The process of harvesting agave is pretty labor-intensive, and it's done entirely by hand. Farmers use a special tool called a coa to remove the leaves and get to the heart of the plant, which is where the magic happens. It's kind of like peeling an onion, but way more complicated.
Once the agave is harvested, it's cooked in traditional ovens or autoclaves to convert the starches into sugars. This process can take anywhere from 24-72 hours, which is a pretty long time if you ask me. But hey, good things take time, right?
The cooked agave is then mashed or crushed to extract the juice, which is mixed with water and yeast to start the fermentation process. It's kind of like baking bread, but instead of flour, you're using agave juice. Who knew tequila and bread had so much in common?
How Tequila Is Made From Agave at Beatrice Short blog
