COFFEE PROCESSING 101
After a coffee cherry is picked and before it is roasted, the bean must be processed. Many people are experts on cherry types and roasting methods, but processing is actually the single most important factor...
THE TRUTH ABOUT FRESH COFFEE
A lot of people enjoy freshly roasted coffee, but they don't know what makes it "fresh". Let’s explore what makes fresh coffee taste so good.
THE PARCHMENT
Each unroasted coffee bean is naturally wrapped in a layer of “parchment.” This loose-fitting, translucent skin keeps the unroasted bean fresh for about six months. Once the parchment is removed, the bean becomes exposed to the elements, and the countdown on its shelf life begins.
The problem is, the parchment layer is always removed from the beans before they are exported from their countries of origin. This is why the coffee that you buy in the US, Canada, and Europe can often taste stale. Since we are in a coffee-producing country, at Café Britt, we can take the extra step of storing our our unroasted beans with the parchment layer intact. We don’t strip it off until the last possible moment, so our beans stay fresh for as long as possible.
THE PACKAGE
After being processed and roasted, it’s time for the beans to be packaged. When the beans are roasted, carbon dioxide is released and continues to be released for about three days. In order to keep the beans fresh, they need to be kept in a sealed package, but because the carbon dioxide is being released, the bag would explode if completely sealed.
At Café Britt, we’ve come up with an ingenious solution to keep the beans fresh. Each of our bags has a small hole near the top that acts as a one-way valve, literally allowing the beans to blow off steam. This keeps the beans as fresh as possible while preventing oxygen, moisture, or light from seeping into the bag.
Parchment and packaging: that's Café Britt’s beans stay fresh for so long. One taste, and we guarantee you’ll agree.
