Coffee

I´m currently in the process of making my own coffee. Here, they use the verb cortar (to cut) when describing picking the coffee so when we usually talk about it in English, we generally say cutting coffee rather than picking coffee. Anyway, I cut coffee with Jenna once during the week and then again with Joel on Saturday both times in the coffee trees at Bob and Jeanne´s house. These photos somewhat show the process. Jenna and I did a small batch of coffee for her (maybe an eighth or quarter pound), which she took with her when she headed back home yesterday, and now I´m currently drying a batch for me- probably about a half pound.

There are many different ways to do this and pretty much everyone I ask tells me they do it a different way. I´m going to describe the process that Bob says is the best, or has heard from legit coffee people that its the best way. So after picking the coffee you need to take off the fruit surrounding the bean (demonstrated in photos 2, 3, and 6). Sometimes its easier to do in water after they´ve been soaking a bit. In photos 2 and 3 Jenna is doing it by hand and in photo 6, Joel is doing it with a very handy contraption owned by the family that we live with. Then you let the beans ferment in their own juices for 36 hours, or until you see bubbles, in an open plastic bag. After that you wash the beans until the water you´re washing the beans with becomes clear. Then you let the beans dry in the sun for 3-4 days. After the beans are dry you then take off one more layer, a little shell surrounding the coffee bean, which should be green after you take off the white casing. Then you roast the beans. My current batch is drying and should be ready tomorrow or the next day. Then I´m going to take them to a place in San Pedro that roasts coffee and I´ll take it home to enjoy in a few weeks.