Our little Miracle Berry bush is cranking up it’s production this year. The little guy is only about a foot tall.
Miracle Berries
The Last Cherry
Dark Roast Suspension
After roasting for a few years, I have decided I need to provide a better dark roast. My medium and light medium roasts are great, so a dark roast that is only “good” simply won’t do.
It is not the quality of the coffee bean, but rather my actual roasting process. As soon as I have the dark roast dialed in, we’ll offer it again. I may have to purchase a different type of roaster, or sort the
beans by size before roasting, so I don’t risk burning the smaller beans while the larger beans come to temperature.
It is not the quality of the coffee bean, but rather my actual roasting process. As soon as I have the dark roast dialed in, we’ll offer it again.
There are three elements I will try to address;
- A different type of roaster
- Sorting the beans to size
- My roasting talent
I will update the blog with the status as I move along this episode of Kona True.
Marmalade
This year we grew the best oranges I’ve ever eaten. Also there were so many oranges (even after taking them to school and sharing them with my second grade class), that I made organic marmalade. Only three ingredients: our oranges, some organic sugar, and a couple of lemons. The oranges were so sweet, that I didn’t add much sugar. It took a couple of days of picking the fruit, peeling it, slicing the zest into tiny strips, juicing the oranges, then cooking and canning the results.
I had plans to split the batch and flavor it with our Hawaiian chili peppers, and a batch with our ginger; but it was so good that I just left it simple. I didn’t even know I loved marmalade. I have eaten it often now on pieces of our fresh organic coconut instead of bread. It is better than candy.
While making the marmalade, I thought of my grandmother often and her annual gifts of pear and peach preserves, which she made from fruit from her trees and love from her heart. They were always received with much anticipation and joy.
Fruits of Kona True
Navel Oranges
Not sure exactly what type of orange this is. These oranges are easy to peel, seedless and seem to come in multiple sizes. The tree has gone crazy this year. It usually didn’t produce ripe fruit until December or January. This year we have ripe fruit here in September. It looks like it will continue through to December. Three years ago it looked like it was on its last leg, but has come back strong and healthy. As soon as it is done fruiting, it will get a hard pruning.
Coral Bleaching in Honaunau Bay
A quick snorkel outing in Honaunau Bay showed several signs of coral bleaching. Earlier this year I thought it was recovering very well from the bleaching a couple of years ago. I don’t know the cycles, but this being September, maybe the bleaching will subside.
Why we are a “No Poison – No Spray” farm
Simple, we live here, not just here on this farm, but here on this planet. It is about the health of the animals (including humans, our family and yours), the bees, the soil, the plants, the air, and the reef. That is our beautiful daughter above enjoying the water.
I heard someone, who did not think organic was important in coffee production, say, “the act of roasting coffee burns out most the poisons.” Really? What about the poison that enters the water table, the land, and the air?
Saying “No Poison” is as much about the coffee as it is about the planet.
Enjoy our swim with the dolphins below.
Holualoa Villiage Coffee & Art Stroll
One of our favorite Big Island events is the annual Holualoa Village Coffee & Art Stroll. It is part of the annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, which is the oldest food festival in Hawaii.
Artist open their shops, and many coffee farmers bring their best coffee and let everyone sample them.
The first time we went to the festival the variety of flavors that were present in the coffee was surprising. So many things can influence the flavor:
- The elevation where the coffee grown
- The amount of rain, and when it fell
- Organic or not
- When it is picked
- How it is milled
- How it is dried
- How it is roasted
- How it is stored
- How it is ground
- How it is brewed
- And so much more
Our routine:
- We arrive early, purchase this year’s coffee pin that serves as ticket to the event, and head to Holuakoa Cafe for breakfast. Bill always gets the eggs Benedict, and I get the polenta with grilled vegetables. Delicious.
- We love talking with the other farmers. They are happy to answer questions and talk about their process and their farm.
- We sample and taste a lot of coffee; enjoy the art; and purchase baked goods, coffee, and an occasional art piece.
- If you get a chance, go! It is part of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival which is a 10-day event.
We were a finalist in the prestigious cupping competition, earning bragging rights, and pats on the back!
47th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Finalist!
Our Kona True estate coffee was a finalist in the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival cupping competition. That is huge! We’re thrilled. We competed in the “Artisanal Division: Heritage profile.” That means our coffee is from a small farm that does things the traditional way, resulting in a coffee that tastes like the Kona coffee that created the Kona coffee reputation. We grew, pulped, dried, hulled, and roasted it all on our farm.
Poster
What is Estate Coffee
Estate coffee means that the coffee is grown on a single farm. It isn’t mixed with anyone else’s coffee.
All our Kona True coffee is single-origin coffee grown in the Kona coffee belt, estate grown on our family farm. It is 100% Kona coffee. We pulp, dry, hull, roast, and package our coffee. It never leaves our farm until it is on the way to you.
Less then half of 1% of the worlds coffee is Kona coffee. The Kona coffee belt is only about 20 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Most of the coffee is produced on small farms that are 5 acres or less. Our farm is 9.4 acres. Only a few of the Kona farms are organic, and only a few of those process and roast their coffee.
Want more info about Kona coffee visit our Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
