Natural process

Natural — or dry — processing dries the entire coffee cherry with the bean still inside it, and removes the fruit only afterwards.

The steps

1. Picking, ideally of fully ripe cherries only. Ripeness matters more here than in any other process.
2. Drying, whole, on patios or raised beds for two to six weeks, turned regularly to prevent mould.
3. Hulling, once dry, to remove the dried fruit and parchment in one operation.

What it does to the cup

Weeks of contact between the drying fruit and the bean allow sugars and aromatic compounds to migrate inward, and a controlled fermentation happens in the fruit itself.

The result is fruity, heavy-bodied and sweet, often with berry and wine notes. A natural Ethiopian tastes of blueberry and strawberry; the washed lot from the same farm tastes of lemon and jasmine. Same bean, different process, different coffee.

The risk

This is the hardest process to control. Drying is slow and exposed to weather; underripe cherries in the lot ferment differently; insufficient turning produces mould. A badly executed natural is unpleasant in ways a washed coffee rarely is — over-fermented, boozy, sour.

Which is why naturals had a poor reputation for decades, and why well-made modern ones command high prices.

Where it is traditional

Ethiopia, Yemen and Brazil, all for the same reason: water is scarce and sunshine is plentiful.

For brewing

Naturals tend to suit immersion methods and slightly darker roasting. Their heavier body and lower acidity make them forgiving in a French press or an AeroPress, and their fruit can overwhelm a delicate pour-over.