Natural (dry process)

Also dry process, sun-dried, unwashed, natural sun-dried

In the natural or dry process the whole cherry is dried with skin and pulp intact, and the fruit is only removed by hulling once dry. It needs almost no water and little equipment, so it is the traditional method of Ethiopia, Yemen and Brazil and of dry regions generally, but it is the slowest and the most weather-dependent route. Drying commonly takes two to three weeks and demands constant turning. Done well it gives sweet, heavy-bodied, fruity coffees; done badly it is the main source of mouldy, fermented and musty defects.

Fermentation
none as a step
Drying
10–21days
Water use
Low
Dried to
11–12%moisture
  1. Ripe cherry
  2. Sort
  3. Pulp
  4. Ferment
  5. Wash
  6. Dry
  7. Hull
  8. Green

Step by step

Compare every method
  1. 01Harvest ripe cherry and float or hand-sort
  2. 02Spread whole cherry in thin layers on patios or raised beds
  3. 03Rake or turn several times a day; pile and cover at night
  4. 04Dry until the whole fruit reaches about 11-12% moisture (often two to four weeks)
  5. 05Rest, then hull dried husk and parchment together
  6. 06Sort and grade

Cup tendencies

heavier body, enhanced sweetness, fruit-forward and wine-like complexity; less clarity than washed

Risk

Uneven or interrupted drying invites mould, over-fermented and sour defects and ochratoxin A risk; secondary fermentation in the hygroscopic mucilage

Where it is used

Common in, per the method's sources

BrazilEthiopiaYemenIndonesiaIndiaPanamaCosta Rica

Origins and regions that list it

BoliviaBrazilBurundiCosta RicaEcuadorEl SalvadorEthiopiaIndiaIndonesiaMexicoPanamaRwandaTanzaniaUgandaVenezuelaVietnamYemenGitegaKaruziKayanzaKirundoMuyingaNgoziCaranaviNor YungasSamaipataSud YungasBahiaCarmo de MinasCerrado MineiroChapadas de MinasEspírito SantoMatas de MinasMogianaParanáSul de MinasSão PauloYunnanBruncaCentral ValleyGuanacaste and Northern Zone

Other methods