How is coffee harvested?

Coffee Harvesting: What Exactly Is It?

Before it becomes a fragrant brown bean, coffee is a fruit. More specifically, what we commonly call a "coffee bean" is the seed contained within the fruit of the coffee plant. This fruit is usually referred to as a coffee cherry.

Coffee harvesting therefore begins with picking these cherries when they reach maturity. Then follows a series of steps designed to separate the seeds from the rest of the fruit, dry them, sort them, and then prepare what is known as green coffee.

At this stage, there are no brown beans or the smell of freshly roasted coffee yet. Green coffee is the raw, dried, unroasted bean that will then be sent to roasters.

Understanding this distinction already changes a lot. When you drink coffee, you are not directly consuming a fruit that has been harvested and then roasted. Between the cherry hanging on the coffee plant and your cup, there are successive stages of harvesting, sorting, processing, drying, hulling, grading, transport, roasting, grinding, and finally extraction.

Harvesting is therefore not an isolated step. It marks the beginning of a chain where every operation matters.

A cherry picked too early does not have the same level of maturity as a cherry that has reached its optimum. A harvest containing fruits at very different stages requires more sorting. Poorly managed drying can also compromise the work done previously.

This is why harvesting is often referred to as a decisive stage in coffee production.

It occurs well before roasting. To understand what happens next when green coffee arrives at the roaster, our guide on the art of coffee roasting allows you to continue the journey from bean to cup.

When are coffee cherries harvested?

There is no single global date for coffee harvesting.

The periods depend notably on the production area, local climate, flowering rhythm, and the conditions encountered by the coffee plants during their development.

Generally, harvests often take place between November and March in many regions located in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, they frequently occur between April and August.

These periods are benchmarks and not a valid calendar for all plantations.

The situation is even more interesting in certain areas close to the equator. Flowering cycles can be different there, and some regions may experience a main harvest accompanied by a secondary harvest.

In other words, two coffees harvested in two different countries do not necessarily follow the same calendar.

Even within a country, periods can vary depending on the regions.

But there is another difficulty: not all cherries on the same coffee plant necessarily ripen at exactly the same time.

On a branch, some fruits may have already reached maturity while others are still developing. This is one of the reasons why selective harvesting can require several successive passes.

Coffee harvesting therefore follows the rhythm of the fruit, not that of a simple date on a calendar.

This reality also helps to better understand why landscapes, altitude, exposure, shade, and agricultural practices are closely linked to harvesting work. Our article on agroforestry coffee specifically explores the relationship between the coffee plant, vegetation, and the growing environment.

How to recognize a ripe coffee cherry?

Color is one of the visible indicators used at harvest time.

During its development, a coffee cherry generally changes from green to colors that gradually correspond to its ripening. For many coffee plants, a ripe fruit has a deep red color, although the exact appearance depends on the cultivated variety.

What the picker is looking for during a selective harvest is not simply "a fruit present on the branch." They are looking for a fruit whose stage of ripeness corresponds to the desired time for harvesting.

This is important because the cherry contains the seed that will become green coffee.

Around this seed are several layers: the outer skin of the fruit, the pulp, the mucilage, and then a protective envelope often called parchment. After processing and drying, these different layers will be removed to obtain the green bean.

This anatomy also explains why post-harvest processing can take different forms.

One can choose to dry the entire cherry before removing its envelopes. Alternatively, one can quickly remove the pulp, work on the mucilage, and then dry the bean still protected by its parchment.

Even before talking about dry or wet methods, everything starts with the fruit arriving at the processing station.

The more homogeneous the maturity levels of the harvested cherries, the more consistent the batch is from the start. When a batch contains immature, overripe, or damaged fruits, sorting becomes essential.

Quality is therefore not only determined when coffee enters a machine. It begins directly on the coffee plant.

How is coffee hand-picked?

Manual harvesting remains a widely used method in coffee-producing regions.

It is particularly suitable when coffee plants grow in areas where the terrain makes it difficult for large machinery to pass. It also allows for selective harvesting when pickers only take cherries deemed ripe enough.

