What is Parchment Coffee? (Solved & Explained!)

Parchment coffee is the part of a coffee bean where only the outer layer, a protective layer of the cherry, is removed (that is released during coffee processing). The protective layer around the bean remains as it is.

In this coffee processing method, they don’t dry the whole fruit, and they pass it through a machine to remove the rice crust and save the paddy crest. Then, they keep it under the sun with the paddy crest for drying. These are then dried and ground into coffee beans.

This article will look at what exactly parchment coffee is, how to store it, and the process involved in making it.

What Are the Characteristics of Parchment Coffee?  

In older methods, they dried fruit cherries for 20 days or more depending on the weather. But in the case of parchment coffee, they first remove the cherries and then dry it with the paddy crest still attached. This method is the more modernized form of coffee processing.

The modern coffee process takes less time for drying, about 15 days. In addition, they can easily store parchment coffee because they are light in weight and occupy less space. Parchment coffee storage is more manageable than green coffee because the shell around the coffee beans protects it from moisture and environmental factors such as air, light, and temperature that can compromise its flavor. 

What Are the Methods of Storing Parchment Coffee?

There are three methods for storing parchment coffee: plastic bags, sacks, or containers. These are essential to protect the coffee from humidity and to increase the lifespan of the coffee.

More factors to keep in mind while storing the parchment coffee are to avoid the contact of containers or bags of parchment coffee with the walls and even the floors. In addition, they should avoid being placed in humid places such as the fridge and under sunlight. 

By following these suggestions, you can store the parchment coffee for a long time. In this way, the quality of the parchment coffee will stay intact until it’s ready to be turned into coffee.

What Are Coffee Husks Used for? 

The coffee husk has a lot of benefits:

• The coffee husks are used to fertilize lands—coffee husks are filled with a lot of organic material.
• In the process of roasting, some people throw them as waste, and some know their uses, so they keep them and use them on the soil to improve its fertility. Other than this, the farmers also use them in soil for growing vegetables and crops.
• Furthermore, they are used as food for some pets and chickens. Some farmers also make cascara syrup from these husks. This syrup is very beneficial as it is less sweet and has non-artificial sugar. 
• These coffee husks also have a high cellulose level and a high level of caffeine and antioxidants. So it is used for making energy drinks or used as food supplements.

How is Parchment Coffee Made? 

There are two methods for preparing parchment coffee: a dry form and a wet approach. 

First, the ripe fruits are picked, and all the impurities are removed in the wet process. Then we pass it through the machine that peels the fruit’s outer skin. Whatever is left is a bean with the outer husk, parchment coffee. 

In this process, this husk with the bean inside is washed to remove any impurities or oil. They are soaked and then passed through. This is the wet method, which differs from the dry process as, after they harvest the cherry from the tree, it is directly dried. 

In the dry process, when the moisture level goes down to 15%, they are added to the coffee drying machine, which peels off the fruit and gives the dry rice husks. These husks are the final products of parchment coffee. For making Arabica coffee, the wet method is preferred. 

Arabica coffee is the result of the best parchment coffee method and is considered luxury coffee worldwide.

Where can I Buy Parchment Coffee?

Parchment coffee is scarce as standard factories don’t make it. Parchment coffee is usually made on-demand or by ordering. Caffeine in parchment coffee is higher than the caffeine in other green coffee. 

In parchment coffee, there is a husk around the bean with caffeine, polyphenols, and tannins in higher concentrations. This contributes to the difference between parchment coffee, gold coffee, and honey bean coffee. In honey bean coffee, the mucilage, the outer layer around the coffee bean, is removed by washing. 

If the bean has no mucilage, they only dry the bean and do not wash. It is slow and expensive, so it is not readily available. So instead, the beans are kept in water for about two days to remove the sticky material around them. 

The bean is kept for 3 to 4 weeks with parchment and is hence known as parchment coffee. And if they peel or grind the parchment coffee to remove its last layer of parchment, this will result in golden or green coffee.

How Can I Remove Parchments from Dry Coffee Beans?

You can remove parchments from the dry coffee beans by adding them to a plastic bag. Close the plastic bag and roll a wooden roller gently over the bean. This method will separate the husks from the beans. 

Make sure that you apply with a gentle hand, otherwise, the roller has the ability to break the beans. After this process, all the husks or outer layers are removed from the plastic bag. Next, you have to make sure that the coffee is properly dried until the moisture level reaches 10%. 

You also have to ensure that it does not become filled with moisture again. This will ensure that they stay safe and dry, and last a long time in storage.

Can I Roast the Coffee with Parchment?

You can roast the coffee with parchment; it gives a reddish color after burning. However, you should handle roasting carefully because it may affect the coffee’s taste when you do extra roasting. Over-roasting can give a bitter taste.