Archive for the 'Organic Coffee' Category
Many people today are gravitating toward organic products. The dual concepts of organic farming methods designed to be more ecologically friendly and the use of natural fertilizers and pesticides appeal to both one’s sense of social consciousness and the health concerns about chemical pesticides and their effects.
Organic Coffee offers a few health benefits for the coffee drinker. The first is increased antioxidant content due to the absence of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. To get the most antioxidant benefit drink coffee with a medium roast. Darker roasts experience a degradation in antioxidant benefit. Also stay with an Arabica Coffee as it has higher flavanoid content than Robusta coffee. (Source: coffeescience.org)
The second is increased nutrient content because it is shade grown. The soil preservation techniques employed in organic farming also lead to soil with greater nutrient content.
Third, all coffee has a diuretic and laxative effect, so it can be beneficial in weight loss.
Finally, it’s delicious! Any good food contributes to stress relief. If the caffeine is problematic for you, decaf options in organic coffee are readily available.
Until next time, happy brewing.
Hot weather is coming and a steaming hot cup of discount gourmet coffee may not be your first preference of drink choices. The heat shouldn’t stop you from enjoying coffee. This coffee au lait recipe provides a cool coffee choice for your summer time refreshment.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups gourmet coffee, cold
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups crushed ice
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.
Source: About.com
For the unleaded crowd try decaf coffee. And for more variety try adding coffee flavor syrup(s) of your choice or use a flavored coffee of your choice.
Until next time, happy brewing.
Many people today are gravitating toward organic products. The dual concepts of organic farming methods designed to be more ecologically friendly and the use of natural fertilizers and pesticides appeal to both one’s sense of social consciousness and the health concerns about chemical pesticides and their effects. This is true in the gourmet coffee world too. But how does one confirm if their coffee is Certified Organic Coffee?
Check the label. An organic coffee sold in the U.S. must meet the USDA standards for organic foods. The USDA specifies two standards for labeling. “100 percent organic” specifies that all the raw product (excluding water and salt) and aids used in preparing the final product are organically produced. “Organic” specifies that at least 95% of of the raw product and aids are organic. The USDA Organic logo may also appear on the label. No other labeling such as “natural” specifies organic coffee.
You may also find labeling that indicates the coffee is Certified Organic Coffee, which is an indicator that the coffee has met regional certification standards for the area in which the coffee is grown. The certifying authority may also be listed.
Check on the roasting house. The roasting house must also be certified as an organic roaster, indicating they are maintaining the chain of organic practices in roasting and grinding.
Until next time, happy brewing.
We’re bombarded by the news: our sneakers were made by child labor in some third world sweat shop, that coffee we drink came from the labor of underpaid peasant farmers, etc., etc., etc. And don’t forget to reduce your carbon footprint. More and more we are called on to be socially aware of how we spend our dollars and the global environmental and human impact of how those things came to us.
For the gourmet coffee drinker one option is to buy Free Trade coffee. The combination of organic farming principles and the price protections afforded to the farmers seems an all around winner for the socially conscious consumer. Even McDonalds is moving towards using Free Trade coffee in its U.K. chains.
The big question now in the middle of the current economic recession is whether the need to stretch every penny as far as possible will override the urge to be a responsible citizen of the planet? Fair Trade coffee does come to us at a higher price, is it worth it? It’s your choice.
Until next time, happy brewing.
Espresso serves as the basis of almost all specialty coffee drinks, and as such its method of preparation is especially important. Espresso should be bold, distinctive and strong. In order to make the perfect espresso, one must master a series of steps. Make even one false move during this process and the flavor will suffer. Of course, you can’t expect to make delicious coffee if the beans aren’t of the highest quality. Organic coffee is probably your best bet if you want to end up with memorable flavor.
In many cases, coffee will already be blended and roasted by the time it gets to you. Such is the case with most store-bought coffees. The next step is grinding the espresso, with the intended result being consistency. If possible, prevent the coffee from being heated during the grinding process as this can detract from its aroma and flavor. Many people prefer burr grinders because the grind is kept at a uniform temperature throughout.
Organic coffee is grown using the organic farming standards and techniques. One hallmark of organic coffee is the use of natural fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides. The focus of organic farming is to be environmentally friendly and the preservation of soil productivity through crop rotation.
