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Fortuneately this year it is very dry. We built a drying box and I keep it in the sun. Two to three days it is very dry. If the weather is cloudy or rainy I put it in the oven to dry on low for a few hours. I usually try to time it with baking. I will use the oven then turn it off and put the beans it. The oven usually keeps warm for a few hours. One to two days of this and it works good. Once they are dry you have to husk them and take out the green bean. That seems to be the hard part. I don't mind peeling the cherries but peeling the parchment takes a while. Still $275.00 seems pretty expensive for a huller. I was hoping $150.00. I probably wont get one for a while.
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Devaney,
Perhaps you didn't read about the production acres throughout the region in the link I provided?
Now head to the coffee capitol of the world... Seattle, Wa.
Find your favorite cup of Joe from Hilo... good luck you'll be doing a-lot of wandering around to find it and that's if you're lucky. Kaui and Kona coffees are about the only two semi available over here and usually cut substantially with a Columbian blend. Trader Joes sometimes carries them in the 100% form. Starbucks and some of the other coffee shops may carry them from time to time also, but nothing from Hilo... Sorry
.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
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Sorry Wao, no I did not realize you meant on a National level. I try not to support or buy anything that is mass produced when it comes to food, so my mindset was much more local.
Maui has great coffee too.
One thing, Coffee is a crop that must be hand picked and in Hawaii, we must pay humane wages and provide benefits, thus making the cost 2-4 X that of countries that do not have such humane practices. 100 % Kona Coffee is generally 2 X the cost of any other beans, sometimes more. I don't see that there is a reason to really try and promote other Hawaiian Coffee aside from on the islands. Local is better. Small farms are better too. Know your farmer, even your coffee farmer.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
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Devany,
Wish I could still drink the stuff beyond a sip or two in the morning. But yeah, I hear you about the wages. To be honest I don't know the flavor of the Puna or Kau coffees yet but I would imagine they are on par with Konas. I've tasted coffees from the North end of the Island and it didn't share the same flavors as Kona and that didn't surprise me, I rather expected it considering the dirt soils the coffee is grown in. Unfortunatly I don't think the north side of the Island will be able to produce coffees in the coveted unique flavor range of Kona grown coffees. As per Kau and Puna... If grown in the lava soils and not the dirt soils, I think within time after it's re-established its familiarity, they may indeed fetch the higher prices found in Kona. One things for certain, there isn't enough Kona Coffees to go around so the industry could use some more like type coffees, Puna and Kau could certainly use the revenues.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
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I've been drinking Kau coffee lately and it's wonderful, and fetches a price similar to Kona. It seems smoother than the kona we've tried. I really like it.
Enjoy the day! Ann
Back to blogging at
http://crazypineappledream.blogspot.com
Enjoy the day! Ann
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Asly,
You have Kau Coffee out there? We may have it here now too, I haven't payed much attention the past 3 years.
That doesn't surprise me though about the flavor considering the soils relative to Kona (Captain Cook region particularly) (the flows are typically newer in Kau and there's less dirt available (not counting South Point, Pahala and Naalehu).
I do believe they will match and yet they could possibly even exceed Kona grown prices someday.
Puna may be restricted with regard to acres available to pull it off though. It will be interesting to see how it pans out in the next 10 years or so.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
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What I've always pondered on is the soils of Hawaii (Big Island and slopes of Mona Loa and Kilauea) and the extreme rich mineral content exceeding most other soils on the planet. Here we've the most prime soils on the planet yet in the past those soils have been squandered on agricultural products that can be grown nearly anywhere and the end result is a product that is not a discriminate flavor item. In other words, pineapples vs. wine grapes? Does that make sense?
If the Big Island (not the north side) were to focus on Agricultural products that were discriminately graded, the Big Island would flourish market wise Agriculturally. Aside form the soils, there's also the climatic zones to consider. We've a potential huge diamond on th Big Island. Coffee, Tobacco, Wine, Spirits and what ever else falls into this category. Hawaii could yield the most sought after in each of these products. Yet... I drive through Kau, Kona, Puna and and see poor use of lands waiting to be used properly to yield the best flavored products ever grown.
Yeah.. I know the Vog is the big bugger right now.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
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Wao nahele kane - I have my Kau coffee shipped direct from the farmer :-)
Enjoy the day! Ann
Back to blogging at
http://crazypineappledream.blogspot.com
Enjoy the day! Ann
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I have been to a few coffee plantations (all relatively small operations of a few acres) near Hilo, it seems like the trees flourish best when at an elevation of about 1000' and with deep soil. Tom Sharkey even has them as an understory planting under his cacao trees. On my recent walks I have seen some fields planted at slightly higher elevations up near Kaiwiki and the plantings were thriving on a sloped open field. They were loaded with berries. This area also has good deep soil.
I buy local green beans and roast my own coffee (I have a coffee roaster) most of the time. I like a darker roast,and Kona coffees do not hold up to a dark roast, they turn bitter, which is why it is never sold in anything more than a medium roast. Hilo coffee actually is great dark roasted. When I do buy roasted coffee my 2 favorite local coffees are Hilo Shark's medium dark roast and the Hilo Coffee Mill's Italian Roast, which is even dark enough to use for espresso.
I have not tried the Puna or Kau coffees yet, mostly because I am so pleased with the Hilo coffees and they are grown within a few miles of my home. Sounds like it might be time for a field trip! [8D]
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
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There is a guy in HA growing the Jamaican Blue Mountain Peaberry coffee commercially (but I guess that would make it HA Mauna Kea Peaberry coffee ?). It is pretty delicious!