Selective Picking

In selective harvesting, pickers walk through the coffee plants and pick ripe cherries individually.

Other fruits remain on the tree to continue their maturation.

The picker can therefore return later to the same coffee plants. Harvesting then extends over several passes.

This method requires time and a lot of human labor. However, it allows for greater selection of fruits at the time of harvesting itself.

Here, a common shortcut must be avoided: "hand-picked" does not automatically mean that a coffee will be excellent.

Picking is an important step, but it is not enough to determine the final result on its own. Sorting, post-harvest processing, drying, storage, and then roasting also matter.

Selective harvesting primarily allows for starting with a more homogeneous raw material when the work is done carefully.

Strip-picking

Another manual technique involves removing all or a large part of the cherries present on a branch in one pass.

This method is faster, but it is less selective.

Different maturity levels can then be mixed. Additional sorting becomes particularly important after harvesting.

It is therefore necessary to distinguish between two often-confused ideas: manual picking and selective picking.

A harvest can be done by hand without necessarily selecting each cherry one by one.

This distinction is useful when trying to truly understand the information given about a coffee's origin.

How does mechanical coffee harvesting work?

Not all coffee is harvested exclusively by hand.

In some farms, mechanical or semi-mechanical equipment is used to detach the fruits from the coffee plant.

The systems vary. Some devices notably use vibrations or mechanical elements that cause the cherries to detach. The fruits are then collected and transported to the cleaning and sorting stages.

This mechanization can be particularly advantageous when cultivated areas are large and the terrain allows for the passage of machines.

It considerably speeds up the work compared to manual, cherry-by-cherry selection.

However, mechanical harvesting can be less precise regarding the ripeness stage of the fruits removed.

Depending on the device used, its setting, and the characteristics of the plantation, cherries at different ripeness levels may be harvested together. Some systems can also affect leaves or other parts of the coffee plant if they are poorly adapted or misused.

Mechanization is therefore neither automatically "bad" nor automatically equivalent to selective harvesting.

One must look at the entire process.

A mechanized farm can implement sorting operations after harvesting to remove some undesirable fruits. Conversely, a poorly sorted manual harvest offers no absolute guarantee.

The real issue is the consistency between the desired ripeness stage, the harvesting method, the sorting, and the subsequent processing.

What happens immediately after harvesting?

Once the cherries are removed from the coffee plant, the work is far from over.

The fruits must be transported to facilities where they will be cleaned and processed.

This phase must begin quickly to avoid uncontrolled deterioration of the fruits.

The primary objective is generally to eliminate what should not continue the process: twigs, leaves, stones, foreign matter, and fruits with obvious defects.

Sorting methods can vary from one farm to another.

Sorting can be done manually, mechanically, or with the help of water and density differences.

This step seems less spectacular than picking, but it is essential.

Imagine a basket of fruit. You may have done a very careful picking: if damaged fruits or undesirable materials remain mixed in the batch, they will also follow the rest of the process.

The reasoning is similar for coffee.

After this reception and sorting phase, post-harvest processing then begins.

In the initial draft of this article, we mainly presented two methods: the wet method and the dry method. This is indeed a fundamental distinction.

There are also intermediate methods, often referred to as honey, pulped natural, or semi-washed depending on practices and regions. To keep it clear, let's first focus on the two main logics that help understand the principle.

How does the wet method work?

The wet method is also called the washed method or washed process.

Its principle is to remove a large part of the fruit around the seed before the final drying phase.

1. Pulping

After harvesting and sorting the cherries, the pulp is removed using a pulper.

However, the bean is not yet "naked."

It remains surrounded by a sticky layer called mucilage and a protective envelope called parchment.

This is an important point, as the wet method is not simply "putting cherries in water."

Pulping occurs before the classic fermentation intended to facilitate the removal of the mucilage.

2. Fermentation

After pulping, the beans still surrounded by mucilage can be placed in tanks so that natural transformations can more easily detach this layer.

The duration is not universal.

