Picking: the natural way of harvesting
Manual procedure by which only ripe fruit are picked. This method is characterised by:

• slowness
• high quality of the product obtained
• evenness of the harvest
• high costs

Stripping: the quick harvest
Procedure that can be performed by hand or machine, stripping the plant of fruit and leaves. Its main characteristics are:

• speed
• damage to plants
• unevenness of the harvest
• low costs

SEPARATING THE BEAN FROM THE PULP AND LEAVES
Coffee can be processed in various ways.

THE "WASHED" BEANS METHOD
This method is a water-based treatment after picking.

The beans are processed through the following stages:

• cleaning
• depulping (mechanical separation of the pulp and bean by rollers)
• fermentation (with water to remove mucilage - 12/24 hours )
• washing (120 l/kg)
• sun drying for 9 - 10 days or in dryer
• hulling and glazing
• grading (large / medium / small / caracolito)

The method is:

• time-consuming
• costly
• technically complex

but ensures a high-quality coffee - even, aromatic and clean-tasting.

The process determines the final colour of the bean:

• Coffea Arabica becomes greenish-blue
• Coffea Robusta becomes yellowish-green

THE "NATURAL" DRY (UNWASHED) BEANS METHOD
This method is a dry treatment after stripping.

The beans are processed through the following stages:

• cleaning and washing (separation from leaves, wood chips, gravel or soil)
• drying (sun dried or in dryers -1-3 days at 45-60° C)
• hulling (separation skin/parchment from the bean)
• grading (large / medium / small/ caracolito)

This method is:

• rapid
• economical
• technically simple
• more ecological

though the sugar content is higher.

The process determines the final colour of the bean:

• Coffea Arabica is greenish
• Coffea Robusta tends towards