Pineapples and Passion Fruits

The season of tropical fruits is near, pineapples are growing and passion fruits are flowering.  It is great to see the variety of fruits coming in during summer.  We have both the purple and yellow passion fruit or Lilikoi varieties.  The yellow grows on a fence preferred; the purple definitely needs a trim as it is overtaking everything.  The pineapple pictured is a sugar loaf variety, which is white and super sweet.  We also have the gold variety which can range from a little acidic to quite sweet.  Living in Hawaii we are lucky to have these fruits, as many on the planet have never tasted pineapple that was not from a can, and have no idea what a Lilikoi or passion fruit is.  Next time you have a tropical fruit, know that you are lucky you live in Hawaii. 

Coffee final

 

The perfect cup of Kona coffee should be served black and not tremendously hot, right out of the pot but allowed to cool for a minute or two.  This allows you to taste all of the flavors of coffee without burning your tongue or closing off our taste buds.  Kona coffee at medium roast is in my opinion the best coffee in the world, with mild acidity and smooth coffee flavor.  I must say that growing the coffee that I drink does sway my opinion of coffee, and wherever I go I compare my coffee to theirs.  I have not been impressed often with non - Kona coffee. 

Coffee Part 4

  The miniscule borer beetle is the devastating pest causing the destruction in the previous posts.  The top photo shows the beetles in contrast with a dime these female beetles are pregnant and ready to move to new coffee cherries.  The bean they came from is not even yellow yet and nowhere near ripe.  The amount of destruction caused by these beetles is amazing compared to their size.  There size and lifecycle make it nearly impossible to eradicate, or even control them.  The number of coffee farmers not willing to do anything about it only makes the issue worse.  Coffee farmers in Kona are giving up growing coffee entirely as it is no longer a viable crop that can pay for the taxes in which it is grown on. I don’t know of any coffee farmers personally that have a decent way to save Kona coffee from the beetle other than eradication of coffee for at least two years.    

Coffee Part 3

The coffee cherry opened, inside lies two identical beans, usually.  Here are some beans that have been destroyed by coffee borer beetles.  The beans should be a light yellow color all the way through.  The dark spots are waste form the borer beetle.  The beetle bores in through the cherry at the scar from the flower and burrow into one or both of the beans.  The female is the only beetle that bores into the beans.  Inside the bean the female lays eggs, the larvae eat the coffee bean and mate within the bean.  Only pregnant females leave the coffee cherry, to start the cycle again. 

Many farmers continue to process there beans as normal and grind up the leftover beans.  This is having a negative effect on the overall health of the coffee industry in Kona.  The taste is different as the left over bean may not ever have been fully matured, as well as most beans are not cleared of waste left by beetles.  There is less coffee being produced due to the beetles eating about 1/3 of the beans.         

Coffee Part 2

The ripe coffee cherry, in the center is a penny for size comparison.  Each cherry holds two individually covered beans.  There is little to no fruit or pulp between the red skin and the parchment that covers the coffee bean within.  These beans are from my farm less than 30 feet from my front door.  These beans have been infiltrated by the infamous coffee borer beetle.  The damage these beans cause is HUGE!  The actual beetle is about 1/2 the size of a sesame seed, the beetles can destroy all the beans in your entire field. In the next post I will show you the damage this little beetle can cause.