Coconuts are not really crazy – they are closer to peaches than nuts

In southern India, Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands, the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America, coconuts are a basic ingredient. They are more than food, however – in places where coconuts are an essential harvest, they have a meaning that goes beyond the culinary. In many cultures, coconuts can have a spiritual meaning as well as cultural meaning, symbolizing hospitality, tradition, etc. Offering a mature coconut in India, for example, whether during a wedding or a guest of a house out, is a gesture of respect and blessing.

Coconut is also a versatile culture. Different forms of edible “nuts” are used in dishes through many kitchens. But it is not only a food source: the ball and the fronds are used to make strings, nets and building materials; The trunk becomes wood after the tree has ceased to fruit; And the shells are transformed into carbon black (a type of charcoal). In the Philippines, the versatility of coconut won him the name “Tree of life”.

But what is a coconut?

What is a coconut?

Botanically, a coconut is the seed of a drupe and, unlike hazelnuts or nuts, is not a real nut. “A drupe is a hard fruit with a fleshy or fibrous outer layer,” explains Marc Hachadourian, director of Glasshouse Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden. The other examples of Drupes include peaches, olives and almonds.

If you imagine a coconut, do not start with the hairy brown sphere – it’s just the mature seed. Instead, think of coconuts as they appear when they are hacked open for fresh coconut water: large, green, smooth and slightly sharp or oval shape. Here are the layers of this fruit:

• Exocarp: Green or smooth green or yellowish skin.
• Mesocarp: The thick and fibrous layer under the exocarp, called a cir. It is not edible but has many non -culinary uses, including the rope, carpets and fishing nets.
• Endocarp: The hard brown shell with three “eyes” at one end, containing the seed.
• Endosperm: White flesh and liquid inside the shell, which nourishes the germ, the embryo which can germinate in a new tree.

When a coconut fruit is young (about six months), the endosperm is mainly liquid – coconut water rich in nutrients that we all like to drink. As the fruit ripens, the solids dissolved in the water slowly solidify, first in a gentle jelly, then in a firm white flesh. About a year, a coconut is considered mature, with thick flesh and much less water.

Coconuts are generally divided into two categories depending on age: young or mature. According to Hachadourien, young tender coconuts are harvested at five to seven months, when they have soft flesh and fresh water. Mature coconuts, on the other hand, have 11 to 12 months and have a thick and firm flesh.

How to shop and store fresh coconut

Fresh coconuts are not common in generic supermarkets, but many Asian or Caribbean grocery stores.

How to shop for young coconuts: Young coconuts can be sold whole with their green or cut outer layer to reveal the white fibrous ball. For whole green coconuts, check the freshness: the fruit must feel heavy and stop with liquid when shaken. Avoid coconut with molds, dark spots or cracks.

How to buy mature coconut: Similar to young coconuts, mature coconut should be felt heavy and wiggle once shaken, which indicates the freshness, because an old coconut will not have a lot of water inside. Avoid everything that with mold on the ball or eyes. (If opening an intimidating seems, our guide on how to open a coconut will make the process less intimidating.)

How to store young and mature coconut: Refrigerate young coconuts. Once open, keep water and meat in an airtight container up to four days in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer. Unprecedented mature coconut can be kept at room temperature up to three months. After opening, refrigerate the flesh in an airtight container up to four days or freeze up to six months.

How and when to use fresh coconut

Young coconuts: Assessed for their water and their jelly -shaped flesh, young coconuts can be appreciated directly from the shell or used in smoothies and cocktails. The flesh works well in desserts such as the Philippin Buko Pandan (young coconut and pudding with pandan jelly), Thai Itim Gati (young coconut ice cream) or coconut ceviche.

Mature Coconuts: Mature or thawed coconut meat can be used in sauces, soups, chutney or vegetable sides. The mature coconut flesh can be mixed with water to make fresh coconut milk. In southern India, the grated mature coconut is mixed with jagré and cardamom, stuffed in a paste of rice flour and steamed for soft dumplings called “Sihi Kadubu” or “Kozhukatta”.

A list of common coconut products

Here is an overview of different coconut products and by-products commonly sold in the United States.

Whole coconut

Mature Coconuts: Hard, brown and hairy shell seeds with firm flesh and coconut water.
Young coconuts: Tender and green coconut filled with coconut water, sometimes sold with the cut green layer cut.

Both types can be difficult to open and are not widely available in generic American supermarkets.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is made by mixing mature coconut meat with water, then stretching the mixture. It is sold in canned, in boxes or refrigerated with other milks without dairy products. To do this at home, mix the fresh coconut shredded with water and filter through a fine mesh sieve or a cheese. Stable coconut milk is heated, homogenized and ultra-pasteurized, and can be sweet or not sweet. Unpasteurized coconut milk should be refrigerated at any time.

Note: Do not confuse coconut milk with coconut cream, which contains more flesh and less water.

How to use coconut milk: Use it to add wealth to currys, rice or desserts like Pengat Pisang (a Malaysian coconut soup). If a box of coconut has separated in cream and water, stir to combine before using it.