We selectively pick our coffee by hand when the cherry is at its ripest. Cherries will turn from green to a deep red almost purple color when they are ready to be picked.
Because coffee cherries ripe at different times, pickers will return to the same tree multiple times to only pick the red cherries. With the Kona harvest season running from August to January, pickers tend to work the same tree 5 or 6 times.
Processing and roasting are both very important steps in yielding high quality coffee. But the most important variable is to pick only red cherries. It is the secret to a coffee that is sweet and showcases more complex flavors
Harvesting green or over-ripe cherries will deteriorate the taste of the coffee. It will lose its richness and complexity and will result in an unpleasant experience
Pick red!
