Freshness of Coffee |
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Freshness of Coffee |
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The completion of the roasting process
starts the freshness clock ticking. If the coffee is to be sold
ground, it must be ground immediately. After grinding the coffee
must be left for up to 12 hours before packaging; there are certain
gases developed during roasting that must be allowed to escape. The
alternative is to package the coffee in one-way valve bags, which
allow the gases to pass out of the bag, but keep out oxygen, the
great enemy of freshness. Because packaging technology has improved vastly in the last two decades, processed coffee storage is easier than ever before. In fact, provided a tin, vacuum (brick) pack or foil sachet remains totally intact and undamaged the "sell by" or "use by" dates are almost irrelevant. Once the packaging is opened, the unused coffee should remain in the package, as transference to another container just provides an opportunity for it to lose aroma and flavor. Placing the package in an airtight plastic container, or at least folding the top down and securing it with some sort of up market clothes peg, and keeping it in the refrigerator is the best way to preserve its freshness for as long as possible. Many people prefer to buy roasted beans and grind them when they want a fresh cup of coffee. A great way to maintain the freshness of the beans is to keep them in an absolutely dry container in the freezer, removing them as needed. They do not require thawing, as the grinding process will take care of that. A word of advise, however: do not freeze or chill darkly roasted beans whose outer surface are covered with oil; the cold, coagulated grease looks as though it could ruin the flavor, whether or not it actually does. Instant coffee should remain on the shelf.
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