Coffee Processing Methods | Tree-Drying Process | Introduction to Tree-Dried Coffee Flavors and Characteristics

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Tree-Dried Fruit Processing Method

Some coffee farmers intentionally allow coffee cherries to dry naturally on the tree in a process called "dried on the tree" or "Tree Dry-Process" (also translated as tree-dried fruit, dried on the branch) — coming from beans harvested at a late stage, after the cherry has already dried on the tree. Simply put, during seasons with abundant sunshine, coffee fruits are allowed to dry into purplish-black dried fruits on the tree before being harvested and then processed using the general sun-drying method.

Dried on the tree is commonly found in Yemen and Brazil, and recently this technique has been discovered in beans from Bali, Indonesia. They use a method of breaking branches without picking the fruits, which increases the coffee's sweetness but reduces its brightness. Simultaneously, this allows coffee cherries to remain on the tree longer without fermenting, provided that weather conditions are moderate and the coffee trees are in shade. In low-altitude, high-temperature areas, this practice is not recommended because coffee cherries will begin fermenting directly on the tree, affecting the coffee's flavor quality.

Tree-dried fruit, as the name suggests, refers to fruits dried on the tree. When coffee cherries dry naturally on the tree, they not only fully absorb nutrients from the tree but also take in abundant sunlight, resulting in richer aroma, sweetness, and flavor. However, the harvest period is reduced, and more fruits fall off during drying, making it a relatively expensive specialty coffee. The tree-dried fruit cultivated this way not only has excellent acidity and sweetness but also remarkable bitterness and balance. In the aftertaste, some bitterness will be evident, but tree-dried fruit itself has a unique texture that is both clean and excellent in flavor.

How is Tree-Dried Fruit Coffee Processed? What are its Characteristics?

Tree-dried processing requires sufficient sunlight for the fruits to dry evenly on the tree, and it must be harvested manually one by one to ensure each picked fruit is dried to the appropriate degree. Only fruits from the tree top to middle can be harvested, as fruits below the middle receive insufficient sunlight and are not dry enough to be used. In other words, many fruits from trees processed with the tree-dried method cannot be used and must be discarded or sold at low prices.

After harvesting, rack drying must also be performed. These manually harvested, fully ripe brown fruits still have very uneven moisture and sweetness levels. Through rack drying, their moisture becomes more uniform, and sweetness develops more completely.

Additionally, since Ethiopia is considered by most to be the origin of coffee, there are still over four thousand unnamed coffee varieties within Ethiopia. Therefore, when purchasing Ethiopian coffee beans, the variety column is often marked as Heirloom. The coffee beans vary in size, and the same batch of coffee beans may contain more than ten different varieties. Unlike in Central and South America where specific varieties can be categorized, Ethiopia has not been able to classify them specifically. However, there has been significant progress in recent years as the world-renowned green coffee merchant Ninety Plus (also known as 90+) has begun planning the cultivation of single-variety Yirgacheffe, calling it VARON (Variety + One).

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473