FoodFood InformationNuts
Coconuts grow on palm trees and are related to dates. Just as the dateis the staff of life for people who dwell in the desert, the coconut playsa similar role for those who live in the tropics.
The coconut, the world's largest nut, has a double shell. The outer shellis 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 areasthat produce coconuts whack off the outer shells in no time. Fortunatelyfor us, coconuts arrive in our retail markets without it.
The inner shell is round in shape, brown in color, and covered with hairybrown fibers. It is as hard as a rock and very brittle. Removing this innershell is no easy task either. At one end of the coconut you'll find threesmooth, penny-sized depressions, called eyes. Puncture a hole in two ofthese eyes-the best instrument to use is a tenpenny nail. Drain out theliquid, which is called milk and can be used as a beverage.
After you have milked the coconut, you have three options and each requiresa hammer. The first is to start hitting the coconut on all sides until youcrack 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. Evenwith these last two methods, the heated or cooled shell will still pry awayfrom the coconut meat more easily if you hit it with a hammer. The shellthat 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 worththe effort, and, if they do use coconut, buy it in a tin? However, if youthink 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 determinedby 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 botherwith a fresh coconut, but the small fry have a ball. Coconuts are availableyear-round, but are more plentiful during the fall and winter months.