27 Years of Award Winning Baking & Dessert Video Recipes

breakfast & brunch bars & squares cupcakes shortbreads breads youtube channel
about us
recipe index
substitutions
ingredients
glossary
conversions
weight vs volume
apple recipes
pumpkin recipes
cranberry recipes
chocolate recipes
healthy baking
eggless recipes
comfort foods
blueberry recipes
biscotti recipes
pudding recipes
english tea party
trifle recipes
ice cream recipes
strawberry recipes
lemon recipes
thanksgiving baking
candy recipes
halloween baking
valentine's baking
christmas cookies
christmas baking
christmas candy
easter baking
baking history
bibliography

 
Subscribe Now
 

Coconut

Coconuts, the fruit of a palm tree, are native to Malaysia but are now found in parts of Africa, South America, India, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands, and other tropical countries.  The largest of the nuts, the average coconut weighs 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams), and one tree will produce thousands of coconuts over its 70 year life span.  

A coconut is round or oval-shaped and has several layers: the outer layer is smooth and brownish-green (removed before shipping to market); next is a hard, hairy, brown fibrous shell that has three "eyes" at one end; inside the shell a thin brown skin encloses a milky white meat; and at the very center of the coconut is a sweet, watery, opaque liquid called coconut water.

Available year-round, but at its peak fall to early winter, the coconut will keep at room temperature for six months.  When choosing a fresh coconut it should be heavy for its size with no mold or mildew.  The three "eyes" should not be damp looking; and when shaken near your ear, you should hear liquid sloshing around inside.  The more liquid you hear sloshing around, the fresher the coconut.  

Cracking the coconut to release the rich, milky-white flesh is done with a metal skewer or screwdriver.  First, pierce two of the eyes and drain off the coconut water (you can drink this).  Using a hammer, tap the coconut about one-third of the way from the eyes.  Keep tapping around the coconut until it breaks open.  Some of the pieces may be large and you may want to break them into smaller, more manageable pieces.  To release the meat from the shell, wedge a screwdriver or dull knife between the shell and meat and pry apart.  The brown skin can be left on or removed with a vegetable peeler or knife.  At this point you can grate, shave, shred, freeze or use to make coconut milk.  One medium coconut will yield 3-4 cups grated.  If storing for later use, you can refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 6 months in an airtight container. 

Coconut is used to make many products, some of which are; dried coconut, coconut milk and cream, creamed coconut, cream of coconut. 

Dried sweet or unsweetened coconut comes packaged in plastic bags or cans and is available shredded, flaked, desiccated, and sometimes toasted.   (Toasting enhances the buttery richness of the coconut and gives it a caramel color.)  Packaged coconut will usually keep about six months at room temperature but keep it away from moisture.  Always taste before using to make sure it has the wonderful coconut taste, not a dull, dusty flavor. 

The sweetened dried coconut is made by combining coconut with powdered icing and is used in all kinds of baking.  The canned variety is usually moister.

The unsweetened dried coconut is usually found in health food stores and specialty stores.  It is used in both sweet and savory dishes.

The liquid that comes from the fresh coconut is not coconut milk.  To make coconut milk equal parts of freshly grated coconut meat and water are cooked, then strained, and the result is a thick, rich, creamy white liquid with a wonderful sweet coconut flavor.  Coconut cream is a thicker, richer liquid.   Both the milk and cream are unsweetened and usually come in cans.  They are found in grocery stores and Asian markets and are used in both sweet and savory dishes.  

Coconut is high in saturated fat and is a good source of potassium.

Printer Friendly Page

1 cup grated = 75 grams

Subscribe Now
 
     
 

 

 

New Videos

   
   

 
 

Contact Us   Privacy Policy

Use of materials on all pages on the domains Joyofbaking.com, the Joyofbaking.com Facebook Page, the Joyofbaking1 YouTube Channel and any emails sent from @joyofbaking.com are entirely at the risk of the user and their owner, iFood Media LLC will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting from the use.

References cited may include a link to purchase the referenced book or item on Amazon.com. Joyofbaking.com receives a commission on any purchases resulting from these links.

This website and the contents are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner of the "Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc. and is not related to the  "Joy the Baker" books and website. Video icons by Asher.

Content in any form may not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski, Joyofbaking.com.  Students and non profit educators may use content without permission with proper credit. 

A baking resource on the Internet since 1997

Copyright  1997 to 2024 iFood Media LLC