What are seasonal coffee beans? When do coffee beans usually be harvested? Where can I find fresh coffee beans?

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Coffee is a very complex drink, although it is so popular, but it is actually just the seed of coffee fruit. Like other crops such as fruits and vegetables, coffee is grown in many parts of the world, and each region has the best time to harvest coffee. People who love strawberries must know that greenhouse strawberries bought in autumn and winter taste different from fresh strawberries in spring.

So in this article, let's explore the best time of year for coffee quality and why.

Why is coffee in season or out of season?

Coffee is a kind of food, and all food will go bad at a certain point in time. It depends on the processing (mainly the coffee drying process) and the storage of raw coffee beans. According to the condition of the bean itself and environmental factors, it can be "aged" one month or up to 14 months after harvest, that is, it becomes "old beans" or "fades". To put it simply, coffee produced in the northern hemisphere is at its peak from early summer to autumn, while coffee grown in the southern hemisphere tastes better from early winter to spring.

Once the unbaked raw beans are turned into old beans, they will have the taste of aging, such as wood and vegetables, and the sweetness and acidity of the coffee will be reduced. No matter when the coffee is roasted and how roasted it is, it will eventually taste like this after a long time.

Why is it that some coffees are seasonal while others are available all year round?

In order to make coffee available year-round, the store's goal is to create a specific flavor feature of a coffee, present the coffee in the form of a formula, and ensure that the beans that make up the formula are fresh.

On the other hand, if it is a single coffee, it can only be sold in a limited edition, which can also show the flavor of the place of origin of the coffee. And such coffee has its flavor peak.

As long as it is clearly marked, you can know whether the coffee is "limited by season" or served all year round.

Do you have long seasonal coffee?

Usually, Ethiopian coffee has a longer shelf life than coffee from other producing countries, and the original author Counter Culture says this is the main reason why they can provide the formula bean Apollo throughout the year, because part of the formula is made up of washed Ethiopia. In other words, Counter Culture's coffee department has been working with producers, exporters and importers to improve and extend the shelf life of purchased coffee. In this way, you can ensure that all the coffee can be tasted in better condition.

What if my favorite coffee is out of season?

If you are a person who likes to drink individual products that cannot be provided all the year round, it is suggested that you can savor the flavor of this coffee carefully. If there is no way to accurately describe the flavor of the coffee, you can practice the taste with the "flavor wheel". This will help you find similar flavors you like, and customers can choose the coffee they might like through the flavor marked on the package, even though it may be produced in a producing area you have never tasted before.

By knowing the variety of coffee, you can also narrow your preference for screening coffee. You can also find out your favorite coffee by communicating with other coffee lovers or shopkeepers. Another good news is that at any time, coffee beans are being harvested somewhere in the world, that is to say, as long as you are willing to try and experience more, you can always drink freshly harvested "seasonal" coffee!

Translated from: https://counterculturecoffee.com

Translated by Cheng Zhen Coffee

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