From the time you pick the ripe cherries to the time you have the finished coffee bean that you can sell, there are about fifty things that you have to do in order to create the finished product. The harvest season for Costa Rican coffee is from October to February, with peak season in December. During this time period, they only pick the cherries that are ripe. In order to do this, they pass each coffee plant upwards of seven times to guarantee that every single cherry is picked at the most opportune time. The two most important processes are drying and toasting. Drying the beans in the sun guarantees a good earthy flavor to the beans. It takes some time, but certainly gets the best results. Toasting is also an extremely important step. During the toasting process is where you get the right level of acidity and caffeine. It is where you get the creamy and sweet coffee taste.