Harvest & Picking

Exceptional coffee doesn't begin in the roastery—it begins on the farm.

One of the most important steps in producing specialty coffee happens long before roasting or brewing ever begins: the harvest. Only perfectly ripe coffee cherries have the potential to become an exceptional cup.

Not Every Cherry Ripens at the Same Time

Unlike many other fruits, coffee cherries don't ripen all at once.

On a single branch you'll often find green, yellow and deep red cherries growing side by side. While some are ready to be picked, others may need several more days or even weeks to reach full ripeness.

Patience is one of the most important ingredients in specialty coffee.

Why Ripeness Matters

As a coffee cherry matures, it develops more natural sugars, balanced acidity and greater flavour complexity.

Cherries picked too early often produce grassy, underdeveloped or astringent flavours.

Overripe cherries, on the other hand, can introduce fermented or undesirable flavour notes.

The perfect harvest window is surprisingly short.

Selective Picking

Most specialty coffees are harvested entirely by hand.

Pickers return to the same trees several times throughout the harvest season, selecting only the cherries that have reached peak ripeness.

This method is known as Selective Picking.

Although it requires considerably more time and labour, it produces coffees with greater sweetness, clarity and consistency.

Strip Picking

Many commercial coffees are harvested using a method called Strip Picking, where every cherry is removed from the branch at once—regardless of ripeness.

Green, yellow and ripe cherries all end up in the same basket.

While this approach is faster and more economical, it often sacrifices quality before processing has even begun.

Every Origin Has Its Own Harvest Season

Coffee isn't harvested at the same time everywhere.

Harvest seasons vary depending on origin, elevation and climate, sometimes differing by several months.

That's why fresh crop coffees arrive at roasteries throughout the year, each following the natural rhythm of its origin.

Everything Starts With One Decision

Before coffee is processed.

Before it is roasted.

Before it reaches your cup.

Someone on the farm decides whether a single coffee cherry is ready to be picked.

That one decision influences every cup that follows.

Continue Your Journey:
→ Terroir
Discover how elevation, climate and soil shape the character of coffee long before harvest begins.