The short answer: Washed coffee has its outer fruit removed soon after harvest. The sticky layer left around the seeds is removed, and the coffee is then dried inside a thin protective layer called parchment. Natural coffee dries as a whole cherry, with the fruit still surrounding the seeds; the dried fruit is removed later. Both methods can produce wonderful coffee, and neither guarantees a particular flavour.
First, the “bean” is a seed inside a fruit
Coffee grows as a cherry. Inside it are usually two seeds, which we call coffee beans. Around those seeds are a thin parchment layer, a sticky layer called mucilage, and the flesh and skin of the cherry. Processing is the work of removing those outer layers and drying the seeds so the green coffee can be stored, transported and eventually roasted.
On our family farm in Apaneca, El Salvador, this part of the story happens long before Alejandro gets to a roaster in Calgary. When you read washed or natural on a bag, you’re reading about decisions made around harvest and drying, not about how dark we roasted the coffee.
The easiest way to picture the difference is this: washed coffee dries after most of the fruit has been taken away; natural coffee dries while it is still inside the whole cherry.
How is washed coffee processed?
Methods vary by producer and mill, but a typical washed coffee follows this path:
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Pick and sort the cherries. Ripe cherries are harvested and sorted to remove unwanted fruit and debris.
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Remove the skin and flesh. A depulper takes off the outer part of the cherry. The seeds remain covered in sticky mucilage and protective parchment. People often call them “beans” at this stage, but they are still seeds.
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Remove the mucilage. Fermentation is one common way to loosen that sticky layer, followed by washing. Some producers use mechanical equipment to remove it instead. “Washed” describes the resulting process; it does not mean every coffee spends exactly the same time fermenting in a tank.
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Dry the coffee. The cleaned seeds dry inside their parchment until they reach a moisture level suitable for storage. Later, the parchment is removed at the mill and the green coffee is sorted for export.
What might it taste like? Washed coffees often have flavour clarity: you may find it easier to distinguish a particular fruit note, floral aroma or pleasant acidity. But washed does not mean sour, and it does not mean light-bodied. Our family-grown El Salvador Bourbon is washed and tastes to us of dark chocolate, brown sugar and a gentle red-grape lift. If you like a balanced everyday cup, our Colombia from Santander is also washed, with caramel, cocoa and soft berry notes.
How is natural coffee processed?
With a natural coffee, the whole cherry stays around the seeds during drying:
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Pick and sort the cherries. Ripeness and careful selection matter here too. Mixed ripeness can lead to an uneven result.
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Dry the whole fruit. Cherries are spread on suitable drying surfaces, often patios or raised beds. Workers turn and monitor them so they dry evenly and are protected from rain and spoilage. The details and drying time depend on the weather, the setup and the producer’s method. In our farm in El Salvador, we dry selected natural-process cherries on mesh raised beds. Keeping the cherries off the ground lets air circulate around them and gives our team access to turn them, check their progress and respond as conditions change. It takes more hands-on attention, but that’s exactly why we use this method for lots we want to watch closely.
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Remove the dried outer layers. Once the cherry is dry enough for safe storage and milling, its dried fruit and parchment are hulled away. The green coffee is sorted before export.
That sounds simple when it fits in three steps. On a farm, drying whole cherries takes space, labour and close attention. Alejandro wrote about learning to make natural coffee on our farm, including the time a buyer asked for it and he had to figure out how to do it well. His account of natural processing from a farmer’s perspective tells that part of our story better than a tidy definition can.
What might it taste like? Naturals can show fuller fruit impressions, sweetness and body, sometimes with a fermented or wine-like quality. That is a tendency, not a promise. Our limited family-grown SL28 natural, for example, had notes of honeydew, honey and jasmine; it was a delicate cup rather than a fruit bomb. For a natural coffee you can explore in our regular range, Brazil offers a fuller, rounded dark-roast experience, while our Ethiopia has a gentler fruit character beneath its dark roast. Check each product page for current availability.
So does the fruit's sugar soak into natural coffee beans?
That explanation is tempting, but it makes the process sound more like soaking fruit into a drink than it really is. The whole cherry remains around the seeds while it dries, and fermentation and changes within the seed can influence the eventual flavour. Natural process does not mean fruit was added to the coffee, and “raspberry” or “melon” on a bag is a tasting note, not an ingredient.
Washed or natural: which one should I choose?
Start with the flavours you already enjoy rather than treating the processing label as a score. Here are a few of our coffees to show how broad both groups can be:
| If you’re curious about… | Try | Process | What the product page describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate, brown sugar and a gentle grape note | El Salvador Bourbon | Washed | Medium roast, grown on our family farm |
| Caramel, cocoa and soft berries | Colombia Santander | Fully washed | Balanced medium roast |
| A fuller, rounded darker cup | Brazil | Natural | Dark roast with mellow sweetness |
| A dark roast with gentle fruit character | Ethiopia | Natural | Smooth body and softer fruit notes |
Notice that two coffees with the same process can taste quite different. Origin, variety, ripeness, fermentation, drying, roasting and brewing all have a say. Processing gives you a clue; the description of the specific coffee helps you decide what to put in your mug.
If you want to taste the difference for yourself, choose one washed and one natural coffee, brew them using the same recipe, and taste each while warm and again as it cools. You might prefer the washed one today and the natural one next week. That isn’t a failed experiment. That’s finding out what you like.
Our family’s work with coffee begins at the farm, but our shelves also include coffees grown by other farmers whose work we’re proud to roast. Explore the coffees we’re roasting in Calgary, and tell us what flavours you enjoy if you’d like help choosing.
Adriana