Coffee and Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means lots of turkey, lots of tryptophan and a carbohydrate-rich meal that increases the level of this amino acid in the brain and leads to serotonin synthesis (in other words you are going to be sleepy!)

This is why there is no better time to break out some coffee!

I would personally recommend stopping by and picking up some of our Honduras, it's a clean and rich coffee which will go really well with everything from cranberry sauce to pumpkin pie, and you can tell all your in-laws the great story behind the bean!

At Thanksgiving there are plenty of other uses for coffee too. Here are a few ways you can make coffee a part of your thanksgiving all day long.

1. Darken your Gravy
2. Make a Coffee Gravy for your mashed Potatoes
3. Make Coffee Pumpkin Pie
4. Glaze your turkey with a Maple-coffee sauce

Do you have any other tips on how to make this thanksgiving buzz this year?

Crop to Cup: Natural coffee

Although most of the coffee you drink today is "Wet Processed," this was not the case for most of history. Long before machines were invented to help process coffee farmers used a method that we call "Dry" or "Natural" process. That process is still used in many places today, and is important to understand. Take a look at the chart below which will help guide you to a better understanding of "Natural Process" coffees.

1. After harvesting the coffee cherries the beans have to be sorted. Unlike a wet process, which uses water to help separate the "good" from the "bad" and the "ugly," a natural process coffee is generally hand sorted, by winnowing using a sieve. Coffee falls through the seive, rocks and twigs stay in it. This, however doesn't separate good and bad coffee. This is why some people will put the coffee in water, just like in a wet process, and remove any floaters. The picture shows a nice ripe coffee cherry, yum!
2. The cherries are then spread out to dry in the sun, this is often done on patios or tables. It can take weeks for cherries to dry so it is important to prevent mildew, and rotting, which is a risk of this kind of processing. There are times that huge amount of coffee are ruined using this method just because of inclement weather, or unexpected humidity. To help prevent the coffee going bad cherries are raked or even turned by hand. Sometimes machines are used to dry the coffee part of the way to speed this process up. The picture shows a drying cherry.
3.  Once dried to a stable moisture content all the outer layers of the cherry are removed through "hulling."

Natural process coffees are common in areas with low humidity, and are highly sought after by many roasters because of their fruity tones. Our Brasil is a great example of a dry process coffee. Come in and try it!

Coffee Focus: Brazil

The largest producer of coffee in the world is Brazil. Brazilian coffee is known for

sweet nutty tones and chocolate finish. It has a characteristic low-acidity which has made it a frequently sought after base in many espresso blends, including many of the best I have ever had.

History
Brazilian coffee has a very interesting history. For many years, in Brazil, there was a quota system set in place by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the Brazilian Institute do Café (IBC). To meet quotas during this time many producers blended high quality coffee with low quality coffee, creating a reputation within the industry that Brazilian was only good for blends. However in the last fifteen years the quota system was eliminated and Brazilian coffee is on the rise. The reputation Brazilian coffee has for being only good for blending is now only a myth. Revolutions in coffee methods for growing and producing have put Brazil on the map for quality coffee.

Processing

Although you can find Brazilian coffee that has been processed using wet (washed), dry (natural), and semi-washed (pulped natural) methods. Brazil has made famous the pulped natural way of processing coffee. This method can't be used in many places of the world because there needs to be a very low humidity in order for it to work since this method requires the mucilage on the outside of the coffee beans (seeds) to dry rapidly. In areas with too much humidity the coffee will start fermenting and the desired flavor will be lost. Many of the highest ranked coffees in Brazil use this method, although there are other fine coffees produced using other methodology (our brazil for example is a Natural process and is oh so delicious).

A little Bit About Our Brazil

As I mentioned above we offer a natural process Brazil. We love this coffee because of it's clarity, intensity, and fruit notes, which is much better then that of Brazils processed in other ways. Since we are a small batch artisan roaster all our coffees are sorted at the time of roasting assuring that the end product is free of any defects that are notorious in natural processed coffee. A cup of CA's Brazil is sure to please.

We get our coffee from the legendary Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF) farm renown for it's quality, sustainability, and organic farming practices. For more information on our Brazil Click Here