In order to be sold in the U.S. as organic coffee must be certified by meeting certain requirements including:
- Grown on land without synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for 3 years.
- A sufficient buffer exists between the organic coffee and the closest traditional crop.
- Sustainable crop rotation plan to prevent erosion, the depletion of soil nutrients, and control for pests.
Once grown and certified as organic for USDA purposes, the roasting house must also be certified for processing organic coffee. Regional and state regulatory agencies certify roasting houses as organic roasters, ensuring proper handling of the crop during the roasting process and to prevent contaminants from getting into the coffee.
Plantations that produce certified organic coffee tend to have smaller crop yields and are often also Fair Trade certified coffees for the price protection that allows the farmers to protect their profit. Even though the cost of organic farming can be less than traditional techniques, these farms yield fewer dollars per acre than farms using traditional coffee growing techniques.
Until next time – happy brewing.
French Roast Coffee does not come from a specific region or the world or a specific plantation, rather it refers to the darkness of the roast of the coffee chosen for that roasting session. French Roast is the darkest possible roast done on a coffee bean, Italian Roast being the next lower darkness level. Since it is not a specific coffee, it could be a single origin coffee or a blended coffee.
During the coffee roasting process there are two significant moments in time. They are referred to as “pops” or “cracks”. These are the moments when the expanding coffee bean cracks its shell and makes a popping sound. Most American roasters stop after the first pop but before the second pop – producing either a “cinnamon” or “full city” roast, depending on how long after the first pop they leave the beans in the roaster. At this stage the inherent flavor of the coffee remains intact and the coffee receives no flavoring from the roast.
At the second pop the oils of the coffee rise to the surface of the bean. During this time the sugars inside the bean also begin to caramelize.
The result is a coffee that is bitter sweet, with a light body and almost no acidity. The inherent flavors of the coffee(s) roasted this way is lost and the flavor of the roast predominates a French Roast coffee. The flavor is very intense, and those used to a milder coffee may find the taste overwhelming.
The roast master’s skill is critical for this coffee – a few minutes too long in the roaster and a great coffee experience becomes an awful coffee experience.
Until next time – happy brewing.
Gourmet coffee, has often been the subject of artists and pundits. Here are a few samples.
“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.”
~ Flash Rosenberg
“Ah, that is a perfume in which I delight; when they roast coffee near my house, I hasten to open the door to take in all the aroma.”
~ Jean Jacques Rousseau
“In Seattle you haven’t had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it’s running.”
~ Jeff Bezos
“Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!”
~ Johann Sebastian Bach
Coffee Cantata
“For lo! the board with cups and spoons is crowned
The berries crackle, and the mill turns round …
At once they gratify their scent and taste
And frequent cups prolong the rich repast…
Coffee (which makes the politician wise
And see through all things with his half-shut eyes).”
~ Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
The Rape of the Lock
Until next time – happy brewing.
A winter chill may still hang in the air, but spring will soon be here. Here’s a recipe to try out during the first warm spring day.
Cinnamon Caramel Coffee
Ingredients:
- 6 tbs ground gourmet coffee
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup caramel dessert syrup
Preparation:
Add the cinnamon before brewing to give this recipe spicy touch. You’ll need to stir well to blend in the caramel syrup.
Mix the cinnamon into your loose ground coffee and then brew a pot of coffee by whatever method you prefer. Add the caramel syrup to the cinnamon-spiced coffee, and stir well until completely dissolved. Chill through in the fridge, and serve over ice cubes, with added milk or sugar to taste. The syrup makes this iced coffee pretty sweet as it is.
As an alternative to flavoring syrup try coffee flavoring syrup.
Source: www.coffeetea.about.com
Happy Brewing!
We all know about drinking gourmet coffee, but what about cooking with coffee? Yes, this wonderful elixir can be a welcome addition to foods outside the coffee pot.
Gourmet coffee can be used for everything from a spice rub to part of that delicious sauce you’re serving. Used judiciously the resultant dish may not even taste like coffee. Coffee can both complement and contrast the dish in question. And in the case of some deserts the coffee taste is intended to come to the foreground.
So whether it’s the secret ingredient in your marinade or that extra spice in your sauce, coffee can increase your culinary vocabulary and give you a refreshing cup after the meal as well.
Until next time – happy brewing.