From Coffee Cherries to Coffee Beans
Step One - Harvesting
Coffee cherries are picked by hand or machine when they are fully ripe. The timing of the harvest is critical, as picking the cherries at the right time will affect the quality of the coffee.
Step Two - Sorting
The coffee cherries are sorted to remove any leaves, twigs, or unripe or overripe cherries. This process ensures that only the highest quality cherries are used for processing.
Step Three - Pulping
The outer layer of the coffee cherry, called the pulp, is removed using a machine called a pulper. This process separates the pulp from the coffee beans.
Step Four - Fermentation & Washing
The coffee beans are then placed in water for several hours to ferment. This process breaks down the remaining pulp on the beans. After fermentation, the coffee beans are washed to remove any remaining pulp.
Step Five - Drying
The coffee beans are spread out to dry in the sun or using special drying equipment. This process can take several days or weeks depending on the weather conditions.
Step Six - Hulling
Once the beans are dry, the outer layers are removed using a machine called a huller.
Step Seven - Packing
Once the coffee is dried, it is packed up to be shipped. This is how the coffee is when it arrives at Mercer's. Raw green beans, ready to be roasted!