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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-mystify 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.
As you can see the weight and volume of each coconut were 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 than what you think you will need. And if you get a bad one just return it to the grocery store. Most stores are usually good about exchanging them.
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 until smooth, and set it in the fridge and it will become a firm, smooth yogurt/pudding 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. :)
Pink Water & Meat/Flesh:Is this good or is this bad? I was originally taught that pink inside of a Young Thai coconut was a sign of mold and to stay away from it. A reader brought to my attention that this isn’t the belief anymore, so off I went to investigate.
I am really grateful for that comment because it taught me new information! I have shared before that I now purchase all of my meat/flesh from ExoticFsuperfruits.com. As I was searching the web for more current info on this topic, I landed on one of their pages.
This is what they have to say, “According to the FAO research from the United Nations, the turning pink of the coconut water is due to phenolic-antioxidant compounds that naturally occur in plants: these phenolic-antioxidant compounds are reacting with the enzymes of the coconut water.
Different varieties of coconuts contain different levels of phenolic-antioxidant compounds. The Fragrant variety of the Thai coconuts that we are using for our coconut water is particularly rich as far as these organic antioxidants compounds are concerned. Phenolic-antioxidant compounds have been widely studied in the wine and beer industry. These organic compounds will cause white wine, champagne or beer to occasionally turn pink or brown unless chemically treated and or preserved.
It is very important to understand that the pinking that we are observing with the coconut water is not creating any harmful substances. There is no connection between the pinking process of the coconuts with hygiene standards, levels of bacteria, nor any other contamination. The concentration of the phenolic-antioxidant compounds seems to vary from plant to plant and therefore from coconut to coconut.”
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
Emma Gree, wholefoods do them this week and also any local chinese supermarket will usually have them in stock. I picked up 6 today :)
You can order young Thai coconuts here: http://www.coconutty.co.uk/green-coconuts-p-85.html
Thanks Emma… this will help others who are not in the US. :) amie sue
Young Thai Coconuts are available in Tesco and M&S. Believe they are also available in Asda.
Alternatively, cartons of coconut water are available in almost all UK supermarkets.
Thanks for sharing Fraise. Good to know for those who might live in your area. :) Many blessings, 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
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
I was wondering if there are organic young coconuts out there. Only conventionally grown ones are sold at our local health food store.
Hello Yulia… I only see conventionally grown ones locally as well. I am sure if you Google it, there might be places that ship them. Have a great day, amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
First of all I LOVE all of your recipes, your so creative, thankyou!!
Second, apologies for the silly question, I live in Australia, I’ve seen coconuts that look exactly the same as in the first picture but they are called ‘drinking coconuts’ would they be the Thai coconuts that you used here??
Thankyou,
-Michelle
Thank you Michelle :) Your so sweet!
Please, never apologize for any questions… it’s how we all learn and grow. :) I will be honest though, I am not sure 100% if they are the same. Without seeing it…. hmm, maybe I need a trip to Australia to see! I think Bob will agree with me. hehe Have you opened one before? Is it filled with a “water” and a soft flesh around the inside? Keep me posted, I am curious :) amie sue
Okay, curiosity just got the better of me, bought one and opened it, was full of water and it had a thin layer of white flesh around it!! YAAAYY! I didn’t think we could get them here in Australia, thankyou!! hugs :D
Right on Michelle! I am sooo glad that you bought one, because I was equally curious as to what it was you were seeing over there. hehe It sounds the same to me. Be careful… they are addicting, well, if you ask me. :) Have a great weekend! hugs, amie sue
Hi Michelle… yours in an old post so I’m REALLY hoping you get this message :)
I’m also in Australia and ‘desperatly’ seeking a supplier for Young Coconut Meat – exactly like http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com It appears they don’t ship to Australia.. Did you ever find any of the ‘ready to go’ variety ? I’d LOVE any help at all. I’m getting kind of desperate :)
thanks in advance – Inga.
