Processing Coffee Cherry
- It takes 4.25 pounds of coffee cherry to produce one pound of dried parchment.
- Each day’s harvest must be processed that day to ensure the highest quality in the final product.
- Coffee cherry is delivered to a facility called a pulping mill. Here, the under ripened and over-ripened cherries are discarded and the pulp from each remaining coffee cherry is then removed.
- Each coffee cherry contains two separate coffee beans. After pulping, these beans are referred to as wet parchment.
- The wet parchment is then held in a fermentation tank for 12 to 14 hours. The fermentation is required to break down a mucilage layer on the outer surface of the parchment.
- After the fermentation, the parchment is then washed and then dried.
- Dried parchment is then reposed (allowed to rest) at least 30 days to allow the moisture to equalize within each bean. This helps to ensure an “even” roast.
