Coffee with natural process
Natural coffee refers to the type of processing used after harvesting the coffee cherries from the plant and preparing the coffee beans for export and roasting.
In natural coffees, the coffee seeds (each cherry has two) are left to dry inside the cherry and are pulped once it is dry.
This brief technical definition may not mean much to you, but let's break it down to understand what natural coffee is, how it differs from other processes, such as washed or honey, and how it affects the cup profile.
Natural coffee in the world of specialty coffee
It is important to note the difference between what is known in the specialty coffee world as natural coffee and what is understood by this same term in commercial coffee.
In commercial coffees, which can be found in any supermarket and many coffee shops, natural coffee refers to coffee that has not been roasted. Torrefacto coffee is coffee that has been roasted with sugar/glucose, although we could also say coffee that has been carbonated with sugar.
Roasted coffee is bad. It's bad for your health, it's bad for the environment, and it's bad for your palate. In fact, it's a practice that goes against the principles of specialty coffee (you can learn more about this in this article ). That's why we, and everyone who talks about specialty coffee, when we say natural coffee, we're referring to coffee that has been dried using a process that has been called "natural." 
Image of coffee cherries being processed using the natural process
Are the coffees processed?
Yes, coffees are processed, but this doesn't mean they undergo chemical manipulation or the addition of anything harmful. What we mean by coffee processing is the way the coffee beans are separated from the cherry and dried.
There are several ways to do this, resulting in different processes. We discussed the washed coffee process in this post , but it briefly refers to the depulping of the cherry, then washing it, leaving the beans ready for drying.
Another type of processing is "honey," which we discuss in this post. It briefly means that the cherry is pulped, but some of the fruit (the mucilage) is left around the seed. It is then dried as in the natural process.
Finally, we have natural or naturally processed coffee, which means that the coffee beans are dried with the husk and mucilage, which are removed once dried.
There are many other processes and variations of these same processes, but these three—washed, honey, and natural—are the most common and serve as the basis for the others.
The processing of natural coffee
Specialty coffee cherries are picked only at their peak ripeness and are usually picked by hand. To understand the natural coffee process, we should briefly mention the anatomy of a coffee cherry (you can learn more here ). A coffee cherry is the fruit of the coffee tree. This cherry hides two seeds inside, like many other fruits. It's the seeds inside the cherry that we use to make coffee.
Between the seeds, which are hidden inside, and the shell, which is on the outside, there are several layers that, in concentric order from outside to inside, would be: shell, mucilage, parchment and seed.
As we have said, the type of coffee processing refers to the order and way in which the different parts of the coffee cherry are separated to leave the seeds free and dry , which is what we commonly know as green coffee (before being roasted).
In a naturally processed coffee, the beans are dried inside the cherry, meaning nothing (husk or mucilage) is removed. These layers are removed once the bean is dry.
By allowing the seed to dry without removing all of these components from the cherry, sugars and organoleptic qualities are transferred to the seed during the drying process, creating a specific cup profile.
Phases of the natural coffee process
The selection of ripe cherries is an important part of the process. A coffee processed by the natural method goes through the following phases:
1. Cherry selection, the harvest. Cherries are picked from the coffee trees at their peak ripeness. Often, they are placed in water; those with low density (unripe or with defects, sticks, or leaves) float, while the good ones sink. This is a selection process to process only the cherries at their peak ripeness.
2. Drying. Coffee cherries are dried on raised beds or dry pavement. This process can take two weeks or more and is noticeably longer than for coffees processed by other methods. This is because the cherry is whole and not just the seed ( as in washed coffee ) or the seed and mucilage (as in honey coffee), so it takes longer for all the moisture to disappear.
This also means that during drying, a process of fermentation and transfer of sugars from the cherry to the seed will occur, creating a cup profile that's different from other methods. It's essential to move and turn the cherries throughout the drying process to ensure even drying.
Cup profile of a natural coffee
During drying, it is crucial that the cherries are turned regularly for even drying. We stated at the beginning that coffee processing refers to the manner and order in which the coffee beans are separated from the cherry and dried. We also stated that a natural coffee is one in which the beans are allowed to dry with the cherry and are separated once dry. This, in turn, shapes the cup profile.
Natural coffees tend to have an intense, fruity tasting profile, with a complex sweetness . The beans will reflect both the variety and the terroir, but the perception of these will be affected by the fermentation process as it dries and the transfer of sugars from the cherry to the beans.
This is how it differs from other processes, especially washing, whose notes are usually clear and clean.
This doesn't mean that one processing method is better than another, but rather that they affect the bean and, ultimately, the resulting beverage, the coffee, differently . The processing chosen is a decision for the coffee grower, who, knowing how it affects the bean, will choose one or the other depending on what they want to achieve, the time they have, and the resources they have available.
For example, the natural coffee process requires the fewest natural resources, such as water, and is the most sustainable, but it also requires the most space and time.
In any case, the important thing is that you know what each process involves and how it affects the coffee. This way, you'll be prepared to appreciate each and decide which one you like best.
