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Coffee Drink Recipes

Cafe de Olla

Ingredients 8 cups water 4 ounces ground coffee 2 cinnamon sticks 2 ounces brown sugar 3 whole cloves 1 square semi-sweet chocolate Directions 1. Bring water to a boil 2. Add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and semi-sweet chocolate 3. Let the mixture come to a boil again and … [Read More...] about Cafe de Olla

Orange Mocha Frappuccino

Ingredients: 3 oz espresso 1/4 cup sugar 2 and 1/2 cups milk 2 tbs. Pectin (found near jell-o at most supermarkets) 1 cup ice 1 tbs orange zest whipped cream Directions: 1. Brew espresso 2. Pour espresso into blender and add sugar. Blend until sugar dissolved and mixed … [Read More...] about Orange Mocha Frappuccino

European (hot) 2 servings

1 cup strong coffee 1 egg white 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons half and half Beat egg white until forms soft peaks Gently add vanilla, and continue to beat to stiff peaks are formed Place into 2 coffee mugs Pour coffee over egg white top with half and half … [Read More...] about European (hot) 2 servings

Thai Coffee Oliang

Ingredients: 8 tbs Thai Oliang Coffee Powder Mix 2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbs evaporated milk Directions: 1. Boil water and mix with Oliang. Let steep for 2 minutes. 2. Drain the mixture through a cloth sieve into a medium container. 3. Add sugar and mix well. 4. … [Read More...] about Thai Coffee Oliang

Lola’s Cinnamon Syrup Iced Coffee

You know the feeling of waking up each morning from a sleepy haze, stumbling out of bed blurry eyed wishing it was a Saturday. You have to be at your desk in an hour. You know the drinks machine will sit humming in the background, trying to lull you into craving a cup of plastic tasting brown water … [Read More...] about Lola’s Cinnamon Syrup Iced Coffee

Cappuccino on Ice

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup half-and-half cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions In a medium bowl, combine coffee and milk. Whisk in half-and-half and vanilla until well blended. Pour into glasses filled with ice. … [Read More...] about Cappuccino on Ice

You are here: Home / Just Coffee / Coffee Beans / The Coffee-Storage Conundrum: How to Keep Beans Fresh

The Coffee-Storage Conundrum: How to Keep Beans Fresh

October 6, 2010 by admin

Let’s look at bags first. If your favorite coffee can be found in a supermarket or other kind of store, and isn’t scooped as whole beans or ground fresh on-site, look for brands packed in bags with a one-way valve. They are common. You can spot the valve, which looks like a little round button, near the top of the bag. In addition to protecting contents from moisture and light, one-way-valve bags allow coffee to be packed soon after roasting, without forced degassing.

That’s a good thing, because it means carbon dioxide remains present in the bag, pushing out oxygen to protect against oxidation and promote proper aging. The valve also allows small amounts of carbon dioxide to escape from unopened bags, protecting against the bag exploding during normal rises in atmospheric pressure. But the valve giveth and taketh away; escaping along with the carbon dioxide are those essential volatile aromas. Bottom line: You’ll want to open one-way-valve bags within a few weeks of the roasting date.

But how to know the roasting date of non-store-roasted, bagged coffee? Forward-thinking roasters like Intelligentsia and some others have started to stamp the roasting date on bags. Otherwise, there is an unscientific approach that works pretty well: hold the bag with the valve close to your nose, squeeze gently and let a little gas escape. If the coffee is of a good age, you’ll sense good, intense aromas. [Corby’s note: But remember, those escaping aromas mean less in your cup! The problem, as Giorgio points out, is if the good aromas have already been lost, in which case you smell nothing, or whether the odor is frankly stale, in which case you shouldn’t buy it.

Try to use up the contents quickly—ideally, within a few days to a week—because of the ensuing rapid staling. The one-way valve fully opens the first time you open the bag, and serves no purpose afterwards.

Non-valve bags are the norm for coffee packed fresh at your local roaster or café. [Corby’s note: Though Starbucks and other large roasters used to, at least, ship bulk coffee in valve-lock bags.] They are a viable packaging option if the coffee going inside was freshly roasted three to five days beforehand, allowing for sufficient initial degassing. Maybe a day or two on the long side won’t make a big difference, but more than that, and you’ll experience a variety of issues, like the overabundant crema and taste flaws described earlier. I strongly recommend asking the barista or counterperson how recently your choice was roasted. If the person isn’t sure, I’d recommend not buying. When you do buy, start using fresh-packed coffee right away—simply keeping the bag sealed doesn’t stop the rapid degassing process—and finish it within a few days to a week.

If finishing a bag that quickly isn’t in the cards, you can extend your coffee’s life through refrigeration. The key is first transferring it to an airtight container, then making sure to bring it to room temperature before preparing, especially for espresso. [Corby’s note: I don’t think Giorgio’s way! I never believe in refrigeration. Keep in an airtight bag at room temperature for five or so days, and that’s it.] For longer-term preservation, you can put an open one-way valve bag or any non-valve bag in the freezer. Know that there will be some flavor and aroma loss. [Corby’s note: a lot!] I don’t recommend freezing coffee intended for espresso under any circumstances.