It depends notably on the conditions, temperature, the coffee being processed, and the organization of the processing station.

The goal is not to "ferment as long as possible." It is about controlling this step so that the mucilage can be properly removed without letting the coffee deteriorate.

3. Washing

Once the mucilage is sufficiently degraded, the beans can be washed.

This operation removes residues that remain around the parchment.

The coffee is then ready to enter a new decisive phase: drying.

4. Drying

Even when coffee is wet processed, it must be dried.

The beans can be exposed to the sun on suitable surfaces or dried using mechanical equipment.

They are then still protected by their parchment.

Drying does not simply serve to "remove water." It allows the coffee to reach a sufficiently stable state for subsequent operations and for storage.

This method clearly shows how much coffee undergoes several transformations before arriving at the roaster.

How does the dry method work?

The dry method, also known as the natural method or natural process, follows a different logic.

Here, the pulp of the cherry is not immediately removed.

After sorting and cleaning, the cherries are dried whole.

The fruit therefore remains around the seed for a large part of this phase.

Traditionally, cherries are spread out in the sun on patios, mats, or suitable drying structures.

They must be regularly stirred or turned to promote as homogeneous drying as possible.

Weather conditions obviously play a major role.

When cherries are exposed to the sun, rain or excess humidity complicate the process. The batches must then be protected and monitored.

Natural drying can last several weeks depending on conditions.

The original draft mentioned a period of two to three weeks. This is a possible order of magnitude, but the actual duration varies depending on the weather, the drying system, the thickness of the cherry layers, and the desired result.

Once sufficiently dried, the cherries become much harder.

They can then be hulled to remove the dry layers surrounding the seeds.

It is after this preparation that we get closer to the famous green coffee bean.

The dry method is therefore quite simple to understand visually:

• cherries are harvested;
• they are sorted and cleaned;
• the whole fruit is dried;
• the dry envelopes are then removed;
• the obtained beans are sorted and graded.

Simple in principle, however, does not mean easy to master.

Irregular or poorly controlled drying can lead to defects. Cherries must therefore be monitored throughout the phase.

What is the difference between washed coffee and natural coffee?

The fundamental difference lies in when the fruit flesh is removed.

With the washed method, the cherry is de-pulped before the bean is dried.

With the natural method, the cherry is dried whole before its outer layers are removed.

One then understands why simply talking about "sun-dried beans" can be imprecise.

In both methods, drying is necessary, but what is dried is not exactly in the same state.

There are also intermediate processes.

In some methods called honey or pulped natural, the skin and part of the pulp are removed, while a variable amount of mucilage remains around the bean during drying.

These practices show that there are actually several ways to go from cherry to green coffee.

No method can be summarized as "the good" and "the bad" method.

The result depends on the quality of the harvested fruits, the precision of sorting, the control of any fermentations, drying, and the overall mastery of the transformation.

The process used can also contribute to the final sensory profile, but it never acts alone. Origin, variety, growing conditions, and roasting also play a role.

Why is coffee drying so important?

Whether wet-processed or dry-processed, coffee must reach a moisture level that allows for its preservation and further preparation.

Drying is therefore one of the most sensitive moments of post-harvest processing.

Too fast, too slow, or irregular drying can have consequences on the stability and quality of the batch.

Producers thus seek to achieve homogeneous drying.

When coffee dries in the sun, the beans or cherries are generally spread in layers and turned regularly.

This manipulation prevents one part from remaining consistently damp while another dries much faster.

Coffee can also be moved, covered, or protected when weather conditions become unfavorable.

Mechanical dryers can supplement or replace part of the sun drying depending on the available facilities.

This work gives a fairly accurate idea of the reality of production: many invisible steps in your cup require monitoring, time, and human decisions.

Harvesting the fruits is just the beginning.

It is then necessary to progressively stabilize a living plant material to obtain green coffee capable of traveling and being roasted.

How is the green coffee bean obtained?

Once drying is complete, the coffee must still shed the envelopes surrounding the seed.

The details depend on the processing method used.

