Most people who get their first sip of Kona coffee are forever hooked. The unique balance of Hawaii's best Kona coffee beans are simply unmatched. One of the most famous coffees in the world can be found growing on the northern mountain slopes of the state, including Mauna Loa and Mount Hualalai and also in many of the Kona districts of Oahu.
Buying fresh, gourmet Kona coffee ensures the best cup of coffee possible especially if made in a french press coffee maker. You pay more for Kona coffee but the quality and taste is worth a few extra bucks. This coffee is bought by people from everywhere, including other countries. The climate, which is made up of beautiful bright mornings and humid afternoons, is perfect for growing unique flavorful coffee.
The fresh gourmet Kona coffee beans come from a tree in Brazil. In the 1800's, Hawaii saw Samuel Reverend Ruggles bring the first try of it's kind to the island. When they learned that the weather and soil in Hawaii was excellent for growing coffee, farmers started large plantations where they could grow the beans. There are more than 2,300 acres where fresh gourmet Kona coffee beans are grown. Kona coffee cultivation is now so successful that about two million pounds of the beans are harvested per year.
Blooms of tiny white flowers known as Kona Snow appear every February and March. Content to be green berries in the spring, they become red jewels by mid-summer. At that time, the “fruit” is ready to be harvested. By hand-picking every coffee bean, the freshness of gourmet Kona coffee is ensured.
Within 24 hours of the fruit being harvested it is put through an apparatus that separates the pulpy matter from the bean itself. After that, the beans are allowed to ferment for 12 hours at low elevation and 24 hours at higher elevation. Once rinsing of the beans is complete, they will need to be laid out on a rack to dry for one to two weeks. The dry beans are then stored on parchment. Interestingly, to produce just one pound of fresh, gourmet Kona coffee, it takes approximately eight pounds of fruit.
If you pay attention to the characteristics of the Kona coffee seeds, you will be able to pick out the the fresh, gourmet Kona coffee. To cite and example, the number of beans in one cherry or fruit for the Type I is two which has one flat side and another oval. You will find Type II beans in fruit such as cherries. Next, additional grading is assigned depending on multiple factors such as size, kind, moisture level, purity, etc. Fresh, gourmet Kona coffee is made of a higher-quality bean.
