What Flavors Do Sun-Dried Coffee Beans Have? The Sun-Drying Coffee Processing Method

Coffee Beans Are Not Naturally Dark Brown

Coffee beans are not naturally dark brown. Coffee cherries are fruits that resemble red dates, each containing two coffee beans inside. Only after processing do the cherries and beans take on the appearance we normally see. Coffee production includes harvesting, processing, pulp removal, bean sorting, roasting, storage, grinding, and brewing. Among these, the "processing" step is one of the key factors that initially shape coffee flavor.

The Secret to Rich and Delicious Flavor

Using the natural drying method costs much less than other processing methods and saves resources, making it the preferred method in many countries with low rainfall.

During natural processing, the entire fruit with its skin and pulp is exposed to sunlight. The drying time depends on the weather, ranging from as short as two weeks to as long as a month. The beans are dried until their moisture content drops to around 10-12%, at which point the dried, hardened fruits are collected and the coffee beans can be extracted.

Naturally processed beans have a yellowish appearance and carry a fragrant fermented aroma from the pulp and mucilage concentrated in the seeds by the sun. Sometimes the beans have slightly chipped edges, because during dehulling the machine removes the dried pulp and parchment layer all at once, which may slightly damage the beans.

Natural process coffee has more wild flavors and a rich aroma with more complex notes. Coffee beans from Africa and parts of Southeast Asia are often processed using this method.

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Yirgacheffe "Berry Orchard" as an example, the natural processing gives this bean rich fermented berry aroma and makes it taste very sweet. Compared to coffee, it is more like a glass of fruit wine.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommended brewing parameters:

V60/90°C/1:15 ratio/Time: one minute fifty seconds

Flavor notes: Fermented berries, strawberry, strawberry jam, cream

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the sweet, wild fruit character of natural coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry natural lot from the Yirgacheffe region is a must-try. It is made only from fully ripe, defect-free cherries, which are first sorted at the processing station and then laid out on raised beds to dry in the sun. For the first few days the cherries are turned every 2-3 hours to prevent uneven heating and over-fermentation, and after three to five weeks of drying the dried fruit is hulled and moved to storage.

Because the coffee cherry dries with its pulp intact, the Red Cherry lot keeps the classic Yirgacheffe character while adding the tropical fruit aromas of natural processing: citrus-like acidity, berry juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and creamy smoothness. It is brewed the same way as the Berry Orchard lot above - V60, 90-degree water, a 1:15 ratio, and about 1:50 of total extraction.

Natural processing is also how Ethiopia's most celebrated fruit-forward lots are made. FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Huakui, one of the most successful stars of the specialty market, shows pronounced tropical fruit aromas of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and lychee, with obvious sweetness and almost no bitterness - "the coffee that least tastes like coffee." And for a washed counterpart with cleaner acidity, the washed Yirgacheffe Worka Cooperative offers jasmine florals and bright citrus-lemon acidity, making a lovely side-by-side comparison of what sun-drying versus washing does to flavor.