Dries whole cherry in the sun on patios or raised beds, then hulls off the dried fruit, used for about 90% of Brazilian arabica.
Natural (dry) processing dries the whole fruit in the sun on patios or raised trestle beds, turning it by hand or with rakes, and hulls off the dried layers afterwards. Depending on the weather, drying can take up to about four weeks to reach at most 12.5% moisture. Around 90% of Brazilian arabica is handled this way, as is most coffee from Ethiopia, Haiti and Paraguay, and nearly all robusta. Rain and premature stopping of the drying are the main hazards.
How it worksThe whole fruit is laid out in the sun on concrete or brick patios or on waist-height trestle beds, and turned by hand or with rakes so that it dries evenly. Hulling afterwards removes the dried outer layers.
Step by step
- 01
Whole cherry is laid out in the sun on patios or raised trestle beds.
- 02
It is turned by hand or with rakes so it dries evenly.
- 03
Depending on the weather, drying can take up to about four weeks to reach a maximum of 12.5% moisture.
- 04
Hulling removes the dried outer layers.
Timing · Depending on the weather, up to about four weeks to reach a maximum of 12.5% moisture
History
Around 90% of Brazilian arabica is handled this way, as is most coffee from Ethiopia, Haiti and Paraguay.
Field notes
- i
Around 90% of Brazilian arabica is dry-processed.
- ii
Nearly all robusta is dry-processed.
Our notes on Natural are still being checked against their sources, so for now this page shows only the facts we can stand behind.
What can go wrong
- Rain spoils the crop.
- If drying stops too early, the leftover moisture opens the crop to fungal and bacterial spoilage.
Variants
At the same stage
Sources · 1 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-09-30.
- Coffee processing · Wikimedia Foundation