When you live totally off the electrical grid, and don’t often buy commercial products from the store, you learn to live like every day is the Apocalypse.
Mesquite coffee is (or should be) the Apocalypse Coffee of choice for people who live where Mesquite trees are ubiquitous.
Here is how we make our Mesquite coffee. It’s some of the best coffee you’ve ever had (of any kind), and people order it from us from all over the U.S. It’s that good!
Normal Equipment Needed
Mesquite Trees w/Pods
Harvesting Baskets
13×9 Baking Pan
Coffee Grinder
Coffee Percolator
Apocalypse Equipment Needed
Mesquite Trees w/pods
Fire or Heat
Water
How to Make It
Mesquite Coffee became very popular in Texas during the war years 1861-1865 when coffee made from coffee beans became unavailable. And the thing is, Mesquite Coffee is not a “sacrifice.” It is actually a fantastic coffee beverage, and doesn’t at all taste like a coffee substitute.
I can’t emphasize this enough… Mesquite Coffee tastes like coffee. Like really, really good coffee.
The process of making Mesquite Coffee begins with harvesting the Mesquite Pods. They are ready to harvest during the months of July and August. Some years it is later but it is almost never earlier. The best ones to pick are tan or off white in color. Some pods even have a little purple on them. The color can vary from tree to tree. The really thin or flat ones are not good to harvest. The longer (6-7”), plump and dry ones are the best. You can also shake the pod by your ear and hear the beans rattle inside. When they are dry enough to harvest they have usually already fallen off the tree. Slightly green, unripe pods can be taken off the tree but they will then need to be dried in the sun. The pods need to be harvested before too much rain falls on them as this lowers the quality of the pod.
After the harvest, break the pods in 2-3” sections. In a 13×9 baking pan, spread out a single layer of pods and roast them at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes, if you like dark roasted coffee. When we first started (since we live off-grid) we roasted our pods in solar ovens. You can use a regular oven, or you can darken them in a cast iron skillet or over a fire. If you like a lighter roast then shorten the amount of time they are in the oven. When they come out of the oven, they will be giving off smoke. This is normal. Then grind the pods (the whole pod) and after it is ground, you will have a coffee that has ground up pods and the intact Mesquite beans in it. The beans themselves are very tough. Don’t try to separate out the parts or to make it look like store bought coffee. It doesn’t grind up that way. The whole bunch is “mesquite coffee.”
We use a percolator to make the coffee. You can make it any way you make regular coffee. *Only you use 1/3 as much Mesquite Coffee* I’ve even used a Keurig with the special reusable cups and it worked great! The amount and length of time to percolate it depends on your personal preference, but ounce for ounce Mesquite Coffee makes on average about 3 times as much coffee to produce the same strength or boldness.
Hardcore Apocalypse Method: Pick mesquite pods. Dry them. Break them into 2-3” pieces. Roast them near a fire on a hot rock until they are nearly black and smoking. Drop them into a pot, bowl, or cup of boiling water. Steep until desired strength and consistency. Filter out pods. Drink coffee! (Avoid zombies.)
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Does the mesquite coffee have caffeine?
It does not have caffeine, though almost every one who has tried it reports a “caffeine-light” effect, mainly from the sugars preseent in mesquite pods.
No caffeine though. That’ll be the real demand for coffee, not the taste.
It does not have caffeine, though almost every one who has tried it reports a “caffeine-light” effect, mainly from the sugars preseent in mesquite pods.
You can also make coffee by drying cleaned dandelion roots and gribding like coffee 🙂
Hello, could you tell me if mesquite coffee is decaf or full strength? Thank you.
It does not have caffeine, though almost every one who has tried it reports a “caffeine-light” effect, mainly from the sugars preseent in mesquite pods.
Mesquite coffee doesn’t have the same benefits of coffee, though? Ie the caffeine or any other ingredients of similiar effect?
Mesquite coffee is a new thing (new for most of us) so we are still examining it’s benefits. For most mesquite coffee drinkers, it has most of the benefits without the negatives (like acid stomach, etc.) It does not have caffeine, though almost every one who has tried it reports a “caffeine-light” effect, mainly from the sugars preseent in mesquite pods.
Does it contain caffeine or some other form of stimulant, or is it just flavored?
It does not have caffeine, though almost every one who has tried it reports a “caffeine-light” effect, mainly from the sugars preseent in mesquite pods.
Well, I’ll have to have my family back home in the Rio Grande Valley collect a bushel of pods for me when they’re in season again.
I live just north of San Antonio and my dad has a mesquite tree with these pods. I didn’t know that they could be used for coffee. I’ll have to try it out. Thanks!
Mesquite in any form, as with so many desert-type plans (like prickly pear and aloe vera) is excellent for diabetics.
Love the coffee idea. Also I’am interested in the mesquite jelly. I live just south of Ft Worth., Texas. I’ll remember to look for the mesquite pods next July and August, 2016. That’s if we’re all still around. I’am LDS so that is why I’m interested in the mesquite use for coffee. Your wife did a great video for the jelly. Thank you, Bette Rose
to go off to grid with 3 young children do you need to buy land
Hello.
I was interested in purchasing some of your Mesquite coffee period I tried your website but it does not work. Do you still sell it?
Thank you.
Rick
Holy smokes! This is just what I’ve been looking for. I’m up to my eyeballs in mesquite beans down here in South Texas and was planning on making jelly and syrup. But coffee?!?! Heck yeah. Thanks. I will follow you with great interest.
The Deerslayer’s Wife
After you have roasted the Mesquite beans and I understand you make coffee with it can you make yeast bread with some of them Mesquite roasted beans and you could you please answer to my email address cuz I might not be able to find your website again thank you
You can make bread from the milled pods before roasting, and I see no reason why you couldn’t make them after roasting. Just note that grinding mesquite pods is very hard on a regular grinder or blender. We use a hammermill. I’ll send this to your email as well. Thanks! Michael Bunker
Hello. I have tried mesquite no bean coffee and I love it. I dried/ roasted my beans in the toaster oven. Lol. Yeah that was scary when the smoke started. This year I plan on roasting outside in the bbq pit. Thanks for the right up. Very good.