Check out our Shipping Rates - ship up to 20 lbs for $8.99 People in the coffee trade used to say that raw coffee was eternal and we used to say that too. The revised estimate is that green coffee last a year - though counting on a six month rotation of stock. We are unlike most green coffee sellers in that we do not have old stock - we are careful that the coffee you receive is not more than three months to nine months old. This can mean that a certain bean is unavailable for certain times of the year if we sell out of the last crop year and the new year's crop has not come in. But it is helpful to think of coffee as a commodity that has a seasonal cycle, just like folks think of Washington apples or Michigan peaches. Coffee is not nearly as time sensitive as peaches though!
While there are ideal storage conditions for green coffee, it does not share the fragile qualities of roasted beans. While many large commercial roasters vacuum pack coffee in airtight plastic, green coffee might create condenstation and rot over time. Large quanities of raw coffee are shipped in burlap sacks, but we ship ours in zip lock polybags to ensure cleanliness and keep costs down. Some folks have experimented with vacuum sealing green coffee - and a specialty coffee pioneer named George Howell is experimenting with deep freezing green coffee. I think the jury is still out on both methods' ability to extend the flavor-life of the green unchanged.
The best storage conditions for raw coffee probably exist down in your basement, or another part of the house that is not subject to large shifts in temperature and humidity. If you do not plan to use your Sweet Maria's coffee within a month, pour the coffee from its ziplock bag into an ordinary kraft paper bag and label it. If you have cotton cloth or burlap bags, use them. Coffee needs to breathe so moisture cannot condense around it, so don't lock it up in an airtight vault, tomb or cedar chest. Direct sunlight is not good either. There are bugs or larvae that might be attracted to the burlap or cotton - but almost nothing will eat green coffee. If the coffee gets wet - you can get mold.
Coffee stored for 3+ years can be considered aged coffee. Aged coffees are put through a specific process of rotation - not just left to sit in a bag - so not all old coffee is "aged." Aged coffees display unusual (and often desirable) qualities, such as reduced acidity and interesting flavor notes. Not all coffees age well, but some are greatly improved. Particularly bright coffee lose their character after about a year and taste flat- but more earthy coffees can age well, Older coffees usually display a "baggy" quality - they start to taste like the bag they are stored in. You may not have the space or funds to start a coffee cellar, but it does have many advantages; access to a great variety of beans, the ability to cup coffees consistently, to create better blends, and it just may impress your friends! updated 8/06
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