Kona coffee is a specialty coffee that differs from other varieties primarily because of its prime farming location and production processes. Kona coffee farms are only in one place in Hawaii called the Kona Coffee Belt, on Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South districts.
These mountainous areas have rich volcanic soil full of nitrates, phosphates, iron, and manganese to promote healthy plant growth.
Volcanic soil is beneficial for Kona coffee beans because it is new earth that recently erupted from deep inside the ground. It has a healthy concentration of much-needed nutrients and minerals that coffee seedlings need to grow into thriving coffee plants on family farms.
Sun is also necessary to grow Kona coffee beans, making the western part of Kona ideal for growing coffee. Sunny mornings and mild nights are typical, as is afternoon rainfall. In Kona, the western slopes and daily cloud cover provide ample shade to protect coffee plants from excessive sun heat.
The western slopes of Kona also provide superior draining solutions for coffee farmers. Coffee crops won’t flood out because the rainwater flows down the slopes. With farms sitting at an altitude of up to 3,000 feet and with plenty of inclines in the land, these plants will thrive and produce sweet-tasting beans.
When it comes time to pick the seeds from the bushes for milling, farmers proceed with care. Coffee harvest season in Hawaii occurs from August to December. The coffee beans are hand-picked and put into a basket before going through a machine to remove the berry pulp and expose the bean.
Workers carefully wash the Kona coffee beans with fresh water before putting them into fermentation tanks. The beans ferment for 12 hours at lower elevations on Kona’s mountains and about 24 hours at higher elevations. Then, they air dry.
When the coffee beans are dry, they have a stiff covering called parchment on their surface. They undergo milling and polishing to remove the parchment and prepare the beans for roasting.
Farmers perform each step in the Kona coffee harvesting process with care to ensure that the final result is a high-quality batch of coffee beans that meet the standards of the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture.