Raw Food Alchemy by Amie Sue
Young Thai Coconuts have become an important and popular ingredient in the raw food world. They can be intimating for some people and just flat hard to find for others.
The other day I bought a case of coconuts from Whole Foods. They were on sale, 2 for $5 which is a pretty good deal. Prices can range from $1.50 – $5.00 apiece, depending on where you get them. When I find a good deal, I buy 1 or 2 cases, then process, and freeze all of them. It may not be as optimal as buying fresh and using fresh, but I do the best I can, when I can. I hope that some of the information that I provide below, it will help de-mystifiy this amazing fruit!
The inside of a Young Thai Coconut can be a real mystery. They can look all dreamy and beautiful on the outside but you never know what you are going to get on the inside, much like a box of chocolates! When you find a recipe that you want to try, it might ask for 2 cups of coconut meat or 1/2 cup of coconut water. The real question is, “Just how many coconuts will I need?” There is NO solid answer for this. You never know what you will get when you crack open a coconut. To show you just how different each coconut is, I documented the amount of meat/flesh and the amount of water/liquid that I got from each coconut.
Coconut #1 ~ Liquid 386 g = 1 3/4 cups ~~~ Flesh 94 g = 1/2 cup
Coconut #2 ~ Liquid 342 g = 1 1/2 cups ~~~ Flesh 100 g = 1/2 cup
Coconut #3 ~ Liquid 312 g = 1 1/2 cups ~~~ Flesh 124 g = 1 cup
Coconut #4 ~ Liquid 396 g = 1 3/4 cups ~~~ Flesh 118 g = 3/4 cup
Coconut #5 ~ Liquid 412 g = 2 cups ~~~~~~Flesh 54 g = 1/4 cup
Coconut #6 ~ Liquid 468 g = 2 1/8 cups ~~~ Flesh 204 g = 1 3/4 cup
Coconut #7 ~ Liquid 196 g = 1 cup ~~~~~~~ Flesh 36 g = 1/4 cup
Coconut #8 ~ Liquid 312 g = 1 1/2 cups ~~~ Flesh 132 g = 1 cup
Coconut #9 ~ Liquid 302 g = 1 1/2 cups ~~~ Flesh 96 g = 1 3/4 cup
As you can see the weight and volume of each coconut was all over the board. Sometimes the flesh was thick and hard to get out and other times it was almost jelly like. Both taste just fine. The more mature a young coconut is, the thicker the flesh, but to be honest I have yet been able to judge a coconut by its outward appearance. In all the years that I have been cracking and opening these amazing jewels, I have witnessed pink flesh, no flesh, super thick flesh and jelly-like flesh. My best advice is to always buy 2 coconuts more then what you think you will need. And if you get a bad one (with pink or purple flesh) just return it to the grocery store. Most stores are usually good about exchanging them.
In the photo below, I wanted to show you just how different the meat can be.
As you can see the coconut meat on the left is very firm and thick and the meat on the right is super soft and thin.
Once you remove the meat from the shell, rinse it under the faucet to remove any brown flecks that might
have stuck to it. Do not soak the meat in water, as this can cause it to break down. I won’t
go into detail on how to open a coconut. There are oodles of YouTube videos on how to do this. You will find
that there are tons of different techniques, use the one that YOU feel most comfortable with.
When I process large amounts of coconuts to freeze, I separate the flesh into two different bags.
I place all the firm pieces in one bag and the softer ones in another bag. I like to make coconut noodles
out of the firm meat. Then the softer meat can be used for cheesecakes, coconut yogurt and so forth.
I wrote a post several years ago on how to make milk and cream from Young Thai Coconuts. I also share some of the health benefits. So please visit there if you want to read more about them. You can even take coconut meat, add a little coconut water, blend it till smooth, and set it in the fridge and it will become a firm, smooth yogurt/pudding like treat! So, if you are new to using Young Thai Coconuts, I encourage you to give them a try. It can open a whole new world of possibilities. :)
we can only get aged coconuts here in the UK :-( they still have their uses and taste great though :-)
I understand Emma… ingredients vary all over the world. It all has its pluses and minuses. :) We can get aged ones here too but I haven’t dabbled much with them. I need to. :) I hope you are having a great weekend, amie sue
Thank you so much. I am new to raw and I find your writings and wealth of knowledge very helpful.
