Harvesting coffee, the back end process.

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Avatar for Lhes
Written by
2 years ago

Coffee is LIFE! Yes it is, who doesn't LOVE coffee here? I bet most of us do, in fact I belong to those who could not let the day pass without having a cup. Yes, I know I decided to withdraw from drinking coffee and write an article about it here, but then I felt my day was incomplete without it.
I was just reading some articles when I read what @FarmGirl published about " "Barako love affair". Honestly I was thinking another way because of the title but did not expect it was actually about coffee. Here is her article . After a few conversations I decided to write an article about it.
Yeah, many of us love coffee but do you have an idea how it was harvested or how was the process to produce " kapeng barako"?

Well let me share it with you. Though ours was in a traditional way, well we don't have a plantation. Just a few trees. Hahaha.

The back end process.

If we know each other in noise cash, perhaps you have seen some of my posts about coffee. Yeah, our home in the province where I grew up was surrounded by coffee trees. Since I was a kid I was used to harvesting, not because I want to but because I don't have a choice. Hahaha , I was required, my grandma is a typical granny who doesn't tolerate lazy kids. As much as possible she wants us to be engaged in all chores.

Coffee trees do not grow too tall but you can't harvest the fruits by just using your bare hands. We usually use a long twig where the edge was twisted like number seven, this is to pull a coffee twig/branches to bend. I can't explain it well but we call it "panga" in our dialect. My grandma was so strict, she didn't want a any branches to cut off so I was so careful in bending . Failure to do so means you will receive a pinch or a spank.

These are what coffee trees look like. Actual photos of what we have at home. Thanks to my sister for sending photos.

Aside from that, we also need to be careful not to harvest unripe fruits or what we call " bubot / linghod"". Well it is easy to determine because the color changes to red once it's already ripe. But then there are also some fruits that are okay for harvesting but colors are still green. You know it because it looks plump, I on the other hand used to bite it just to determine if it's still soft then not good for harvesting. Silly of me. Don't blame me, I was still a kid back then.

This is what coffee fruits look like. As you can see the red ones are okay to harvest, it is easy to identify.

Once we are done harvesting my grandma will pound the fruits using mortar and pestle to separate the seeds. Oh, not that one found in the kitchen. It was made of wood and big one enough to pound a lot of. I remember she let me do the pounding before because she was so tired. Unfortunately, I can't control my strength plus the pestle was so heavy for my age " talsik ang laman ". I was awarded by a pinch and it hurts!

After pounding, we will need to make it dry by letting it stay under the heat of the sun. Once it is dry, she separates the coffee beans from the dried fruit skin using a winnower basket. It was so tiring and yeah, I know how to do that. Hahaha.

Once done with the process, that is where we gonna go to the town proper to sell our products. You can actually sell it after harvesting but the price will vary. Seller will just buy it at a cheap price unlike if you sold beans.

For our consumption, grandma will cook the beans in a pan, like frying without oil. Once it's cooked, we will bring some to the town proper for grinding. It is now ready to boil to make some " kapeng barako".

Closing thoughts.
Now at least you had an idea but of course the process will be different after harvesting as for sure those who have plantation have machines. That's the benefits of inventions. Life becomes easier and faster.

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Before I bid goodbye, let me first flex all my generous sponsors and of course the newest one and my new found friend here and I could consider as a brother @Olasquare. Feel free to visit their profiles as their articles are worth of your time.

That's all for today and have a great day fellas!

Find me at noise cash, here.

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Avatar for Lhes
Written by
2 years ago

Comments

This is a really difficult stage when you harvest. Because you were a child. I remember once in the scorching heat I harvested wheat and my hands were injured. I used to think that coffee is easy to drink but it is very difficult to cultivate and harvest.

$ 0.02
2 years ago

Hehe it was really hard to do tough jobs when you are just a kid. And yeah it was hard to harvest coffee

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2 years ago

We become accustomed to working hard over time. Hard work at a very young age makes us tired

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2 years ago

hehe it's okay, at least we learned .

