If you’ve ever wondered what coffee looks like before it becomes beans, espresso, flat whites or filter brews, you’re not alone. Many people are surprised to learn that coffee actually starts life as a fruit and a lot of people actually have no idea where it even comes from...well, it's a small, bright red berry known as a coffee cherry.

Understanding what coffee cherries are and how they grow helps you appreciate the incredible amount of work, farming skill and natural complexity behind every single cup. This guide explains everything you need to know about coffee cherries, the coffee plant, farming, harvesting and how those little fruits ultimately become the roasted beans we brew every morning.

What’s Inside This Blog

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What a coffee cherry is

• What the coffee plant looks like

• How coffee cherries grow

• The anatomy of a cherry

• Harvesting and processing

• What determines flavour

• Differences between Arabica and Robusta cherries

• Why coffee cherries matter for farmers, roasters and drinkers

What Is a Coffee Cherry?

A coffee cherry is the fruit of the coffee plant. Inside each cherry are the two seeds we know as coffee beans. These seeds are processed, dried, roasted and eventually brewed into the drink we love.

Coffee cherries typically start green, ripen to yellow, then turn deep red, sometimes purple, when they’re ready to harvest.

Coffee cherries are:

• small (about the size of a grape)

• sweet and juicy when ripe

• red or sometimes yellow/orange depending on the variety

• full of layers that protect the seeds (the beans) inside

Although we mainly care about the beans, the entire cherry affects flavour and quality.

This is Carlos, a Costa Rican coffee farmer we stayed with in Tarrazu - he taught us everything we need to know about coffee cherries. 

The Coffee Plant: A Quick Overview

Coffee grows on evergreen shrubs or small trees that thrive in tropical, high-altitude climates. These regions are known collectively as the “coffee belt”, spanning Central and South America, Africa, and parts of Asia.

Key facts about the coffee plant:

• It takes 3–5 years for a young plant to produce cherries.

• Each tree yields only a few thousand cherries per year.

• Coffee prefers rich soil, steady rainfall and moderate shade.

• Altitude affects flavour: higher elevation often means sweeter, more complex beans.

Two main species dominate global production:

Arabica

• Sweeter, more complex

• Grown at higher altitudes

• Represents ~60–70% of world coffee

Robusta

• Stronger, earthier, more caffeinated

• Hardier plant, grows at lower altitudes

• Used in espresso blends, instant coffee, and some speciality lots

The Anatomy of a Coffee Cherry

A coffee cherry has several layers, each with its own role:

Skin (Exocarp)

The thin outer layer that turns red or yellow when ripe.

Pulp (Mesocarp)

Sweet, sticky fruit flesh surrounding the beans. This pulp is what ferments during processing.

Mucilage

A sugary, gel-like layer that affects sweetness and mouthfeel.

Parchment (Endocarp)

A protective papery shell around each bean.

Silverskin (Epidermis)

A thin layer that clings to the bean and flakes off during roasting.

Seeds (The Coffee Beans)

Usually two seeds, flat on one side and rounded on the other. Occasionally a cherry contains only one seed, known as a peaberry, prized for its sweetness.

How Coffee Cherries Grow

Coffee trees flower with delicate white blossoms, often compared to jasmine. After flowering:

1. Cherries begin as tiny green buds.

2. They mature over 6–9 months.

3. They ripen slowly, usually turning red at peak sweetness.

Coffee is mostly hand-picked because cherries ripen at different speeds. A single branch can have:

• unripe green cherries

• ripe red cherries

• overripe dark cherries

Harvesting only the ripe ones ensures the best flavour. 

As you will see above, coffee literally grows on trees!

How Coffee Cherries Are Harvested

There are two main harvesting methods:

Selective Picking (hand-picked)

Farmers pick only the ripe cherries.

• Higher quality

• More labour-intensive

• Common in speciality coffee

• Used in regions like Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia

Strip Picking

All cherries on a branch are removed at once.

• Lower cost

• Faster

• Used in large-scale farms or lower-grade production

How Coffee Cherries Become Coffee Beans: Processing Methods

Once picked, cherries must be processed quickly to prevent fermentation or spoilage. There are three main processing styles:

1. Washed (Wet) Process

Cherries are de-pulped, fermented to remove mucilage, then washed and dried.

• Clean, bright flavour

• Higher acidity

• Very consistent

2. Natural (Dry) Process

Whole cherries are dried in the sun before being de-pulped.

• Fruity, jammy flavour

• Heavier body

• More risk and labour for farmers

3. Honey Process

The skin is removed but some mucilage remains during drying.

• Sweet and balanced

• Flavour between natural and washed

What Affects the Flavour of Coffee Cherries?

Many factors influence the final cup:

Terroir (environment)

• Soil

• Altitude

• Rainfall

• Temperature

Variety

Different botanical varieties produce different flavours.

Processing

Washed vs natural dramatically changes sweetness, acidity and body.

Ripeness at harvest

Fully ripe cherries = better coffee.

Why Coffee Cherries Matter

For farmers:

• Higher cherry quality equals higher prices.

• Proper harvesting reduces waste.

• Better varieties mean more resilient crops.

For roasters:

• Cherries influence flavour complexity and consistency.

• Processing styles create unique taste profiles.

For consumers:

• Understanding cherries helps you appreciate why speciality coffee costs more.

• You can choose beans that match your taste (fruity, chocolatey, bright, nutty).

FAQs About Coffee Cherries

Are coffee cherries edible?

Yes — they’re sweet and slightly floral, but usually eaten locally or turned into cascara tea.

What is cascara?

The dried skin of the coffee cherry brewed like herbal tea.

Do coffee cherries contain caffeine?

Yes — the fruit contains small amounts, while the seeds (beans) contain much more.

Why don’t we eat coffee cherries like grapes?

They’re mostly skin and seed, with a small amount of pulp.

Final Thoughts: The Cherry Behind Every Cup

Coffee may be part of your morning routine, but behind every bag of beans is a long journey that starts with a bright, delicate coffee cherry growing on mountainous farms worldwide. Understanding the fruit behind the flavour not only deepens your appreciation for speciality coffee but also highlights the incredible skill and labour of the farmers who cultivate it.