In the natural process, hulling removes the dry layers of the cherry.

In the washed process, parchment-dried coffee must also be freed from this protective envelope.

This is how green coffee is obtained: the coffee bean before roasting.

Its color is very different from that of the brown beans we are accustomed to.

Green coffee is then sorted and graded.

The criteria used can notably concern the size of the beans and the presence of defects or impurities.

The result must be sufficiently homogeneous to continue its commercial journey.

The original draft mentioned jute bags of approximately 60 kg. The 60 kg bag is indeed an extremely common reference in the international green coffee trade, but this weight is not universal: other formats also exist depending on the countries and sectors.

Green coffee can then go to its roasting location.

At KOOTA, the coffees in the range then allow you to retrace this journey in different forms. Our selection of organic whole bean coffee retains the whole bean after roasting, while our selection of organic ground coffee adds a grinding step before use.

And if you choose whole beans, the grind setting used will then influence the extraction. Our guide on the different coffee grinds details this step at the other end of the journey.

Does harvesting influence the taste of coffee?

Yes, but we need to be precise about what that means.

Harvesting is one of the many steps that can influence the final quality of a coffee.

Selective harvesting, in particular, aims to limit the presence of under-ripe cherries in the batch. Sorting then continues this selection work.

Post-harvest processing also plays an important role.

In natural coffee, the bean dries while remaining in contact with the other components of the cherry for a long time. In washed coffee, the pulp is removed earlier.

These processing differences contribute to the development of the final profile.

But it would be misleading to attribute all of a coffee's taste to a single step.

The coffee variety, terroir, weather conditions, altitude, cherry ripeness, processing, drying, storage, roasting, grinding, and preparation all interact.

This is precisely what makes coffee interesting: the taste of a cup is the result of a complete chain.

Let's take a concrete example from the KOOTA range.

Colombia whole bean coffee is a 100% Arabica single origin from Colombia. Its product sheet makes it easier to connect what you have just read to an identifiable production origin.

The same recipe also exists as Colombia ground coffee. The origin of the coffee remains the same, but the product is already ground for preparation.

This distinction is useful: harvesting and processing took place long before the coffee was sold whole bean or ground. The format chosen by the consumer comes much later in the chain.

What does "from cherry to cup" really mean?

The phrase is often used in the world of coffee. It becomes much more concrete when all the steps are put in order.

Coffee starts with the coffee tree.

The coffee tree produces fruit.

These cherries ripen and are then harvested.

They are then sorted.

The producer or processing station chooses a process to separate and dry the beans.

The coffee then becomes green coffee.

Green coffee is graded, packaged, and transported.

It is then roasted.

After roasting, it can be sold whole or ground.

Finally, you extract it with water using your brewing method.

The cup you hold in your hands is therefore the last stage of a journey that began much earlier.

This is also why knowing only the roast level or the intensity indicated on a package tells only a small part of the story.

The origin and production steps provide additional context to the product.

Harvesting, organic farming, and fair trade: what's the difference?

These concepts are complementary, but they do not mean the same thing.

Harvesting describes the stage where the cherries are picked from the coffee trees.

Post-harvest processing refers to what then transforms the fruit into green coffee.

Organic farming, on the other hand, concerns a method of agricultural production governed by specific specifications.

Fair trade focuses on other dimensions of the sector and the rules defined by the relevant certification system.

It is therefore preferable to avoid shortcuts such as "hand-picked = organic" or "organic coffee = selective harvesting."

One piece of information does not automatically allow you to deduce the others.

To delve specifically into the first topic, our article on coffee from organic farming explains the approach independently of the harvesting method.

At KOOTA, the products currently featured on the website are certified organic and fair trade. These are characteristics of the KOOTA range, and not an automatic consequence of the mere fact that a coffee has been harvested in a certain way.

This nuance is important for discussing coffee without conflating agriculture, harvesting, processing, and certification.

Why does sorting continue after harvesting?

Because a harvest is never the end of the selection work.

Sorting can occur at several points.