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2 years ago

We learn and become stronger. My younger brother does housework and other chores and I just study. It is good to have two brothers.

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2 years ago

Harvesting coffee sounds exciting. As a coffee lover I became interested in your article.

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2 years ago

Ang sarap ng kape pero mas masarap at masya yung bonding nyo mag lola. Nakakatuwa ๐Ÿ˜

$ 0.02
2 years ago

Hahah I have so many memories with my Grandma

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Your lucky sis and you have experience harvesting coffee. In our place we don't have coffee tree and I wonder if until now you still have coffee trees?

$ 0.02
2 years ago

Hahha indeed a great experience sis. Yeah we still have coffee trees. Though my mother sell them.now after harvesting.

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2 years ago

Oh I am inngit or is it inggit , that is so cool what is your noise name Lhes?

$ 0.02
2 years ago

Hahha and you know some tagalog terms It's inggit. Username : lhes

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2 years ago

oo I didn't think inngit looked right so it is inggit, woohoo another one stuck in my mind na! lhes ok so do I call you lhes or les , the kamusta ka message had you as les ...

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2 years ago

Haha while I was writing this yesterday I was actually thinking you as I just read your article the other day that you run out of coffee. And I asked google there is no coffee plantation at Scotland. You can call me what ever you prefer though "Les" is short of my name. That "kamusta ka" message is nakakaloka๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚.

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2 years ago

oo we have no coffee here, and you used google, how cute! I must admit I did not know there was filipino coffee, I thought it was mostly from South America. So Lhes gets shortened to Les, does it sound the same, often an h is silent in a language.

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2 years ago

We also produced local instant coffee here "nescafe " aside from from "Barako"just a different variety I guess Just sound the same, I don't know why I added H when I chose for a username. My name is "Leslie"

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2 years ago

Waaaaaahhh. Same here. I grew up in a house surrounded with so many coffee trees and my grandmother doesn't tolerate lazy kids as well hahahha. Nothing beats kapeng barako hihi.

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Hahha those days with grandma are really memorable.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

You're a coffee lover ma'am hehe I think you should be proud of that , yes coffee is life without it cant taste it's goodness hehe

$ 0.01
2 years ago

I agree with you! Cheers with a cup.of coffee!

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2 years ago

Wow. I would like to go to in your place sis and picked those beans. I love harvesting because it was such fulfilling dn nmn kasi.

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Its so nakakapagod sis, I always got a stiff neck after

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2 years ago

I would like to have coffee with those new harvested beans. She told me to wait 6 months. Let's see what you say.

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Oh who? Why six months?

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2 years ago

Farmgirl. She told me.

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2 years ago

Ahh I see, we were talking about coffee yesterday.

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2 years ago

Woah, I love coffee but I've never seen a coffee tree or what the fruit looks like. Thanks for this information.

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Welcome Daria, thanks for appreciation

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2 years ago

I love coffee and I can't leave without coffee in One day.. lol

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Same here Faith

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Coffee addict. Haha.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Very interesting. I love coffee, and I have written a series here about it ( https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#coffee-health-amp-history ); you are adding another perspective to it.

$ 0.01
2 years ago

I'll check it

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Itโ€™s been so long since I drank coffee

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Oh, you're one of those not into coffee.

$ 0.00
2 years ago

My head hurts when I skip a day without coffee. Coffee is life talaga. I wonder, does it smell coffee na when you pass by the coffee trees? Kasi if it does, I want to own one!

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Coffee flowers are fragrant, you will love the smell๐Ÿ˜. Same here, my head is aching without a cup of coffee

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2 years ago

ayan, parang lalong gusto ko magkaroon ng sarili kong ganyan. paano tinatanim sis? haha sana may article ka ring ganun, I want to learn more.

