The three main causes of stale coffee beans are air, light, and moisture. To keep coffee beans fresh, learn how to store them. Harvesters obtain seeds or coffee beans from the cherry fruits that coffee plants produce.
African and Latin American nations are home to native coffee plants, which are members of the Rubiaceae family of plants.
The plants, which eventually develop into medium-sized trees, blossom each spring with beautiful white flowers before bearing green fruit that resembles berries.
These cherries are picked by coffee farmers when they turn a deep crimson colour.
What is the duration of it?
All of it is in the bag. In other words, your beans will stay fresh longer (or their flavour will flatten sooner) based on how they are packaged. According to Edwards, handmade paper bags with thin lining won’t last very long.
Within a week, you might be able to eat it, but beyond that, it will taste stale.
To ensure that customers may enjoy the grounds for one to two weeks before the coffee loses its vibrancy and starts to taste flat, both Parlour and Madcap utilise sealed, one-way valve foil bags with pinholes that allow gas to escape but no air to enter.
Advice on How to Store Coffee Beans
Once the coffee beans have been roasted, appropriate storage can increase their shelf life and help guarantee that you can make fresh coffee every morning.
Here are some suggestions for storing coffee beans:
- Coffee beans should be kept whole. Whole coffee beans have a longer shelf life than ground coffee. The oxidation process increases after the coffee beans are ground, resulting in a weakened flavour. Pre-ground coffee from the grocery store, even being vacuum-sealed, will taste stale to coffee consumers who enjoy freshly ground coffee.
- Use a container that is airtight. Oxygen significantly accelerates the staling process. The easiest approach to preserve the priceless flavour and aroma of your coffee is to store it in an airtight canister.
- Maintain their coffee beans in a dim area. Select an opaque, non-transparent airtight canister. Keep your beans in a cupboard or drawer if they are still in their original packaging or a glass container.
- Steer clear of the refrigerator. Coffee beans will absorb unwelcome moisture and food odours in the refrigerator. The beans will begin to lose their initial flavour in a few days.
- Only put beans in the freezer if you absolutely have to. Before the beans start to lose flavour, unopened bean bags will remain fresh in the freezer for a period of three to four months. Before putting frozen beans in the coffee grinder, always let them thaw to room temperature.
- Only grind what you require. Coffee grinds don’t store as well as coffee beans. The baristas at specialty coffee shops frequently offer to grind the container of beans you buy. It would be better for you to turn down this offer if freshness is crucial to you. Instead, grind your own beans, one pot at a time, for the freshest coffee.
What about freezing beans for later use?
Many people think that since the freezer is a very cold, dark place, coffee beans should be kept there. They will be separated from oxygen and sunlight, which makes sense.
Moreover, could it be that the cold temperature actually keeps the bean fresh?
Unfortunately, freezing fresh coffee beans might have certain unfavourable effects. The main issue is potential moisture exposure, which will swiftly weaken the beans’ structural integrity and hasten their staleness.
What aspects of the environment lead coffee beans to lose flavour?
Coffee beans can lose their flavour due to four key environmental factors: oxygen, light, heat, & moisture.
- Oxygen: The most crucial element in deciding how long the beans will remain fresh is oxygen. Because coffee beans are an organic material, oxidation has an impact on them. The flavour and aroma of the coffee beans are lost as a result of oxidation.
- Light: Exposure to light also degrades the flavour of coffee beans. This is due to the fact that light destroys the beans’ oils.
- Heat: Coffee beans begin to lose flavour more quickly when it’s warm. For this reason, it’s crucial to keep coffee beans in a cool, dark location.
- Moisture: Another element that might lead to coffee beans losing their flavour is moisture. This is so that the beans don’t expand and degrade due to moisture, losing flavour in the course of processing.
Conclusion
All of this means that you should keep your fresh beans of coffee in a cold, dry location that is also dark and opaque.
Find a sustainable and clever way to preserve coffee beans this year to guarantee the best possible cup of joe repeatedly. Make our roasters proud.