There are three main methods for processing coffee, we’re going to talk about washes process, possibly the most common. It seems I really favored that process on my last coffee order. These are just different ways farms remove the coffee cherry, otherwise known as depulping.
Can you guess how they remove the cherry on a wash processed coffee? You guessed it, they wash it off, usually within 24 hours of being harvested. The depulping leaves some fruit on the seeds, they will then go through fermentation for a bit to help soften the fruit mucilage (doesn’t that sound appetizing?) so it’s easier to wash off. After they are washed the seeds are laid out to dry!
Washed processed coffees typically have a cleaner flavor profile. Some say it allows you to taste the natural flavor of the coffee better. This process doesn’t impart much flavor to the bean, because the cherry is washed off so early.
