Costa Rica San Francisco Honey Process

The honey process method for green coffee beans is a unique method that combines elements of both washed and natural processing methods. Here’s how it works:

1. Pulping: The coffee cherries are partially stripped of their outer layer, leaving some of the fruit pulp on the beans.

2. Drying: The pulped beans are then spread out for drying without any washing, leaving part of the pulp. The beans are spread thinly on special drying beds and turned every hour for 10-15 days to gain the needed stability.

3. Milling: After drying, the processors have to mill or hull the coffee to remove the last layers of the skin, which protect the inside beans.

The result is a coffee with substantial fruit and body sweetness of natural coffee. The honey process is considered the most demanding coffee processing method due to its intricate and sensitive drying phase.

It’s important to note that honey processing does not involve any honey. The term “honey” refers to the sticky, honey-like feel the bean has before being dried due to the mucilage layer that reabsorbs moisture from the air.

San Francisco is the name of a district in the Cordillera Central, also called La Zona de Los Santos, but it is also the name of the farm owned and run by Edgar Fallas Solis, his wife Ligia and their son Willian. Edgar is the second generation of his family to work on this 55-year-old farm and Willian, his son, will take over when he retires. The family owns 10-12 hectares of coffee, intercropped with avocados, citrus and banana trees. The original coffee variety grown was Caturra, but Catuai and Catimor varieties have been added. The family get their seedlings from the national coffee research centre, ICAFE. The farm is split into parcels, positioned from 1,400 to 2,000masl, with the coffees for the microlots grown at 1,800+ masl.

Protecting the environment is important to Edgar. He is aware of the potential impact of climate change and the necessity of adapting his practices. He uses biodynamic techniques, intercropping, and the use of garlic and chilli to deter pests, and he plans to increase the ratio of organic to chemical fertilization from its present 50:50 to 75:25.

The content of the sugar in the cherries is monitored by the family using a Brix mete and cherries are harvested only when they reach the optimum range of sugar content. At the peak of the season, 15 people work with the family to harvest the coffee.Edgar and his family are members of Asoproaaa Coop, which counts more than 1,000 members, of which 300 are coffee producers. It offers financial and commercial help to members, distributing $1million for coffee, $1million for citruses, $1million for cattle and $1million for all entrepreneurship projects (which can be linked to coffee), as well as providing producers with access to credit. The association also runs a housing programme, with over 1,400 houses built for those most in need in the community.