Oh thank you Selina… welcome and please know that if you need help, encouragement and support… I am here for you. Never hesitate to ask questions. Have a wonderful evening, amie sue
We can find young thai coconuts in the UK too except they’re not as common. In London I find them at See Woo stores (large chinese stores) but also occasionally in small Asian corner shops. Just have a look around. They are sometimes sold whole though, ie with the whole green ‘husk’ rather than white, outer shell removed and pointed at the top (as in the picture above).
Thank you Severine for sharing that. Great info for others! It can be tricky to find them even here in the US so we all have to help one another. hehe Have a wonderful evening. amie sue
You are so right! I was lucky enough just recently on a holiday in Costa Rica to have the largest coconut ever – I think it was picked that morning and was the size of a football – there must have been a liter of liquid inside and the flesh was soft and delicious.
To Emma Green – sometimes you can find green coconuts in local ethnic markets or shops or Thai coconuts in oriental supermarkets, at least in London. They do tend to be quite expensive though!
OOoooooh Blanka… that just sounds absolutely dreamy. Liquid Gold – that is what I call it. :) Thank you for sharing that info for Emma. It is always challenging for other countries or shoot even here in the US to find certain ingredients. I appreciate that. Have a wonderful evening, amie sue
i have always hated the supermarket coconut… yuck! but now that i’m experiencing the REAL meat and juice (for my smoothies), i LUV it! i also freeze the meat for future smoothies. thanks for the insight!
Thank you for sharing Dawn… to me the flesh and water of these coconuts are like liquid gold to me! I have been known to chase down spilt coconut water with a straw on my counter top. lol Sad but true :) Have a wonderful week! amie sue
Hallo Amie Sue.
Ich hoffe ich darf den Link setzen, wenn nicht, können sie ihn ja wieder löschen. Vielleicht hilft es ja den einen oder anderen weiter.
Hier kann man gute Kokosnüsse bestellen.
http://www.coconow.de/
Viele Grüße,
Jesse
Google translate for Jesse…
Hi Amie Sue.
I hope I can put the link, if not, they can delete it again yes. Maybe it will help further one or the other.
Here you can order good coconuts.
http://www.coconow.de/
Best regards,
Jesse
__________________________
Jesse, I really appreciate that you shared that link. You are helping many others that may live in your area and have trouble finding them. amie sue
I love to take the meat and the water and blend together. I add a little each day to my smoothies. I had no idea I could freeze them. Yaay! Now I can buy several them on sale. I’d love to try coconut yogurt. Maybe I can find a non dairy yogurt starter?
Hello there Mamabird :) I have been freezing the meat and water from the coconuts for years now. Last year I would process a case of them for my girlfriend every few months so she could freeze it and use it in her morning smoothies… works well. Regarding the yogurt starter – I just made a coconut yogurt last week. I will post the recipe asap. I just used probiotics to create it. Have a splendid week! amie sue
I am glad to see this on here. i have read something similar before but have always wondered to myself if coconut manna from nutiva is close to the same as this young tai coconuts flesh. (in case i can’t find these?) I love your website and I try my best to re-create many of your dishes with what I consider amazing success. Thanks for all you do!
Thank you Lisa… your so sweet. Coconut manna is indeed similar but a bit more dense than the real coconut flesh from a Young Thai coconut, so keep that in mind. Today for lunch I took some young coconut flesh and put it in the blender with a little water. Blended it till creamy, added a drop or two of stevia (I have a sweet tooth) and some cinnamon…. HEAVEN!!!!!
Have a wonderful evening Lisa..amie sue
[...] 2 cups (316g) Young Thai Coconut meat [...]
There is a wonderful small business called Exotic Superfoods that sells only a few products; among them: the best coconut water you’ve ever tasted AND wonderful raw coconut meat from young Thai coconuts. They ship frozen, and you can keep it in your freezer pretty much indefinitely (I just used some I bought in bulk two years ago). Expensive, but so amazing – no more cracking coconuts and not knowing what you’ll get!
http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com
Thank you Kathleen, I have visited their site several times before. I great alternative for many. I sure appreciate you sharing. :) Have a happy day, amie sue