Grow your own coffee – many have this desire. Here we tell you how you can grow a coffee plant at home and prepare the beans properly.
If you want to grow coffee, you don’t have to go far. In fact, the coffee plant (Coffea arabica) with its evergreen leaves can easily be grown here as an indoor plant or as a potted plant in the conservatory or greenhouse. The first subtly fragrant flowers appear after three to four years, so you can harvest your own beans under optimal conditions.
Growing coffee: From plant to bean
Sowing the coffee plant (Coffea arabica) is best done with fresh seed. The unroasted light-colored beans of the coffee plant germinate after about six weeks. They develop into small trees that can flower after two to three years. The fragrant, snow-white flowers in early summer are followed by fruits that ripen close to the stem. If you want to make coffee from the beans, peel off the pulp, dry the beans and then you can roast them yourself. Regular watering and fertilizing will be rewarded with good growth. If it becomes too large, you can cut it back vigorously without hesitation.
Harvesting and roasting coffee beans
The ripe fruits of the coffee bush can be recognized by their intense red color. The so-called coffee cherries need up to a year to ripen. Green berries that are still unripe are usually not edible. If the red fruit skins of the coffee cherry are removed, a pale-yellow coffee bean divided into two parts appears on each berry. The coffee beans can be dried in a warm place, for example on the windowsill. In the process, you need to turn them from time to time. Carefully roast the dried beans in a pan for between 10 and 20 minutes on the highest heat setting. They now develop their typical aroma. The coffee does not develop its full flavor until 12 to 72 hours after roasting. The beans can then be ground and brewed.
Coffee is better than its reputation
Americans drink an average of 40 gallon of coffee per year. And what was said about coffee: it stresses the adrenal glands, causes rheumatism and, above all, dries out the body. This has all turned out to be nonsense. Coffee is not unhealthy. However, its caffeine has a diuretic effect. You have to go to the toilet faster. But you don’t lose more fluid as a result. Coffee experts, however, still advise the obligatory sip of water before coffee. Not because of the fluid balance, but to sensitize the taste buds to the pleasure of coffee. A long-term study of 42,000 adults found that coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes. It also increases concentration and has a positive effect on asthma disorders. Swedish researchers also found that older women who drink between three and five cups of coffee a day are significantly less likely to have a stroke.
How much coffee grounds can compost take?
Coffee grounds have a pH of between four and five, so they have an acidic effect. During the natural decomposition processes in the compost, the acid is neutralized. This works best with a balanced mixing ratio. There is no rule as to how much coffee grounds may be composted – it is assumed that the quantities are normal for households. According to this, coffee grounds from 14 pound of green coffee (average per capita consumption per year) can be composted without hesitation. Tip: If you also add acidic green waste such as autumn leaves to the compost, a handful of primary rock flour or algal lime over each layer helps to regulate the pH value to reduce acidity.
