TUTTI FRUTTI

The dry/natural process is the oldest and simplest method of preparing green coffee. Well-suited to environments with limited water access and hot climates, this process typically uses no water and requires no specialised equipment.

After harvesting, coffee cherries are dried until they reach about 20% moisture content. They're then usually rested for a few weeks in bags before being sent to a mill for hulling and export preparation.

The cherries can be dried on large patios or raised African beds, large trays with a mesh base that allow increased airflow for even drying. Best practices include keeping the drying coffee in shade during the hottest parts of the day and avoiding re-wetting by rain or condensation. Regular turning and good ventilation are also crucial to prevent mould formation.

To avoid defective seeds and sour fermentation off-flavours, it's best to sort the harvested cherries during the initial drying stage when under-ripe, over-ripe, and damaged cherries are easily spotted. After just a couple of days, the cherries turn a dark red-brown colour before becoming black, making it impossible to visually identify problem cherries.

Coffee begins fermenting from the moment it's picked and continues while there's enough moisture and high temperatures, conditions that favour microbial growth. This uncontrolled fermentation leads to the development of wild, fruity flavours and an increased perception of sweetness and body.

The pulped natural, honey or semi-washed process falls between washed and natural methods in terms of fruit left on the seed during drying. After harvesting, the cherries are pulped to remove the skin, then dried with the sticky fruit mucilage remaining, hence the name "honey." The coffee is sometimes classified by the colour it turns during drying, which depends on how much fruit remains and how it's arranged and turned. Colours range from black honey (darkest) through red, yellow, and sometimes white. More fruit on the seed provides more fuel for fermentation, which can unpredictably affect the flavour profile. However, it usually yields more intense fruit flavours than washed coffee and higher perceived acidity than natural processing.

Caturra is a pure-line dwarf mutant of red Bourbon, discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1937. Its leaf and fruit characteristics resemble Bourbon, with cherries that can be either red or yellow, known as Caturra Vermelho and Caturra Amarelo, respectively. The plant is short with abundant lateral and secondary branches, giving it a vigorous and compact appearance. Due to its susceptibility to coffee diseases and lack of hardiness in frost-risk areas, Caturra was never cultivated in Brazilian lowland plantations. However, its broad adaptability has led to its widespread cultivation across Colombia and Central America, where it thrives at higher altitudes.

In 1967, Portuguese breeders began developing new coffee varieties resistant to leaf rust while maintaining a compact stature for denser planting. They crossed rust-resistant Timor Hybrid lines with compact Caturra. The Timor Hybrid, a natural cross between C. arabica and C. canephora (Robusta) that appeared spontaneously on the island of Timor in the 1920s, provided natural resistance to leaf rust through its Robusta genetics, making it an extremely important hybrid.

One notable hybridization between Caturra and the Timor Hybrid was Colombia, developed over five generations by Cenicafé from 1968 to 1982. This variety was created in anticipation of Colombia's first coffee leaf rust outbreak, which occurred in 1983. In 2005, Cenicafé released Castillo, named after researcher Jaime Castillo and trademarked by the organisation, as an improvement on the Colombia variety. Castillo has since become the most widely planted variety in Colombia.

Catimor cultivars are increasingly popular among farmers, producers, and consumers alike. Originally developed by agricultural scientists in Portugal in 1959 with the aim of creating a disease resistant variety with high yields.

Catimor comes from crossing Híbrido de Timor (a natural hybrid of Canephora and Arabica) with Caturra (a Bourbon mutation). These plants are compact, enabling denser planting, and resist common coffee diseases. Catimor grows worldwide, particularly in regions where traditional Arabica varieties face challenges from disease or climate. However, in some areas like Southeast Asia, Catimor remains controversial due to questions about its quality and flavour profile compared to other Arabica varieties.