A Different Flavor Sensation - Types of Organic Coffee Beans

When I first started looking into the different types of organic coffee beans I had no idea what flavor sensations were in store. Fruity, rich chocolate, caramel, spicy and smoky were descriptions that were being thrown around. Are we talking about coffee? This was intriguing. Why were there were so many different flavors? Well, it all begins with the beans so let me tell you a little bit about them.

We start with organic green coffee beans. A coffee bean is actually the seed of a coffee cherry. Once the red ripe cherries are picked from the tree, they are dried (usually in sunlight) and then the outer portion of the dried cherry is removed. This leaves the coffee bean which is then sorted either by hand or on a conveyer belt. They are sorted by size and density (lighter beans which are as good to the heavier ones, which is a quality bean). These unroasted beans are green coffee beans which are shipped around the world to become our light, medium or dark roast coffee.

The green coffee beans are roasted in a large drum for about 5 to 7 minutes. It smells a bit like popcorn. The beans double in size and crackle as they get bigger. After the first pop, the roasting process is stopped for light roast beans. During the roasting process the beans have changed color from green to yellow to a light cinnamon brown. The beans still have a bit of a sour or acidic taste; however, the sharp fruity flavor and origin is apparent. Many good quality beans are only lightly roasted.

The beans continue in their roasting process and start shrinking in size. After about 9 to 11 minutes the roasting is stopped. At this point the sugary flavors of the beans start to come out. Medium roast coffee is a bit sweeter with hints of milk chocolate. The coffee has a slight smokiness and the original beans bright flavor can still be tasted.

Dark Roast coffee takes about 12 to 13 minutes and the sugars have fully developed in the dark beans giving the coffee a rich deep chocolate caramel flavor with a hint of spiciness. It is more difficult to tell which part of the world or coffee region that dark roast beans come from as the smokiness and sugars of the bean have become more predominant.

Espresso Roast takes about 14 minutes and, at this point, the sugars in the espresso beans are starting to burn and caramelize. This produces a smokier bean and a smoky rich tasting espresso coffee.

Most of us drink coffee every day. Your preference may be the fruitier light roast coffee in the morning. Perhaps you prefer a medium roast with a subtle chocolate flavor. Many enjoy the rich spicy caramel dark roast or the classic smoky espresso. Whatever your pleasure, organic coffee certainly is not boring and there is a large variety of organic coffee beans to choose from. Have fun exploring!

10 Good Reasons Why Organic Foods Are Beneficial to Both Your Health and Environment

A lot of people don't really know much about Organic Food and have no idea about the great health benefits that they can receive by simply including them into our diets. Not only that, a lot of people are unaware that the methods used during Organic production are beneficial to the environment.

So many studies have also shown that eating Organic Foods has great health benefits. The great thing about eating Organic foods though, is that not only they good for our health, but the methods used during Organic production are very beneficial to the environment. Here are some great reasons why eating Organic Foods is beneficial to ones health and the Environment.

1. Organic Foods help boost ones energy levels through the consumption of lower levels of toxins and synthetic chemicals that are harmful and that leave your body feeling sluggish and run down.

2. They help your body to be more resistant to disease because they have higher levels of the essential nutrients that the body needs to fight off infections and disease.

3. They are better for fighting a lot of the chronic health problems that seem to be on the increase in our society today.

4. Organic Fruits do not contain harmful pesticides, where as the average non organic fruit contains more than 30 different pesticides that are harmful to your health even after being washed thoroughly.

5. Organic Food Producers are held to a very high standard and are inspected often, so they have to live up to very strict standards and guidelines.

6. Organic Dairy or Farm Produce such as milk and eggs do not have the chemicals, drugs and growth hormones given to the animals, where as Non-Organic Dairy or Farm Produce do, and are passed on to human bodies when consumed.

7. Children can greatly benefit from eating Organic Foods because they won't consume so many synthetic chemicals during their most formative years.

8. Organic Farming is environment friendly. It does not consist of dangerous fertilizers and pesticides that are harmful to the soil and our environment.

9. They are not Genetically Modified. A number of studies have revealed that genetically Modified foods can pose serious risks to both humans and animals.

10. Organic Foods are pure, all natural and safe to eat. They are not loaded with potentially harmful synthetic chemicals, additives, and pesticides which when consumed are digested and stored in human bodies and are harmful to your health.

Taste Organic Food With A Fruit Salad

Organic food has so much more flavor than conventional produce. Conventional peaches can be extremely mealy with little or no flavor. Caution: eating organic peaches can turn you into a peach snob! There are worlds of difference in flavor between organic and conventional peaches, not to mention other fruits.

Fruit is such a great dessert, because it curbs your sweet tooth and boosts your daily fresh fruit intake. We should eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Some doctors say eight.

Organic food not only has more flavor, but it is healthier for you and the planet. Organic fruits are cultivated using no pesticides, which decreases your risk of cancer and retains rich soil quality for generations to come.

Ingredients:

2 organic bananas

2 oz. organic strawberries

2 oz. organic blueberries

2 organic peaches

Slice bananas into medium-sized bowl. Rinse strawberries and blueberries, then pat them dry with a towel. Cut strawberries into quarters. Add strawberries and blueberries to bananas in bowl. Using a knife, carefully cut around the entire circumference of a peach. Twist the two halves in opposite directions until they come apart. Now use the knife in the same manner to slice each piece in half again. The peach pit may be easy to remove, or you may have to coax it out by cutting around it, depending on how ripe the peach is. Your mouth will water in direct proportion to how juicy the peach is! Cut each peach quarter into three chunks.

Add peaches to the mix and gently fold with a large spoon. This fruit salad serves two.

Blueberries are bursting with vitamin C, manganese and vitamin E. They are also packed with the antioxidant anthocyanidin, which neutralizes free radical damage to collagen cells and tissues, helping reduce your risk of cancer.

Bananas contain loads of potassium, which is very helpful in reducing blood pressure, heart attacks and leg cramps. Bananas are also chocked full of vitamin C, A1, B6, magnesium, iron and tryptophan. Vitamin B6 regulates blood glucose levels, and tryptophan is a natural mood-calming chemical. So bananas are terrific for dissipating PMS, depression and seasonal affective disorder!

And those little strawberries pack a lot of vitamins! They're brimming with 130 percent the daily requirement of vitamin C! And that's not to mention also containing vitamin K, potassium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, and even omega 3 fatty acids.

As for peaches, they not only drip with flavor, but they contain vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and even calcium. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, skin and teeth--and even boosts the immune system.

With a mouth-watering fruit salad made from organic food ingredients that's just bursting with vitamins and flavor, who needs sugar?