only one bean instead of two inside the coffee fruit. Peaberries are normally separated from the rest of the crop. But some people believe that peaberries have particularly desirable qualities.

 

Fresh Specialty coffee cherry structure

 

Specialty coffee goes through many stages to become this full of aroma, hot drink that we all love so much! 

THE COFFEE FRUIT FAQ

Coffee fruit can be found in various forms, including fresh, frozen, dried, or as a powder. Here are a few places where you can buy coffee fruit:

  1. Specialty food stores: Many specialty food stores carry coffee fruit, especially those that focus on organic or health foods. Look for stores that carry unique and exotic fruits.

  2. Online retailers: There are several online retailers that specialize in selling coffee fruit products, including fresh fruit, powders, and supplements.

  3. Local coffee farms: If you live in an area with coffee farms, you may be able to buy fresh coffee fruit directly from the farm or at a local farmers' market.

  4. Health food stores: Many health food stores carry coffee fruit products, including powders, supplements, and energy drinks.

When buying coffee fruit, it's important to ensure that it's sourced from a reputable supplier and that it's of high quality. Make sure to read reviews and do some research before making a purchase.

A coffee fruit is the fruit that grows on a coffee plant. It is also known as a coffee cherry because of its appearance. The fruit is small and round, and typically contains two coffee beans inside, which are the seeds of the plant. The fruit has a sweet and tangy flavor, and is sometimes used to make juice, tea, or other beverages.

The coffee fruit is typically harvested when it is ripe, which is when it has a bright red color. The outer layer of the fruit is removed to reveal the coffee beans inside. The beans are then roasted and processed to create the coffee that is commonly consumed around the world.

In recent years, the coffee fruit has gained popularity for its potential health benefits. It is high in antioxidants and other nutrients, and is sometimes used in dietary supplements or as an ingredient in health drinks.

Cascara is the dried outer skin of the coffee cherry fruit, which is the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. The term "cascara" comes from the Spanish word for "husk" or "skin." The outer skin of the coffee cherry is typically removed during the processing of coffee beans, but it can also be dried and used to make a tea-like beverage.

Cascara has a slightly sweet, fruity flavor with notes of raisin, cherry, and hibiscus. It is often brewed as a tea, and can be served hot or cold. Some coffee shops and specialty beverage stores offer cascara tea as a unique alternative to traditional tea or coffee.

Cascara is also sometimes used as an ingredient in other beverages, such as cocktails or smoothies, or as a flavoring agent in foods such as ice cream or chocolate. In addition to its unique taste, cascara is also a source of antioxidants and other nutrients.

It's important to note that cascara should not be confused with cascara sagrada, which is a natural laxative made from the bark of a different plant species.

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