Young Coconuts [Archive]

FEELIN'GOOD

11-03-2004, 05:15 PM

Hi there solchile~

These are my favorite!!!!! I just use my clever and go in a round circle at an angle (like I'm going to chop the top off) around the top of the coconut.... It takes a while, like 5 to ten minutes sometimes...but oh so worth it! Hope this helps... just be careful not to cut yourself... patience is needed :D

corky

11-03-2004, 08:44 PM

how do they compare to regular brown coconuts??

ksabe98

11-03-2004, 09:26 PM

Hi I am new here. I wanted to tell you that I had a young coconut the other day and it was awesome. The water is much sweeter and the coconut or jelly is softer and so yummy. I still love the brown ones but I tell you the young coconuts give them a run for their money for sure. I was wondering a good way to get those things open also. At the raw restaurants they deliver them to your table so neat and clean but they don't look anything like the carnage that went on in my kitchen the other day. Literally there was debris all over the kitchen and floor and I had to strain the water for all the stuff in it from my attempts to get in. Well guys have a wonderful day!
Lisa

corky

11-04-2004, 05:06 AM

Hi and welcome ksabe! Thanks for the info.! I will definitely try one then as i am not that fond of regular coconuts. Although i hear green ones you can't get here are supposed to be wonderful. Oh and funny story about the coconut!! :p

Tanja_swe

11-04-2004, 05:15 AM

Anyone know where you can get young coconuts in the uk? I'd love to try one!

marigold

11-04-2004, 05:44 AM

you are in scotland right ? i know chinese shops stock them..i get mine from china town in manchester .a few shops sell them..and london of course....they are really yummy..more richer coconuty than the old ones..we hack saw ours !!

solchile76

11-04-2004, 08:47 AM

Thanks for the tip feelin' good. I guess I need patience. I almost went nuts trying to get one open.

Curtis

11-04-2004, 10:45 AM

Welcome Lisa, glad to have you here! :)

Olive

11-04-2004, 12:57 PM

I take my butcher knife and whack at it (3-4 inches from the pointy top) with the corner near the handle. Usually opens pretty smoothly, but sometimes I get lots of shell in my coconut water. The other day though, I was using the tip of my butcher knife (a really good Henckel too!) to pry off the top and about an inch of the tip snapped clean off. I'm kind of steamed about it, but the knife still works okay!

vegbaby

11-04-2004, 08:07 PM

If you're buying the ones that already have the green outside shaved off and are white with a pointy top, it's pretty easy. I use a heavy duty meat cleaver and whack in a circle around the pointy top at an angle four times. That usually does it.

Melanie

corky

11-05-2004, 12:29 AM

Ohhhh, so the shaved ones with the pointy tops used to be green??!! Boy do i have a lot to learn!! :p I thought they were just 'younger' than the other dark brown ones. Duhh...So does anyone have preferences?? How are they different? Thanks for the tips on how to open them too!

baptistnomad

11-05-2004, 10:46 AM

Olive

11-05-2004, 12:32 PM

Whole Foods usually sells them, but they are way overpriced there. Your best bet is to find and Asian food market and buy them there. Same coconut, half the price!

The ones you're looking for are white, flat on the bottom, circular around the middle and pointy at the top. Here's a picture for you with instructions:

http://www.youngcoconuts.com/opencleaver.html

Yum yum! This morning I had young coconut water & the meat blended with 2 medjool dates, some almond milk and a banana. Heaven!

solchile76

11-05-2004, 12:34 PM

ok-i'm new to this raw food thing and buying experience would tell me that there are as many different coconuts as there are apples and oranges. but, what do the young coconuts look like? and where can one purchase these in chicago?? does whole foods sell them?

I live in Chicago as well. You can get a young coconut at Stanley's Fruit Market on Elston and North Ave. Karyn's Live Food Restaurant on Halsted also sells them.

konacoral

11-05-2004, 06:04 PM

I pour the juice in the blender with the slimy meat, add a banana and a couple frozen strawberries. Quite tasty. :p

baptistnomad

11-06-2004, 12:47 PM

I live in Chicago as well. You can get a young coconut at Stanley's Fruit Market on Elston and North Ave. Karyn's Live Food Restaurant on Halsted also sells them.

thanks so much! i think i've seen this karyn's store b/f and wanted to go, as you know living in the city, sometimes its difficult to fit everything in. but, i think i'm going to have to check it out! the food looks great there at the cafe! have you eaten at the restaurant? are you raw vegan? and if so, how did you transition from whatever your previous eating habits were to now?

thanks,
robyn

baptistnomad

11-06-2004, 12:49 PM

Smileen

11-06-2004, 01:28 PM

Sol....I was at Karyn's this morning! They don't sell coconuts themselves anymore, but she now bottles the coconut water of young coconuts. You can probably get some at the juice bar too.

baptistnomad

11-06-2004, 02:17 PM

Sol....I was at Karyn's this morning! They don't sell coconuts themselves anymore, but she now bottles the coconut water of young coconuts. You can probably get some at the juice bar too.

this is good to know, since i've just discovered the chicago raw scene! any other places about which i should know?

thanks!