It sometimes begins directly in the plantation when pickers select the fruits.

It continues upon receipt of the cherries to remove foreign elements or undesirable fruits.

After drying and hulling, the green coffee is controlled again.

Beans with certain defects or impurities can be discarded.

Size and other physical characteristics can also be used to grade the batch.

This repeated sorting is not excessive. It corresponds to the fact that each transformation can reveal new information about the bean.

A cherry may appear correct externally, but the bean obtained after drying may have a defect.

This is why the production of consistent coffee relies on a succession of controls rather than a single initial selection.

Manual or mechanical harvesting: which is better?

There is no serious answer reduced to a single word.

Selective manual harvesting has an obvious advantage: it allows the picker to individually choose ripe fruits.

However, it is slow and labor-intensive.

Mechanization allows for faster processing of large areas when the terrain and plantation configuration permit.

On the other hand, it may require more sorting when fruits at different stages of ripeness are harvested together.

The relevant question is therefore not just "hand or machine?".

We must ask:

• were the cherries harvested at the right stage?
• was the batch properly sorted?
• was the processing controlled?
• was the drying sufficiently uniform?
• was the green coffee properly prepared before roasting?

A cup cannot be explained solely by how the cherry left its branch.

How is harvesting reflected in KOOTA coffees?

When you buy roasted coffee, the harvest is already far behind it.

Yet, it remains the first step in the entire story of the bean.

The KOOTA range makes it easy to illustrate this journey with several origins and formats.

L'Harmonieux, for example, is presented as a 100% Arabica blend from Colombia, Honduras, and Peru. If you prefer to grind your own coffee, it is available as good whole bean coffee.

The same recipe is offered as good ground coffee for those who wish to use coffee already prepared in this form.

Le Puissant is also based on a 100% Arabica blend from Colombia, Honduras, and Peru, with a different profile after roasting. It is available as 250g whole bean coffee.

A 250g ground coffee version is also offered.

These examples primarily help place the words "whole beans" and "ground" in the right place in the journey.

At harvest time, no one harvests "ground coffee." Cherries are harvested.

The beans are extracted and dried to become green coffee.

They are then roasted.

It is only after roasting that the choice to keep the beans whole or to grind them becomes relevant to the consumer.

How to choose your coffee after understanding harvesting?

Understanding harvesting does not mean you have to become an expert in agronomy to choose a package.

This knowledge primarily gives you better bearings.

You now know that coffee has a history long before it is roasted.

You can therefore look more carefully at its origin, available traceability information, production method, roasting, and the format suitable for your preparation.

If you use a grinder, whole bean coffee allows you to adjust the grind yourself. The choice of a suitable coffee accessory can then complete your equipment according to your brewing method.

If you prefer to discover several references without selecting them separately, a coffee box allows you to compare different profiles.

And if you simply want to browse the range without starting with a specific criterion, you can find all our products.

The main thing is to keep a simple idea in mind: no isolated mention tells the whole story of a coffee.

Origin alone is not enough. The processing method alone is not enough. Roasting alone is not enough.

What you drink is the result of the entire journey.

What should you remember about coffee harvesting?

The coffee we drink is first and foremost the seed of a fruit called a coffee cherry.

Harvesting consists of removing these cherries from the coffee tree when they reach the desired stage of ripeness.

Depending on the regions, farms, and growing conditions, this harvest can be carried out manually, selectively or more broadly, or with the help of machines.

The cherries are then sorted and processed.

In the wet method, they are pulped before the mucilage is removed and the beans are dried.

In the dry method, the cherries remain whole during drying before being hulled.

After drying, hulling, and sorting, green coffee is obtained.

This green coffee can then continue its journey to roasting.

And only much later come grinding, brewing, and your cup.

Between a red cherry on a coffee tree and your morning coffee, there is therefore much more than just a "harvested bean": there is a succession of actions, choices, transformations, and controls.

Knowing this journey allows you to look at your coffee differently. Not to complicate your coffee break, but on the contrary to better understand everything that has already happened before the first sip.