CoffeeChildhood memory of home roasted coffee beans
I remember vividly how my grandmother used to process our own coffee powder. The aroma is no match to any of the pre-processed and pre-packed coffee available on the market. We used to watch with interest (and often with a lot of questions!) as she finished one step after another.
There are coffee trees around my grandmotherð€™s house. In fact, coffee trees are common sight throughout our village. These beans are oval-shaped and some are almost circular. They turned from green to red when they are ready to be picked. They are hand-picked and sun-dried. Whenever it rains, our grandmother will make sure to bring them under the shade.
Once dried, the skin can be easily peeled. Again, this is also done by hand. The beans are again put under the sun so that they will be completely dried. These dried beans will be roasted so that they can be used to prepare a cup of coffee. Roasted coffee beans have enhanced taste, aroma and color. Their freshness lost easily even if they are stored in an airtight container. That is the main reason why some people prefer home roasted coffee beans. They are prepared in small quantity prior to usage ð€“ this helps retain their freshness.
You may wonder the facility used to prepare the coffee beans. Unlike in the factory where you will most likely find some specialized equipment, Grandma used to put the beans into an empty pot on a burning stove, along with some other ingredients like margarine and a pinch of salt to add flavor. The heat is increased gradually while she stirred the beans to distribute heat evenly.  The whole process took about 15 minutes, producing the very nice coffee aroma that lingers longer around the house. The beans now are darker and almost black in color. These are then ground into powdery substance that we mix to get a freshly roasted, freshly brewed home-made cup of coffee.