Harvesting
Harvesting
Generally coffee is harvested annually when the coffee cherries are ripe, i.e. bright red, glossy, and firm to the touch. Harvest times vary according to geographic zone, but harvest generally takes place north of the equator between September and March, and south of the equator between April and May.
There are two ways of harvesting coffee:
1. Selective Picking
Selectively pick coffee beans for highest quality. Selective picking is a time-consuming picking process whereby coffee bean cherries are hand picked only at the moment they are perfectly ripe. This method leaves behind beans for a time when they are at their peak ripe stage for further handpicking. This technique of picking coffee beans ensures the highest quality coffee and the least waste.
2. Strip Picking
Strip picking is a method for mass production. In this method, all of the coffee beans are removed from the plant regardless of the stage of ripeness the beans have achieved. The beans are then taken to a plant for sorting and processing. This method is frequently used and can result in lesser quality coffees.