I’m so glad I found your website! Young green coconuts are new to me. I’d read about them but here in England they’re hard to find. I finally found a local grocer selling them quite cheaply – I was so pleased, I bought the lot of them (12)!
However, I’ve noticed they are very near the “use by” date and I wondered if they could be frozen. That information has been v e r y to find, so it was great to see from this website that it is ok.
I have a few questions about this:
I’ve got some lidded containers that I thought I could use to freeze the coconut water. Does the “meat” freeze better if it is in with the coconut water? Would it be better if I just put the whole coconut in the freezer?
They are starting to taste more like a brown coconut. It is now one day past the “use by” date and they are starting to taste a little like a brown coconut. Is this ok. How do you tell if it has gone off?
I’m sorry if I’ve been too wordy. I would very much appreciate any replies.
Good morning Kate,
Welcome and I am glad that you found my site as well. I hope you find some yummy recipes to try and add to your diet. :)
As far as the young coconuts. I freeze mine all the time. I can really only afford them when I can find them on sale and when I do, I purchase several cases at a time. I then immediately process them. I crack them all open and seperate the juice from the flesh.
The water inside the nut… I filter it through a nut bag (could try cheese cloth) and put it in freezer safe jars to freeze.
The flesh (meat), I clean all the brown bits off and separate the meat according to how young or mature the meat is. The really soft meat goes in one bowl and the more firm, mature pieces go in another. I do this because the soft flesh is great for pies, smoothies, etc and the firm stuff can cut into thin noodles for fun dishes. I then measure out 1 or 2 cup batches and freeze it that way so I don’t have to thaw to much extra when I need it for a recipe. I freeze the meat in ziplock bags that are made for freezing. After I put the meat in it, I press all the air out of the bag while I am sealing it. The less air that surrounds it the better so it doesn’t get freezer burnt.
If they smell and taste fine, they should be just fine. If they are “off” you can tell, might start to get a soured smell and weird ting to the flesh.
Does this help? Please let me know. Have a great day and enjoy that coconut! amie sue
I have a second fridge on the rooftop to store things like coconuts…now I`ve noticed that my coconuts are frozen. can I still use the flesh and the water if its are unforzen again?
And is it possible to use the firmer flesh as well for pies and smoothies ?
Next time I will open them immidiatelly and freeze the flesh and the water separately as you recommended!
Do I have to thaw them by room temeprature or in the fridge?
Thank you so much for your kind support!
Hello Angela,
For the future it is best to process the coconuts right away as you indicated. For this time, you should still be ok. I would let them defrost on the counter for maybe 4 hours and then process them.
When you ask about using “firmer” coconut meat in pies, as you referring to mature coconuts? The brown hairy ones? I don’t find that the meat / flesh creates the same texture as the young Thai coconuts, so I stick with those.
Have a great day, amie sue :)
sometimes I buy the young coconut at the market where they also have a machine to chop the tip and insert a straw for the customer to drink the water and I realize it is exactly the same taste of those sold in the mini markets by the can, and when I go to check the ingredients on the can I can see it’s added sugar and another couple of ingredients. so my question is: how can the fresh one be such an identical sweet taste to the one sold by the can? is it actually possible to insert sugar in the fresh coconut before opening it? because i had the doubt that some markets sell fakes one or they add extra sugar or ingredients to make it tastier
Good afternoon Claudia,
This is my opinion… I don’t find the canned coconut waters to taste anywhere as good as the fresh. In fact I can’t stand the canned types ever since trying it fresh. With the canned versions, since they are so processed and filtered, my thought is that flavor is lost so they have to add in sugars to sweeten the flavor back up and other chemicals are added for long term storage, etc. Plus it would be good to know if they are using the water from a mature or Young Thai coconut.
IF you think the market is adding sweeteners or anything else to the fresh ones that they open for you… ask them. They have to disclose that information. But I highly doubt that they are.
