Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks, yet very few people know what happens before the beans reach the roaster. Every great cup of coffee begins with a successful harvest, and the way coffee cherries are picked has a direct impact on flavour, aroma and quality.

Unlike many crops that can be harvested all at once, coffee is usually collected over several weeks because the cherries do not ripen at the same time. This makes harvesting one of the most important and labour-intensive stages of coffee production.

At Herradura Coffee Farm, located on the Costa Tropical of Granada in southern Spain, we grow 100% Arabica coffee in one of the very few coffee plantations in mainland Europe. Every harvest teaches us that patience is one of the most valuable tools a coffee farmer can have.

In this guide, you’ll discover how coffee is harvested, when the harvest takes place, the different harvesting methods used around the world and why hand-picking is still considered the gold standard for producing high-quality coffee.

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What Is Coffee Harvest?

Coffee harvest is the process of collecting ripe coffee cherries from the coffee tree. Inside each cherry are usually two coffee beans, which will later be processed, dried, roasted and brewed.

Harvesting may sound simple, but timing is everything. Picking cherries too early results in underdeveloped flavours and lower sweetness, while waiting too long can cause the fruit to over-ripen or even fall from the tree.

A successful coffee harvest depends on several factors, including:

• Climate

• Rainfall

• Altitude

• Coffee variety

• Farming practices

• Experience of the growers

Because of these variables, every coffee-producing region has its own harvest calendar.

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When Is Coffee Harvested?

Coffee is harvested at different times of the year depending on the country and local climate.

For example:

Country	Main Harvest Season
Brazil	May to September
Colombia	Varies by region, often September to December
Ethiopia	October to January
Costa Rica	November to March
Vietnam	October to December

Here in southern Spain, our harvest is much smaller than those of traditional coffee-producing countries, but the same principle applies: coffee cherries are picked only when they reach full maturity.

Rather than following a fixed date, we observe the colour and ripeness of every cherry before harvesting.

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How Do You Know When Coffee Cherries Are Ripe?

Most Arabica varieties produce cherries that change colour as they mature.

They typically progress through several stages:

• Green (immature)

• Yellow or orange (depending on the variety)

• Bright red when fully ripe

• Dark red if overripe

Only fully ripe cherries contain the right balance of sugars and organic compounds needed to produce excellent coffee.

One interesting fact is that cherries on the same branch often ripen at different speeds. This means growers may visit the same tree several times during harvest, collecting only the fruit that is ready.

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The Three Main Coffee Harvesting Methods

Coffee producers around the world use three main harvesting techniques.

1. Hand Picking (Selective Harvesting)

Selective hand picking is widely regarded as the best harvesting method for specialty coffee.

Workers inspect every branch and pick only the ripe cherries, leaving the green ones to mature naturally.

Although this method requires much more time and labour, it offers significant advantages:

• Better flavour consistency

• Higher sweetness

• More uniform roasting

• Fewer defective beans

• Higher cup quality

This is the method used by many premium coffee farms around the world.

At Herradura Coffee Farm, every coffee cherry is picked by hand because quality always comes before speed.

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2. Strip Picking

Strip picking is a faster method.

Instead of selecting individual cherries, workers pull every cherry from the branch in a single movement.

While this greatly reduces harvesting time, it also means ripe, unripe and overripe cherries are collected together.

The coffee can still be good, but more sorting is required afterwards to remove defective fruit.

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3. Mechanical Harvesting

Large coffee farms, particularly in countries with relatively flat terrain, often use mechanical harvesters.

These machines shake the coffee trees so that cherries fall onto collection systems.

Mechanical harvesting offers major advantages for large-scale production:

• Lower labour costs

• Faster harvesting

• Efficient processing of large plantations

However, it generally lacks the precision of hand picking and is rarely used for the highest-quality specialty coffees.

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Why Is Hand-Picked Coffee Better?

One of the most common questions visitors ask during our tours is why we don’t simply harvest everything at once.

The answer is simple.

Coffee trees don’t ripen evenly.

Even two cherries growing side by side may be several days apart in maturity.

If all cherries were harvested together, the final coffee would contain a mixture of:

• Immature cherries

• Perfectly ripe cherries

• Overripe cherries

That inconsistency affects sweetness, acidity and overall flavour.

By harvesting only ripe cherries, farmers can produce coffee with a cleaner, more balanced and more complex cup profile.

Although hand picking is slower and more expensive, it remains the preferred method for producing specialty coffee.

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What Happens After Coffee Is Harvested?

Harvesting is only the beginning.

Once the cherries have been picked, they must be processed quickly to preserve quality.

The basic steps are:

1. Sorting the cherries.

2. Removing leaves and damaged fruit.

3. Processing the cherries using natural, washed or honey methods.

4. Drying the beans until they reach the correct moisture level.

5. Removing the parchment layer.

6. Storing the green coffee before roasting.

Each processing method creates different flavour characteristics.

For example, natural coffees often develop fruitier notes, while washed coffees tend to produce cleaner and brighter flavours.

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Coffee Harvest in Spain

Many people are surprised to discover that coffee can grow in southern Spain.

Although mainland Europe is not traditionally associated with coffee production, the Costa Tropical of Granada benefits from a unique subtropical microclimate that allows Arabica coffee trees to thrive.

Our plantation combines coffee with other tropical crops such as mangoes, avocados, cherimoyas and lychees, creating a diverse agricultural environment unlike almost anywhere else in Europe.

Because production is small, every harvest receives careful attention.

Rather than aiming for quantity, our focus is on producing the highest possible quality while sharing the story of coffee cultivation with visitors from around the world.

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Can You Visit a Coffee Harvest?

Yes.

One of the most rewarding times to visit a coffee plantation is during harvest season.

Seeing ripe cherries on the trees helps visitors understand just how much work goes into producing a single cup of coffee.

During our guided tours at Herradura Coffee Farm, guests can learn about:

• Coffee cultivation

• Flowering and fruit development

• Harvesting techniques

• Coffee processing

• Sustainable farming

• Coffee growing in mainland Europe

It is a unique opportunity to experience coffee before it becomes the roasted beans found in supermarkets or cafés.

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How long does the coffee harvest last?

Depending on the climate and the coffee variety, harvesting can last anywhere from several weeks to several months.

Why are coffee cherries picked by hand?

Hand picking allows farmers to select only ripe cherries, resulting in better flavour and higher-quality coffee.

Can coffee be harvested by machine?

Yes. Mechanical harvesting is common on large commercial farms, especially where the terrain is flat enough for harvesting machines to operate efficiently.

What happens immediately after coffee is picked?

The cherries are sorted and processed before being dried, preparing the beans for roasting.

Why don’t all coffee cherries ripen together?

Coffee trees flower over an extended period, so cherries naturally mature at different speeds depending on weather conditions and sunlight.

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Coffee harvest is much more than simply picking fruit from a tree. It is one of the most important stages in the journey from farm to cup, influencing the flavour, aroma and quality of every coffee bean.

Whether coffee is harvested by hand or by machine, every method has its place. However, when exceptional quality is the goal, careful hand picking remains the preferred choice.

At Herradura Coffee Farm, we continue this tradition by harvesting every Arabica cherry by hand. It is slower, but it allows us to produce coffee that reflects the unique conditions of southern Spain and offers visitors a rare glimpse into one of Europe’s most unusual coffee-growing regions.