How Coffee Cherries Are Picked and Processed for Green Beans

When you sip a cup of coffee, you're tasting the result of a long journey that begins on a tree — not with beans, but with bright red fruits called coffee cherries. These cherries grow in clusters, and inside each one hides a pair of seeds: your future coffee beans. But before roasting, those seeds must be carefully harvested and processed. What happens between picking the cherry and shipping the green bean? Let’s break it down from the tree onward.

Coffee cherries are picked once they turn a bright red color, usually once a year depending on region — northern hemisphere harvests run from September to March, southern from April to May. Each cherry holds two coffee beans surrounded by layers including pulp, mucilage, parchment, and silverskin. The way those layers are removed defines whether you get a washed, honey, or natural processed coffee.

What Is a Coffee Cherry?

A coffee cherry looks like a small, round fruit — similar to a cherry or cranberry. Its outer skin, or exocarp, is thick and bitter. Beneath that lies a sweet, juicy pulp (the mesocarp) with a texture like grapes. Next is a slimy layer called the parenchyma, which feels honey-like and protects the bean. The coffee beans are encased in a parchment-like husk known as the endocarp, and each bean is coated with a thin silverskin. Essentially, each cherry holds two green coffee beans ready for processing.

When and How Are Coffee Cherries Harvested?

Coffee cherries are typically harvested once a year. The exact timing depends on the region’s climate: northern hemisphere countries harvest between September and March, while southern hemisphere regions harvest from April to May. Most coffee worldwide is still picked by hand. There are two common methods: strip picking, where all cherries are removed from a branch at once, and selective picking, where only fully ripe, bright red cherries are chosen individually. Selective picking is labor-intensive and mostly used for high-quality Arabica beans.

Two Main Processing Methods: Sun-Drying vs. Washed

Once harvested, coffee cherries must be processed to remove all layers around the bean and reduce moisture content. There are two primary methods: natural (sun-dried) and washed (wet-processed).

Natural (Sun-Dried) Process

The simplest and most economical method is sun-drying, also called the natural process. In this method, freshly picked cherries are spread out in the sun, usually on large patios or raised beds, and turned regularly with rakes. They’re left to dry for seven to ten days until their moisture level drops to around 11%. During this time, the outer skin turns yellowish, and you can hear the beans rattle inside as they dry. This process retains the fruit’s sugars and flavors, often leading to sweeter, fruitier cups.

Washed (Wet) Process

The washed process starts with removing the coffee cherry’s pulp within 24 hours of harvest. This is done using a depulper machine. The beans, still coated with sticky mucilage, are then placed in fermentation tanks for 12 to 48 hours. Natural enzymes break down the mucilage during fermentation. After fermentation, the beans are either sun-dried or machine-dried until they reach the ideal moisture content. This method tends to produce cleaner, brighter flavors with higher acidity.

From Wet Bean to Green Coffee: Drying, Milling & Sorting

After processing, all remaining layers — including the parchment and silverskin — are removed in a step called milling or hulling. Sometimes a special machine is used to remove any leftover silverskin. The beans are then sorted by size and density. This can be done by hand on conveyor belts or by using air blowers to separate lighter (often defective) beans from heavier, denser ones. The final product is what the industry calls green coffee — unroasted beans ready for export.

How Green Coffee Is Shipped Worldwide

Green coffee is shipped in its unroasted state to roasters around the globe. It’s typically packed in jute or hessian sacks, or in large plastic shipping containers. Every year, over 7 million metric tons of green coffee are shipped worldwide, making it one of the most traded agricultural commodities.

Recommended FrontStreet Natural-Process Coffee Beans

For fans of sun-dried, natural-process coffees, FrontStreet offers several standout options. Their Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry is a classic natural-processed lot, featuring tropical fruit flavors, bold fermentation notes, and a sweet finish after light roasting. The Ethiopia Humbera (Humbera) highlights floral aromatics and complex fruitiness thanks to its high-altitude Ethiopian origin and traditional sun-drying. For something more earthy and balanced, try the 2013 Yunnan Arabica, a natural-style lot from China’s Yunnan region with notes of berry, dried apricot, and a gentle tea-like body. All are excellent representations of how natural processing shapes flavor. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.