Coffee Plant FAQs

All about Coffee Beans

Coffee plants (or trees) grow in the subtropical regions
between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer

There are 2 varieties, Robusta and Arabica.

Arabica beans are grown at elevations greater than 2000 feet, where the beans ripen slowly and take on the flavours of their environment.

The plant is usually kept at about 2-3 metres in height to make harvesting easier and takes approximately 5 years before it starts producing cherries.

Harvesting happens annually and can take a few months as only the red cherries are picked. This is often times the difference between low and higher end coffee.

One tree produces about 1-1 1/2 lbs of coffee per year. -the majority of coffee we purchase is shade grown, meaning the coffee is grown under a natural canopy of native foliage.

Inside the coffee cherry are the 2 flat sided seeds. Occasionally only one seed is formed, called a peaberry. Happens in about 5% of coffee.

Once the cherries are picked, they are brought to a processing plant where the skin and pulp are removed and the seed is processed, dried and packaged. Burlap sacks can range from 100-150 lbs. Wet processed and dry processed.

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