Anything wrong with regular good ol' fashioned coconuts?

[momma-rawma]

I just have the option of the brown ones at the store--they are not young baby thais....

Aside from a heavenly taste as described on this site....is there a true difference if I just used what was available to me in recipes?




<-----still a recipe novice--haven't tried actually making anything yet.:D

[Shell]

I think you said it.....the main difference is taste.....I read that a young coconut has more water and softer meat than a mature coconut. I say 'read' because I've never had a young coconut myself!

I don't see why you couldn't use a mature coconut in place of a young one, in recipes....although, if a recipe calls for a whole young coconut, plus it's water, I imagine you'd have to add either extra coconut water, or extra filtered water. But that's all I can think of!

Happy coconutting!

[raweater]

The texture of both is completely different. Young coconuts are soft and jelly like like avocadoes, mature coconuts are thick, tough and fibrous, for almost all recipes, they cannot be interchanged (try making a smoothie with mature cococnut and you'll instantly understand why, but really don't do it because you'll ruin your smoothie and have to throw it out or eat it by spoon, it will become completely undrinkable due to the tough fiber which will seal your mouth shut the instant you try and take a sip, a young coconut will leave your smoothie perfectly drinkable).

[BirdOfParadise]

While I would agree that they are not interchangable in recipes, it wouldn't hurt to try both of them and see how you like them. I am probably the only one around here who can't stand young coconuts, the taste makes me gag, but I do like to nibble on the meat of mature coconuts.

[raweater]

While I would agree that they are not interchangable in recipes, it wouldn't hurt to try both of them and see how you like them. I am probably the only one around here who can't stand young coconuts, the taste makes me gag, but I do like to nibble on the meat of mature coconuts.

Are you sure you are not trying thai young coconuts which are trimmed and dipped in embalming fluid? Those pretty much made me gag also, but make no mistake, it's the embalming fluid doing that (as it should), not the young coconut itself. Try to find the whole green young coconuts, those are not dipped in embalming fluid and therefor don't taste like embalming fluid. The difference between the ones dipped in embalming fluid and not dipped is like night and day, I'm never buying a dipped one again, the taste it horrible (and certainly far more dangerous than smoking).

[BirdOfParadise]

Try to find the whole green young coconuts, those are not dipped in embalming fluid and therefor don't taste like embalming fluid.

The only young coconuts I could find were the white trimmed ones at an asian market. Isn't this what most people eat? I wouldn't even know where to look for untrimmed ones, these were hard enough to find. I did find it odd that I found them disgusting since I love mature coconut and coconut oil! I will keep my eyes open, I am willing to give them a second shot.

[subbacultcha]

The only place I've seen them is Whole Foods Kensington and they were 4.99 each - I would have got one just to try it but I didn't want to lug a coconut home :o

I eat brown coconuts a lot, I LOVE the taste of the meat. I haven't tried them in recipes that call for young coconuts though. I made up a brownie recipe using mature coconut meat that was really yummy though!

[subbacultcha]

Oh, and you can make fresh coconut milk using mature coconut meat, like you would any nut milk! Just blend and strain.

[rawgreenyogini]

While I would agree that they are not interchangable in recipes, it wouldn't hurt to try both of them and see how you like them. I am probably the only one around here who can't stand young coconuts, the taste makes me gag, but I do like to nibble on the meat of mature coconuts.

My husband was the same way when he first tried young coconuts. Now he loves them. maybe it has to do with the fact that I put at least some everyday in his green smoothies????
:p

[rawgreenyogini]

The only young coconuts I could find were the white trimmed ones at an asian market. Isn't this what most people eat? I wouldn't even know where to look for untrimmed ones, these were hard enough to find. I did find it odd that I found them disgusting since I love mature coconut and coconut oil! I will keep my eyes open, I am willing to give them a second shot.

Those are exactly the ones! The trimmed white ones you see in the market are the young coconuts. Keep trying them, they will grow on you over some time. Maybe mix them into a green smoothie or make a banana coconut pie. The water is excellent to use in a green smoothie in place of "regular" distilled water.

[islesgirl]

The texture of both is completely different. Young coconuts are soft and jelly like like avocadoes, mature coconuts are thick, tough and fibrous, for almost all recipes, they cannot be interchanged (try making a smoothie with mature cococnut and you'll instantly understand why, but really don't do it because you'll ruin your smoothie and have to throw it out or eat it by spoon, it will become completely undrinkable due to the tough fiber which will seal your mouth shut the instant you try and take a sip, a young coconut will leave your smoothie perfectly drinkable).

Thanks for the info raweater!:)