First off, it will take you four years before you can actually harvest your first coffee berries from your plant. Do not let this keep you from growing your own coffee though. You can still have the plant as decoration until it's actually time to harvest your coffee berries. Here are some tips for growing your own coffee tree.
A coffee tree will grow to be 16 to 40 feet. However, you can trim these down and keep them at 6 feet. This is actually recommended so that you can get the best yeild when it's harvest time. The soil that you use should drain very well. Temperatures should be "in between" (not too hot, not too cold). A good 70 degrees is fine.
Your watering habits should keep the soil moist, but never too much. Make sure to fertilize your coffee plants between March and October.
When the berries begin to show up on the plant, you should only pick the ripe ones. The ripe ones will be red. Once you think you have enough berries, you will make your first coffee. You will either use your oven to roast them or buy a roaster specifically made for coffee beans.
If you want to roast your beans in your oven, you will preheat the oven at 250 degrees. Once the oven is done preheating, place the berries in the oven at this temperature for seven minutes. Now, increase the temperature to 450 degrees for another ten minutes.
By this time, the beans should begin to make a crackling noise. Then, you will stir them around a bit in whatever baking dish you are using and continue to roast. Check the beans every couple of minutes. Once the beans are a medium brown color, remove them and let them cool.
For storage, place them in a container where no air can get to them and put them in the refrigerator. If you are ready to make the coffee now, grind them up and make your own coffee.
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