Test New Blog

Andrzej Słodyczka Andrzej Słodyczka
Date Icon Mar 31, 2025

Date Icon 3/31/2025, 5:33:21 AM UTC

Date Icon1 days read
Test New Blog

If you have ever come across visuals of coffee plantations, there are plants brimming with coffee cherries. So how do these fruits transform into coffee beans that are roasted and ground for consumption? This is achieved through the method of processing, wherein the husk of the cherry is removed to obtain the coffee bean that is inside. Before delving into the different types of processing, here is a brief overview of the layers of the coffee cherry

Coffee Bean

Coffee Bean

There are two coffee beans in one cherry, and these are green beans when they are harvested.

Silver Skin

Silver Skin

This is another thin membrane that lies under the parchment and covers the coffee bean.

Pectin

Pectin

Below the pulp is a sweet and sticky substance known as Pectin.

Parchment

Parchment

The coffee bean is covered with a paper-like layer known as the parchment or endocarp.

Pulp

Pulp

This is the layer right below the outer skin and is mostly made of water and sugar.

Outer Skin

Outer Skin

This is the outermost layer of the cherry, also known as the exocarp.

Simply put, coffee processing is the method by which the layers of a coffee cherry are separated from the green coffee beans. This process is usually done soon after the ripe red cherries have been harvested. There are 3 main types of processing methods

Simply put, coffee processing is the method by which the layers of a coffee cherry are separated from the green coffee beans. This process is usually done soon after the ripe red cherries have been harvested. There are 3 main types of processing methods

1. Honey Processed Coffee

This is a combination of washed and natural processing. This enables the sugar from the pulp to leak into the bean, while also using lesser water than the washed process. This is also known as the semi-dry process and produces a sweeter coffee.

Beachville’s Hippla Estate coffee undergoes honey processing.
Hippla estate

Hippla estate

Colombia La Esmeralda

Colombia La Esmeralda

2. Natural Processed Coffee

The coffee beans are dried under the sun after they are picked, while continuously turning over the beans with a rake to ensure the moisture content of the fruit is very low. The dried fruit gets separated from the beans during this process, which can take anywhere between 10-30 days to dry depending on climate conditions such as humidity. This manual processing uses minimal machines and is also known as dry processing.

3. Washed Processed Coffee

This is also known as wet processing, where the freshly picked cherries are rigorously machine washed with water to remove the cherry layers and husk. Once the coffee beans have been separated, they are dried out either by a drying machine or laid out in the open air. This process takes around 3-5 days, and it brings out the innate flavours of the coffee.

Colette débarque chez Catherine
Nachammai Estate

Nachammai Estate

Honduras

Honduras

Kelagur Heights

Kelagur Heights

Mooleh Manay Estate

Mooleh Manay Estate

Colombia La Esmeralda

Colombia La Esmeralda

Discover other news

test
Date Icon Date Icon May 06, 2025
test
Read more
Sriram Bose Testing process
Date Icon Date Icon Apr 23, 2025
Sriram Bose Testing process

Whole roast coffee or ground coffee is often vacuum-packed to prevent oxidation and lengthen its shelf life. Especially in hot climates, some find cold or iced coffee more refreshing. This can be prepared well in advance as it maintains its character when stored cold better than as a hot beverage.

Coffee Methods Guide book
Read more