On to cans, where lots of confusion reigns. The most common canning process is vacuum packing, which does an excellent job protecting coffee from moisture, oxygen, and light—better than bagged coffee. You can store it for many months on the shelf, or in your pantry, before unsealing. But vacuum packing has one major flaw: The coffee must be completely degassed before packing, because there is no valve to let gas escape. Without degassing, vacuum-sealed cans are prone to expanding, or even exploding. The problem is that full degassing prior to canning causes immediate loss of very desirable, volatile aromas that come from coffee’s natural aging process. So the tradeoff is clear: gain shelf life, lose some aroma and flavor.

The other major canning method, pressurization in a modified atmosphere, provides the best of both worlds: protection from staling-inducing elements while permitting proper aging though carefully calibrated degassing. Full disclosure: This method was invented in the 1930s by illy’s founder, Francesco Illy, by chance as he was seeking the best way to transport his coffee from Trieste, Italy, to Switzerland. [Corby’s note: And it’s also Illy’s opinion—its canning method best shows its own blend, as other companies’ storage methods do, dictated by economy and technological prowess. And Illy has always been at the technological forefront.

This method puts newly roasted coffee in a rigid, sealed can with a special, one-way valve. As with vacuum packing, the air is drawn out. But a critical, extra step then occurs: the introduction of inert nitrogen gas, which pushes out any residual oxygen while increasing internal pressure, promoting   proper aging from the start. As gas fills the can, the can’s internal pressure increases, effectively slowing down future degassing.

During the initial 10 to 15 days, a strong aging effect takes place, improving the quality of the coffee. The high internal pressure spreads the natural oils around the coffee cells (see photo), creating a barrier whereby the volatiles normally forced out by escaping carbon dioxide remain trapped inside. The net effect is shelf stability for months, enabling long-distance transport with no quality loss.

Cain, Abel, and other biblical siblings aside, understanding coffee packaging can make your coffee a truly religious experience.

Filed Under: Coffee Beans, Just Coffee

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Cooking With Coffee

Chocolate Gelato Affogato

Ingredients: 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/4 cup whole milk 1/2 cup sugar 4 large egg yolks 2 tsp vanilla … [Read More...] about Chocolate Gelato Affogato

Bailey’s Brownies

Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 5 tbss natural unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp kosher salt 14 oz … [Read More...] about Bailey’s Brownies

Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Ducks

This is a fun and simple little recipe, especially designed for Easter. Little kids can get involved with preparing this one, but the final product is … [Read More...] about Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Ducks

“REAL” Coffee Cake

"Real" Coffee Cake Ingredients: Cake 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup instant coffee granules 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking … [Read More...] about “REAL” Coffee Cake

Cranberry Crumb Coffeecake

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter (room temperature) 1 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup yogurt (I used vanilla, or sour cream) 1/2 teaspoon almond … [Read More...] about Cranberry Crumb Coffeecake

Coffee Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 1 cup softened butter 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 tsp ground coffee 1/2 … [Read More...] about Coffee Sugar Cookies

Espresso Brownies

Ingredients 1/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 eggs 2 tbs of cold espresso 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup softened butter 1 tsp vanilla 2/3 … [Read More...] about Espresso Brownies

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cookies Recipe

Makes 36 cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white sugar 2 egg, beaten 3 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur 3 cups … [Read More...] about Chocolate Chip Coffee Cookies Recipe

Café d’Epoca & its Profile Discovery tool

Café d'Epoca recently launched its website that revolves around personalization and coffee discovery.  You take a simple 6 question profile assessment quiz and it designates your flavor profile type.  It then recommends which Profile Coffee type you should drink and associated origin coffees that match your flavor type. It's fun, beautiful and interesting.  Take a look here, Cafedepoca.com … [Read More...] about Café d’Epoca & its Profile Discovery tool

Differences Between Coffee Roasts

For the most part there is a standard that is followed within the coffee industry when it comes to identifying different roast levels, but this is prone to vary within different regions, different countries, and even within different companies. It's important for coffee drinkers to understand the key differences between these roasts to help them better identify their ideal brew and purchase the … [Read More...] about Differences Between Coffee Roasts

Mocha Coffee Recipe

Ingredients 1 cup hot brewed coffee 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon white sugar 2 tablespoons milk Directions Pour hot coffee into a mug. Stir in cocoa, sugar and milk. … [Read More...] about Mocha Coffee Recipe

Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

How to Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden Throw it in your compost: Coffee grounds are 1.45% nitrogen and contain calcium and magnesium to add some trace minerals you may not get from your other organic material.  Coffee grounds are a green material (I know coffee is brown, but same idea as grass clippings) so you should add with at least equal amounts of brown material (leaves) but if you are … [Read More...] about Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

The Coffee-Storage Conundrum: How to Keep Beans Fresh

Let's look at bags first. If your favorite coffee can be found in a supermarket or other kind of store, and isn't scooped as whole beans or ground fresh on-site, look for brands packed in bags with a one-way valve. They are common. You can spot the valve, which looks like a little round button, near the top of the bag. In addition to protecting contents from moisture and light, one-way-valve bags … [Read More...] about The Coffee-Storage Conundrum: How to Keep Beans Fresh

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