A process widely used in Costa Rica and other parts of Central America; the Honey Process is in between a Natural Process and a Washed Process. The Honey Process involves peeling the cherries using a mechanical depulper and drying the coffee seeds with the fruit mucilage left on.
The Honey process doesn't involve Honey. It is simply the name. The mucilage, or the sticky sugary layer of the coffee cherry, resembles honey in texture and sweetness.
In Brazil, the Honey process is referred to as Pulp Natural, which accurately describes the process of pulping, or peeling before the coffee is fermented and dried naturally without washing.
Producers will often use the Honey Process because of their familiarity with the fermentation and drying environment, as well as to speed up the processing time. Honey processed coffees can take up to 21 days to complete the drying process, depending on the coffee and the climate. Because it's faster than the Natural Process, and doesn't use water like the Washed Process, some producers opt to use the Honey process for their delicate microlots.
Like all processes, after the seeds are dried, they undergo a final dry processing. The dry process is the final stage to remove all of the excess dried fruit material and protective parchment layer to get a polished green seed ready for export.