The oldest method of all: the whole cherry is dried intact, fruit and all, so the bean sits inside its own sugars for weeks. Those sugars and a gentle fermentation soak into the seed, producing the loud berry, jammy, sometimes boozy character people mean when they say 'fruity coffee'. Naturals trade some of the washed process's clarity for body, sweetness, and a wilder, more fruit-forward cup.
How it works, step by step
- 1Pick ripe cherries
- 2Dry the whole cherry on beds or patios
- 3Turn regularly over two to four weeks
- 4Hull off the dried fruit at the end
