Natural Process Coffee
Natural processed coffee involves taking the entire coffee cherry, fermenting it, and then drying it until it reaches ideal moisture levels before it is then hulled. Natural coffees often have a sweet, nutty or fruit-forward flavour.
Natural
Traditionally the natural, or dry, method has had a practical advantage, being used to process coffee commercially due to the lower costs involved or in areas with limited access to water resources (eg. in Ethiopia). In areas with low humidity, the coffee dries on raised beds in the warm sun and is turned frequently to ensure consistency.
Today, the funky flavours it produces have also become valued by coffee aficionados.
The temperature, humidity levels and drying time of this process can significantly impact the flavour of the resulting coffee which absorbs more of the flavours and sugars from the fruits around it, creating unique notes of boozy or fruit-forward flavour and a natural sweetness.
