Food

Food Information

Nuts

COCONUTS

Coconuts grow on palm trees and are related to dates. Just as the date is the staff of life for people who dwell in the desert, the coconut plays a similar role for those who live in the tropics.

The coconut, the world's largest nut, has a double shell. The outer shell is green in color, fibrous in texture, and shaped like an oversized football. It is most difficult to remove unless you have a machete. Natives of areas that produce coconuts whack off the outer shells in no time. Fortunately for us, coconuts arrive in our retail markets without it.

The inner shell is round in shape, brown in color, and covered with hairy brown fibers. It is as hard as a rock and very brittle. Removing this inner shell is no easy task either. At one end of the coconut you'll find three smooth, penny-sized depressions, called eyes. Puncture a hole in two of these eyes-the best instrument to use is a tenpenny nail. Drain out the liquid, which is called milk and can be used as a beverage.

After you have milked the coconut, you have three options and each requires a hammer. The first is to start hitting the coconut on all sides until you crack the shell, then pry it off. Or you can put the coconut in a 300· oven for about a half hour, or put it in your freezer for a few hours. Even with these last two methods, the heated or cooled shell will still pry away from the coconut meat more easily if you hit it with a hammer. The shell that has been chilled will be more brittle and will shatter more easily.

Is it any wonder that most people feel that the end product isn't worth the effort, and, if they do use coconut, buy it in a tin? However, if you think fresh coconut is worth the effort, here's how to select a good one: Purchase one that is heavy and has a lot of liquid. This can be determined by shaking the coconut. If you hear a sloshing sound, you have a winner. If you are greeted with silence, don't buy it. Most adults won't bother with a fresh coconut, but the small fry have a ball. Coconuts are available year-round, but are more plentiful during the fall and winter months.

Fruits