What Is Organic Coffee Fruit?

When they harvest and process coffee are they throwing away some of the good parts? What about the fruit? What is organic coffee fruit? These are the parts of the fruit of the coffee plant. The seed of the coffee plant is what we call a coffee bean. It is surrounded by the coffee fruit. The fruit and bean together is called the cherry. We wrote about how coffee is processed.

Natural Process

During the natural drying process, the entire cherry is left intact. The soon-to-be coffee beans still nestled in the center absorb some of the characteristics of that sweet pulp and flavorful cherry skin, until the milling stage when the dried fruit and parchment layer surrounding the bean are hulled.

Wet Process

Washed process separates the bean from the cherry in a procedure called de-pulping. Coffee beans are placed into fermentation tanks, also known as wet mills, and the beans are de-pulped as they pass through a series of stations. First, directly after harvest, coffee cherries are dropped in a hopper at the top of a mill, and water carries the cherries to a holding tank. Any damaged, less dense floating cherries are skimmed off. The good cherries sink and are sent through a de-pulping device. From there the seeds are directed to a fermentation tank to rest for 36-72 hours.

In both cases the coffee fruit is discarded and on an organic coffee farm tilled back into the soil as mulch. What are we missing when we throw out the regular or organic coffee fruit?

The Wasted Super Food

I remember when I was a child one of our teachers saying that the best nutrients and vitamins are in the outer layers of fruits, vegetable and nuts. That may apply the coffee fruit as well. PasteMagazine.com writes about coffee fruit and calls it nature’s wasted superfood.

Coffee is one healthy vice. Along with keeping you from drooling all over your desk mid-day, it’s low in calories, packed with antioxidants and may protect against ailments like Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s and liver disease. However, the thin and juicy coating on the outside of the coffee bean does this and more. A true superfood packed with antioxidants-due to the uber-concentrated polyphenols-coffee fruit has the power to boost the immune system, protect against free radicals and act as an anti-inflammatory.

But coffee fruit ruins the taste of coffee which is why it is separated from the bean. So, what are the uses of regular or organic coffee fruit? When coffee fruit is not composted it can be made into concentrates for energy drinks, enhanced waters, coffee powder, beauty products full of antioxidants and even coffee fruit juices.

Jump Start Your Brain with Organic Coffee Fruit

There are potential brain benefits of coffee fruit extract. Coffee fruit extract has been shown to boost levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is important for memory and learning new skills. Low levels of this protein are found in people with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, dementias and Alzheimer’s. The rationale for producing a commercial product from coffee fruit is to help prevent or treat these conditions.

 

Coffee Fruit and Bean

Coffee Fruit and Bean




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