The coffee cherries are harvested once a year, but in some regions twice a year. North of the equator, coffee is harvested from September to December and south of the equator from April to August. The harvest can take up to 12 weeks, as the individual fruits ripen differently due to external circumstances. There are currently two different methods for harvesting the coffee cherries. We would like to briefly introduce you to both:
The picking method
With this method, the coffee cherries are picked by hand. Only the optimally ripe fruits are harvested, which has a significant impact on the quality of the coffee, as overripe or bad fruits are sorted out.
The stripping method
With this method, the coffee cherries are picked either manually or mechanically, without paying special attention to the ripeness of the coffee cherries. Coffee fruits that are harvested in this way cannot come anywhere close to the quality of coffee that was picked and selected by hand.
The coffee in our house is of course only harvested using the picking method to ensure the best taste.