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Letter Re: The Survivalist's Coffee Cup
Dear James Rawles,
I wanted to add some useful additional information on the use and storage of
green coffee beans, home roasting and on the use of chicory. Canned vacuum
packed ground coffee is horrible tasting after one year. Great for soil amendments
at best.
I have bought and stored green coffee beans for more than 10 years as a part
of our survival and barter larder. The oldest left in rotation to date in dry
storage is seven years. I purchase in bulk yearly when the season is harvested
from my favorite coffee bean varietals. I started off buying bean samplers
of geographical varieties obtained from a local roaster (search the web for
green coffee beans) and now purchase most of my beans from Sweet Maria’s
to try out the different taste qualities of various beans from different new
country offerings. I also study my history of keep ability in long term storage
by using these different storage methods: vacuum packing the bulk beans, freezing
them, and also by bulk packing them in food grade plastic storage containers
using the nitrogen packed dry ice system. Of these, I recommend bulk buying(much
more economical), vacuum bag packing in 1/2-pound quantity, (this is the amount
I roast per batch), and then additionally nitrogen pack in smaller food grade
plastic buckets stored in a cool dry environment, in no more than 70 degrees.
The seven year old beans are still dull pea green in color, the moisture content
is stable and the oil content is not rancid or off flavor. The caffeine is
intact within the bean.
This is what I have personally found in my trials. Coffee beans’ caffeine
potency seem to be co-dependent on the percentage of natural oil in the bean
varietals which is dependant on the indigenous soil and temperate climate of
the specific environmental region or geographical area that they originate.
I have found through my purchases that cooler Mountainous regions are renowned
for supporting superb beans with higher bean oil content and caffeine content.
Warmer, dryer regions have strong flavor, less bean density but, actually store
better and longer in variant storage temp conditions. Try different beans and
draw your own taste and caffeine conclusions for your individual needs. Coffee
for me is a necessity for survival situation alertness especially in prolonged
periods of security post lookout. Its use as a homeopathic for Migraines is
warranted.
The roasting process is crucial if you have a discriminate palate as it releases
the oil with its length of roasting and colors the beans and gives you the
taste you’re after. Roasting also immediately affects coffee bean shelf
storing longevity… the longer and darker the roast, the more oil is rendered
out of the bean, thus, the bolder also is the flavor of your cup. Dark Roast
and Espressos are not for the faint of heart, I mean this
literally, and NOT recommended for persons who are prone
to palpitations. Coffee should not be
consumed if you have a heart condition. It can be used for treatment
of classic Migraine headache at its onset. It acts by causing vasoconstriction
of the cerebral vessels. One strong cup will help stop the subsequent migraine
cycle of symptoms.
I have tried many home roasting methods; use of a cast iron pan on the stove
top stirring with a wooden spoon, using a hand cranked popcorn popper with
an inner stirrer, using a chestnut roaster on the wood burning fireplace. Know
this one common fact; roasting indoors is a smelly proposition and the beans
smell and smoke a lot, enough so to turn on your smoke detectors! I recommend
doing this outdoors if possible. Use your barbeque grill on high (not energy
efficient unless you’re also cooking on it), or invest in a hot air drum
roaster and roast on your porch or open-door garage, your distant neighbors
will
appreciate the aroma wafting through the air It is a far-carrying distinctive
smell. Don’t advertise unless you’re prepared to share. Roasted
beans should be consumed within a week for maximum freshness. I store my roasted
beans in a vacuum packed mason jar kept on the counter top away from heat and
light sources.
Grind only enough beans for the pot you are brewing. I have a Zyliss metal
hand burr grinder that I use off grid which is easily cleaned with a natural
bristle
brush which absorbs the excess oil from the grinder and keeps it fresh. I also
have a couple of older cast iron coffee grinders which were handed down to
me from my European ancestors. These can be found occasionally in thrift stores
or online auctions for cheap. Average 10 bucks. Burr grinders are touted as
the best for bean grinding as they help keep the grind consistent and oil intact.
Use of chicory in coffee is intended at its best as an extender, in TEOTWAWKI conditions
as a replacement. Chicory is an easily grown garden or border plant. It likes
all kinds of weather conditions. It throws beautiful petite blue flowers
that the bees and butterflies love in pollination. It’s prolific and
can be used for medicinal purposes as well. It can be used for human food and
animal fodder. The roots are used as the coffee extender or substitute. I pull
the plant when mature saving the flowers seeds, hang the roots to dry or dehydrate
them, then roast them, and grind them. I store the chicory in vacuum packed
1/4 pound bags. My personal favorite is a four cup French drip enamel pot,
(the filter is an old white sock).
The blend is: 4 Tablespoons coffee grinds
to 1 Tablespoon ground chicory for a nice smooth and kind to the palate cup.
On
long hauls
on the road, I use a 12 volt [DC] auto plug-in coffee maker. When camping,
I use an egg in my percolator (with an egg for my filter) and eat the poached
egg!
All my grinds go into the composer for soil enrichment. The greens are fed
to my dairy goats.
May this Christmas season nourish all our hearts and souls. A most respectful
reader, - KBF