Have a great evening, amie sue
Hi,
Is there any way to reuse the shell of the young Thai coconut? I know they are chemically treated on the outside, so I was wondering if there is any safe way to repurpose them.
Thanks!
Hello Jody,
I have heard of people making bowls out of them and planters. :) amie sue
Hi, what an awesome site! Just wondering about the coconuts…. Can you use coconut paste which is just coconut flesh blended up and sold in jars? Like this one : https://lovingearth.net/products/116/whole-ground-coconut-paste-organic
Thanks :)
Hello Faye,
The product that you sent me a link to is just like coconut butter and the texture and making of it is quite different from fresh young thai coconuts. I am sure it could be use in place of the fresh ones, all depending on the recipe. You would most likely need to add some liquid to it because it is very thick. Have a great day! amie sue
Is it still ok to eat the meat of a baby coconut if the meat is a little bit purple-ish?
Hello Annabanana,
Here is a great article on that…http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com/pages/sample-page. I order all my coconut meat from them and the quality has been amazing. Blessings, amie sue
Hi Amy i just got a delivery of young coconuts yee!! excited.
can i take out the meat and freeze it for future use.
cheers
Hello Martha,
Yes you can open them and separate the water from the meat. You can then freeze them. I would freeze them in measured out portions. Make sure that you get all the air out of the bag and that it is sealed well. Have fun with it. amie sue
for anyone who likes young coconuts in the UK go to this link. They’ll deliver straight to your door
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coconut-Water-green-coconuts-/221615516236?
Hey Nouveau Raw Chef
Why are the young coconuts I find so tough? they are bitter, too? are they too old?
I get them at this korean market nearby thanks
Hello Sharon,
In all my years of eating and using Young Thai Coconuts, I have to experience one that tastes bitter. If the white flesh inside is really firm that means that it is mature. I like using the flesh of the Thai coconuts for different recipes. I use the soft for puddings, etc and the firm for making coconut noodles or coconut jerky with. Not sure why it might taste bitter… has anyone else experienced this? Please share if you have. amie sue
I have never heard that pink is a sign of mold. I heard quite the contrary, that pink coconut water is the best you can drink, as it contains phenols, that are wonderful antioxidants for our bodies. I drink 100% raw coconut water everyday (pink). I can’t say that I’ve ever seen pink cococnut meat. But the water is Delicious!
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience Carlett. Pink meat does exist, I have seen it and I have opened hundreds of Young Thai coconuts over the years… here is a youtube video… I have no idea what they are saying about it but just showing what it looks like, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwh_kwLTKjo.
When I attended raw culinary school, years ago… that is what was believed about pink meat and water… but after further reading now, I see what you are saying. Thanks for brining this up so I can update this post. We just keep learning everyday :) Blessings! amie sue
Trying to find a wholesaler/ imported into the USA of raw Thai coconut milk- by any chance would you know of any?
Paul
Sorry Paul, but I don’t. ExocticSuperfoods.com does water and the meat of Young Thai coconuts. You can make coconut milk from their meat. http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com/collections/all
Blessings, amie sue
Does the frozen young Thai coconut taste as good as fresh? Is there a slight or distinct difference?
I find that it tastes just as good. Is there a slight difference… shoot there is a slight difference in every coconut that you buy, all depending on its maturity, etc. Many blessings, amie sue
Thank you for this information! I bought my first coconut today and cracked it open to find a very, very thin layer of “squishy” meat. So disappointed! Was planning to make coconut noodle pad Thai. Now I know that buying young Thai coconuts is a gamble, so I should buy 2 more than what I think I’ll need. And, a little age is OK, to be able to get some real meat for “noodles”. I was sad, but now I am informed. Thank you!
Hello Annie,
Yes, that is the gamble of purchasing whole young Thai coconuts. I have cracked hundreds of them throughout the years and face the same thing. That is why I now purchase mine from exoticsuperfoods.com. Love them and I always know what I am getting. Have a blessed day and keep on cracken’. amie sue