It’s always fun to have two coffees from the same farm on the counter at the same time – and this month we have the two La Bolsas. Both are from the same crop, the same varietals and the same processing (traditional washed) method. They differ in a key aspect though – caffeine. After selection at the end of last year’s harvest we sent one lot to Mexico for decaffeination. If you would like to taste the difference this one aspect makes, now is the time to do it. We visited La Bolsa earlier this year. The fruit, which was on the trees then and almost ready to be picked, has now been processed and milled and is on its way to us. Again, we have sent one lot to be decaffeinated and one directly to us. We have been buying this way for a few years now from La Bolsa, and it has become part of the harvest cycle for us.
For the team at La Bolsa, the harvest cycle begins straight after the last one with a tidying of the farm and strategic pruning of the trees, typically in March. Pruning is decided on a three-to-five-year timeframe depending on the varietal and plot location. Last year’s new growth (on the trees not selected for pruning) will be where the flowering begins, and the fruit sets. The flowering is prompted by the first rains after the summer season. This isn’t the beginning of the rainy season, but a signal to the trees that the weather is turning and more rain will be on its way. The flowering typically happens in April in this area and is the best signal of the size of the upcoming harvest. Without this first rain, the flowering won’t happen.
After flowering, the first round of fertilisation is applied, usually in May. Weed control and fumigation happens after this, before the second round of fertilisation. Weed control is primarily done by machete and before any soil improvement, you don’t want those precious nutrients feeding the weeds! Chopped weeds are left on the ground to turn to mulch to help protect the topsoil layer. From here, it is a bit of a waiting game until the fruit starts to set later in the year. However, it is not a quiet time on the farm. New seedlings will be planted out with the start of the rainy season, and then the preparations begin for the start of the harvest.
Depending on the exact time of the flowering, the first pickings at La Bolsa happen in December and this cherry is processed using the natural method. The La Bolsa team wait until the full flush of the crop is under way (typically by mid-January) before processing using the washed method. Fruit is left in bags for up to 36 hours before being sent to the patios (natural) or pulping (for the washed). Cool temperatures during the harvest at La Bolsa allow for this kind of storage of picked cherry. At other farms it would need to go straight to processing to prevent spoilage.
After the harvest and processing is complete, we sample the different lots (varietals, plots, processing days) available to us and make our selection for the year. And then, it all starts again!
Monmouth x
