Yesterday was National Coffee Day. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did, sitting on my deck, sipping from a mug as I watched drops of rain sparkle like diamonds on leaves that are quickly taking on the shades of autumn. One of my sourwood trees (Oxydendrum arboreum) is slightly confused. A few out-of-season blooms dot the tree which is showing the brilliant red color for which it is known. It is one of the earliest trees to color up in fall.

The aroma of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon will get me out of bed quicker than any alarm clock. Sadly, I grew up in a family where “coffee” meant a spoonful of instant crystals stirred into a cup of boiling water. I did not experience the deliciousness of a fresh-brewed cup of joe until after college, when I started sharing a morning cup with my coworkers. In the world of cubicles and deadlines, I learned why one of my friends referred to it as Liquid Energy. It was the beginning of a lifetime love affair. I have, at times, imbibed too much – shaking hands, pounding heart, stained teeth – until I learned to enjoy coffee in moderation. My cardiologist once suggested that I eliminate all caffeine from my diet. “The world would not be a safe place,” I whispered. [I find that people take you seriously when you whisper.]

Coffee is grown in more than 80 countries, in tropical and subtropical climates. Only in zones 10a and warmer is it grown out of doors. A full-size plant can reach up to 20 feet but in commercial cultivation they are pruned to force more blooms, so a typical plant is about 6 feet tall. Grown indoors, plants are much smaller. As a houseplant, coffee needs bright indirect light (no sun), moist but well-drained soil, and high humidity. It is a pretty plant, with glossy leaves. It takes three to five years before a houseplant will bloom, and then it barely produces enough “beans” to brew a pot. The small, white blooms are wonderfully fragrant but only last a couple of days. The ripe berries are pulpy, like grapes. The pulp is removed and the seeds are dried before they are roasted to become what we know as coffee beans. The next time you are tempted to grouse about the price of coffee beans, think about the fact that each berry was harvested by hand.

According to the University of Florida, coffee was first discovered and used by the Arabs, then distributed to the Middle East, Java, Amsterdam, the Caribbean, Central and South America. It became the patriotic drink of choice in North America after the Boston Tea Party (1773).

Various health studies have touted the benefits of consumption (reduced chance of diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and several types of cancer) while others warn of negative side effects (high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, reduced absorption of Vitamin D and calcium). Oregon State University published a report from the Linus Pauling (he was a Nobel Prize winner scientist and the Vitamin C guru, remember) Institute, that conceded “there is little evidence of health risks and some evidence of health benefits for adults consuming moderate amounts of filtered coffee.” For the full article, click here.

I’m an old-school coffee drinker, still grinding my beans and using a drip-type coffee maker. I ventured into the French Press method for a while but I kept getting a mouthful of grounds near the bottom of my cup. I also have a K-cup maker, but I read a sobering report by a non-profit group in Berkeley, California which said there are enough discarded K-cups in US landfills to reach around the planet ten times or more. I immediately bought a molded container and paper filters to make my own K-cups without disposable plastic, but found it time consuming and a bit fussy for people with ten thumbs, like me. No one would question that tons of plastic going into landfills is bad for our environment, but others voice concerns about how brewed coffee uses more electricity and often results in wasted water as the unused excess is discarded. I’ll be interested to see what the next year brings (a compostable cup, I’m guessing) and in the meantime, I will remedy the concern about wasted water and energy by drinking every bit that I brew. To the last drop.