SimplyRawesome

11-06-2004, 03:05 PM

Wow! I have NEVER before seen a coconut that looks like that! That is weird. Interesting link. Thanks Olive. I'll have to check that out. My son is really good with a chainsaw ... will that work?! LOL.

SimplyRawesome

11-06-2004, 03:10 PM

can you buy these young coconuts from this website your recommended? or, do you purchase them at your local asian market?
Baptistnomad, According to the link you CAN purchase from them - either individually or by the case. Also, they say you can find them at Asian or Mexican restaurants.

baptistnomad

11-07-2004, 02:37 PM

alas! i found the young coconuts not at whole foods but at the golden market (asian mart) on broadway north of foster! they have tons!

i will try the other one on north and halsted?!

thanks for all the options!
robyn

solchile76

11-08-2004, 09:32 AM

thanks so much! i think i've seen this karyn's store b/f and wanted to go, as you know living in the city, sometimes its difficult to fit everything in. but, i think i'm going to have to check it out! the food looks great there at the cafe! have you eaten at the restaurant? are you raw vegan? and if so, how did you transition from whatever your previous eating habits were to now?

thanks,
robyn

I have eaten at the restaurant before. I had the buffet. I wasn't crazy about it at the time. I did say I was going to go back and try it again. The banana pudding is awesome. The restaurant is very expensive. Now that I have Alissa's book and others it is cheaper to prepare my own dishes. I am not raw vegan yet, but I did start a 30 raw challenge today.

baptistnomad

11-09-2004, 12:21 AM

I have eaten at the restaurant before. I had the buffet. I wasn't crazy about it at the time. I did say I was going to go back and try it again. The banana pudding is awesome. The restaurant is very expensive. Now that I have Alissa's book and others it is cheaper to prepare my own dishes. I am not raw vegan yet, but I did start a 30 raw challenge today.

thanks for your reply! you find alissa's book a must have? also, do you have a dehydrator? juicer? food processor? i'm trying to find a good buy on these, but its difficult--i'd appreciate any smart buying tips, etc!

thanks,
robyn

vegbaby

11-10-2004, 07:50 AM

Here is a video on how to open a young coconut: http://www.rawguru.com/html/openyoungcoconut.html

VeganWannaBe

11-10-2004, 08:21 AM

Hey there ... please let me know if you find any young coconuts in our part of the world ... they sound yummie! I have never evn heard of them until now!

VeganWannaBe

11-10-2004, 08:22 AM

Thanks Vegbaby! You rock!

solchile76

11-10-2004, 10:33 AM

this is good to know, since i've just discovered the chicago raw scene! any other places about which i should know?

thanks!
Karyn's the the only place I know of. I will let you know if I find more.

glad_2beme

11-10-2004, 10:57 AM

Hi VeganWannabe....do you have an asian market in your area??? I am in Alabama and we have several here (why I do not know, since we have very little of anything else in our area, no whole foods, our health food stores are mainly supplements, etc....) but the good news is Monday I am suppose to meet with a man who wants to set up an organic co-op in the Montgomery area...woohoo

VeganWannaBe

11-10-2004, 11:07 AM

Hey there Glad2beme!
As far as I have found, there is only one health food store locally but they are more of the 'supplements w/ a few vegan foods' type. I have heard that there is an Asian market not far from me but as yet I have had no luck in finding it:O( I'm not giving up though! I wonder how long it would take me to get to Montgomery, LOL!
Just curious .... do you get down to Florida much? I am from the PanHandle area ... Destin to be more precise.

glad_2beme

11-10-2004, 11:17 AM

OM Goodnes,,,,YES, not a problem at all. I go to Gulf Shores, and Pensacola all the time. I used to go to Pensacola every other weekend to spend it with a grilfriend of mine. We grew apart but anyway I love road trips!!!!

VeganWannaBe

11-10-2004, 11:31 AM

You're kidding!( ... not really a question)
I went to the University of West Florida in Pensacola! We're heading down there for Thanksgiving. My parents live in Niceville now & my brother & grandparents live in Crestview. As soon as my hubby retires from the Army we plan on settling somewhere down there ... only 9-19 more years to go!
I miss the Miracle Strip Amusement Park & the P'cola state fair ... hmmm.... thanks for the happy memories!

glad_2beme

11-10-2004, 11:34 AM

Oh Bad News.....the Miracle Strip Was Demolished At The End Of This Season....condos Are Going Up (i Think)

solchile76

11-10-2004, 11:36 AM

thanks for your reply! you find alissa's book a must have? also, do you have a dehydrator? juicer? food processor? i'm trying to find a good buy on these, but its difficult--i'd appreciate any smart buying tips, etc!

thanks,
robyn
YES YES YES! Alissa's book is definately a must have. Its a great read and she has awesome recipes.

solchile76

11-10-2004, 11:40 AM

thanks for your reply! you find alissa's book a must have? also, do you have a dehydrator? juicer? food processor? i'm trying to find a good buy on these, but its difficult--i'd appreciate any smart buying tips, etc!

thanks,
robyn
I have a dehydrator and a vitamix. I don't have a food prosessor yet. I thought I was going to be able to use my vitamix as a prosessor, but it does not do well with nuts or anythink thick. I bought my vitamix from ebay and my dehydrator from eatraw.com

Jay

11-10-2004, 12:33 PM

Are you talking about these coconuts? (see pic) I think they are the same, no?

vegbaby

11-10-2004, 08:39 PM

No, not those. These...