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2 years ago

Hahha hindi ko alam paano itanim๐Ÿ˜‚ Nangmagkamalay ako eh marami na kape. Buto yata sis, kasi marami ako nakikita dati na mga bagong tubo na kape

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2 years ago

I take coffee pretty much everyday but I missed it this morning. I am gonna go take after reading this๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿƒ

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Enjoy having a cup of coffee

$ 0.00
2 years ago

Na remember ko yung ginawa ng lola ko noong bata pa ako. May kape din kaming tanim. Ang sarap niyan e timpla pagkabago palang nagiling. Yun nga lang di kami panapasobrahan ng inom sa ganyan kasi nga bata pa daw kami, di daw nakakabuti sa amin ang kape

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Ang pait sis, pero ang bango diba?

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2 years ago

Oo sis, ang bango niya di katulad nung mga binenta ngayon

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2 years ago

Ang trabaho naman kasi gawin

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2 years ago

Tama sis pero worth it kasi mabango din kasi pag tinimpla yan

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2 years ago

I'm proud of you, your childhood friend, surrounded by coffee, I was also like this when I was 6 years old because behind my grandfather's house there was a coffee tree but not much. I almost fell there but the branch was so strong I was still hanging. You are a woman but have passed the time like a proud man for a beautiful woman. "Coffee does taste bitter, so does life which is always bitter, but when given sugar it will be delicious and the aroma and taste are distinctive like life, even though it is bitter but if you are grateful it will feel beautiful".

$ 0.03
2 years ago

Oh my life was really bitter before, glad I found my sugar๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜. Now I can feel the beauty of life

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2 years ago

woww... you're also smart in replying hehe.. the spirit is always a beautiful friend.

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2 years ago

I am taking my coffee at the moment haha. What is afternoon without coffee? Incomplete it is haha. Never seen the actual process of doing and harvesting coffee beans. But I witnessed hows the fragrance of roasting it and brewing.

Coffee Barako? Wow Tapang hehe

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Indeed your afternoon would be gloomy?? Cause my day would be grumpy if I skip a cup. Haha yes I am matapang, kidding. I can't take much of kapeng barako. It's too bitter for my taste eventhough I add a lot of creamer. Hey, it's been a long time I haven't encounter you at noise cash Eunoia. Kamusta na ang buhay-buhay diyan?

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2 years ago

Here in Indang, you can find many coffee farm. I don't usually drink coffeee because I always palpitate. Thats my problem for me. I switched to tea.

$ 0.01
2 years ago

I can tolerate only one cup of coffee per day . Excess means palpitation too. Where is Indang?

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2 years ago

Indang, Cavite. Near Tagaytay po. Its quite mountainous and lots of farms as well.

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2 years ago

I see , just like same in my hometown

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2 years ago

Surprisingly, I haven't taken coffee in a very long time due to my health, but I miss the taste of coffee everyday!

$ 0.01
2 years ago

Oh,,prioritize first your health Kristoff and maybe you can back of having a cup once your okay

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2 years ago

Naku sis I stopped drinking coffee already, but I always love its smell. Sarap siguro sa probinsya nyo amoy kape lagi.

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2 years ago

Hehe, bawal din ako sa kape sis. Matigas lng ulo ko๐Ÿ˜‚. Kung may source of income lmg mas gusto ko sa province sis

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2 years ago

Hala ka, ako naman eh for health purpose, di kasi ako masyado nakakainom ng tubig kapag nagkakape. Hays sinabi mo pa sis, si hubby mas gusto magsettle down din dito kaya lang madami pa kami obligations na dapat bayaran.

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2 years ago

Limit to one cup na lng ako sis. Iyan din pinag uusapan namin ni hubby.

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2 years ago

Kaya nga eh, pagod na rin sya magtrabaho sa labas, at least kung dito sya magkakasama kami, yun lang talaga hirap kitain ang pera dito

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2 years ago

I heard a lot of people are successful in coffee business and with all the things you know, I can see your future in this.

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2 years ago

Coffee shop is really one of business ideas. You just need to find a perfect spot

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2 years ago