Seasons/Availability
Husked Coconuts are available year round.
Description/Taste
Rusty brown and covered with bristly hairy brown fibers, the thick fibrous husk of the coconut encases an inner shell. A layer of white meat lines the interior shell and holds liquid called coconut water. Offering a distinct flavor all of its own, it has a nutty almost candy-like sweetness.
Nutritional Value
Fresh coconut meat provides iron, potassium, protein and 346 calories per 3.5 ounce serving. The coconut contains saturated fat, quite unusual for fruits and vegetables. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three low-fat dairy products, effectively lowered blood pressure.
Applications
For ease in opening, heat the coconut under hot running water or place in a 350-degree oven for fifteen minutes. Fault lines will appear on the warmed coconut. Hold the hot coconut in a cloth and hold over a large bowl. Hit the fault lines with a hammer or mallet. Save the liquid, remove the meat, and peel off brown outer pieces with a small knife. To prepare thick coconut milk, wrap grated coconut in cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour one-half cup warm water over and squeeze liquid into the bowl. To prepare thin coconut milk, prepare the thick coconut milk as above. Add the saved original coconut water and grated coconut residue from the thick coconut milk. Use the milk and meat in fruit salads, puddings, cakes, cookies, custards, pies and other baked goods. Tint grated coconut with food coloring to make an attractive sweet topping. To store, whole coconuts will keep at room temperature for two weeks. For longer storage, refrigerate. Grated coconut will keep two weeks refrigerated in a glass jar.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In India, coconut meat is said to be especially beneficial for pregnant women and new mothers. In Sanskrit, this palm tree is called "kalpa vriksha", meaning the "tree which provides all the necessities of life". In Brazil, the word "coco" refers to the fruit of all the varieties of the coconut palm. In Bahia, the coconut is considered one of the region's holy trinity of ingredients, joining malagueta pepper and palm oil.
Geography/History
Researchers say the first mention of the coconut was in 545 A.D. An Egyptian monk called this fruit "the great nut of India" when he visited western India and Ceylon. Marco Polo was one of the first European travelers to describe the coconut in his journals. Today coconuts flourish in tropical regions and love life on seashores. Regarded as the world's largest nut, botanists disagree just where the coconut actually began its existence. While many believe it had its beginning in the East Indies and Melanesia, some say it originated in tropical America. Considered to be the most useful tree in the world, the coconut is the fruit of Cocos nucifera. Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are today's major growers. Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Papue New Guinea also produce and export coconuts.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Husked Coconuts. One
is easiest, three is harder.