Jay

11-11-2004, 07:14 AM

Lol Melanie,

I know which ones you were talking about, but I think they are the same as the pic that I posted, only the ones that I'm talking about have their skin (or whatever it's called, the white outer layer) already shaved off... don't you think?? Has anybody ever tried to reveal the whole coconut, instead of just chopping off the top?

J.

SimplyRawesome

11-11-2004, 07:25 AM

Forgive me if I'm being redundant here, but I haven't had a chance to read all the posts in this thread. I went to Wild Oats yesterday and bought a couple of young coconuts. My questions:
1) Once I open them up, how do I preserve the coconut meat?
2) How long does on last before it's been opened up?
3) How long do they last after they've been opened up?

I'm afraid I won't be able to use it up quick enough before it goes bad.

Thanks for your help. Gotta run. :)

VeganWannaBe

11-11-2004, 07:25 AM

Oh no Glad!
I'm assuming they tore down Shipwreck Island also? Oh, my heart is breaking!

Olive

11-11-2004, 10:32 AM

Hi Nutrimom,

I've never had to save mine--I eat the entire coconut when I open it! I get about 1 1/2 - 3 cups of water out of it and about a cup or so of meat. It really depends on the age of the coconut. Older coconut=more meat and more water (plus the meat will be firmer). I suppose if you didn't want to drink/eat it immediately, you could store the water in the fridge for a couple days. Maybe dehydrate the meat? I usually open the to eat for breakfast. I just stick all the water and meat in a blender with a bit of almond milk and a date and blend until smooth. Yum! Oh, I've kept a young coconut in the fridge for a couple weeks and it's been just fine.

SimplyRawesome

11-11-2004, 07:17 PM

Thank you Olive. I appreciate your help. I'm not a major coconut fan but have come across a lot of recipes with coconut that I'd like to try. That's why I wondered how long it would last and how to preserve it. :) My only experience with coconut is the flaked stuff in the plastic bag - definitely NOT raw!

vegbaby

11-11-2004, 07:21 PM

Sorry...didn't mean to be condescending. :) The brown ones are just the white ones with the outsides shaved off, but once they are like that, they are old. The flesh won't be mushy, and they don't have nearly as much water, and it tastes different.

[quote]I know which ones you were talking about, but I think they are the same as the pic that I posted, only the ones that I'm talking about have their skin (or whatever it's called, the white outer layer) already shaved off... don't you think?? Has anybody ever tried to reveal the whole coconut, instead of just chopping off the top?[quote]

FEELIN'GOOD

11-11-2004, 07:39 PM

Young coconuts have no chance in my house... I can barely wait the 3 hours I allow them to chill before I massacre them! YUM! I can't stand coconut either, BUT I love these! I think once you try one, you will be utterly shocked as I was to discover their clean, calming taste! When I eat the meat out of a young coconut, my husband says I look like a starving wild animal.... there's nothing like it.

VeganWannaBe

11-12-2004, 07:39 AM

Alright ... I've just conferred w/ my hubby & we will be hitting the asain market today ... even if we have to drive to another state to find one! (it's a good thing we live near the TN-KY state line ...LOL) Wish me luck please, I am craving "the experience" of attacking a young coconut "like a starving wild animal" more than I can stand!
Raw Blessings ~

glad_2beme

11-12-2004, 10:30 AM

hit the phonebook 1st...good luck in your adventure..a road trip is always fun though

Sharon in Colorado

11-12-2004, 11:28 AM

My raw food support group came up with this at our last meeting.

Tropical Pudding

1 young coconut
1 pineapple
several bananas
vanilla, optional
golden flax seeds, optional
shredded coconut

Open up the young coconut and sip out all of the delicious water through a straw. Scoop out the meat into a blender or food processor. Add the pineapple and blend. Add several bananas, at least 3 to get a nice thick consistancy. If desired, add vanilla (for extra flavor) and freshly ground flax seeds (this helps it gel).

Place in a large bowl or several serving dishes and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Sharon in Colorado

11-12-2004, 11:32 AM

Also the young coconuts have jelly like flesh and are lower in fat than the hairy old brown Gilligan's Island coconuts that have hard flesh inside and not-so-sweet water. The harder coconuts are usually used for things like shredded coconut. They are more difficult to extract the meat from. Plus I think the young coconuts have green husks if I"m not mistaken.

Jay

11-12-2004, 11:46 AM

Hmm,

than maybe the one's I was talking about are just a diffent kind of coconut... it's just that on the 'how to open' pics from Alex (rawguru) the coconut that is hidden in the white outer layer looks more like the pic I posted than as the brown ones you can buy in almost every supermarket...

VeganWannaBe

11-12-2004, 03:29 PM

Hello ...
Sharon, that recipe sounds delish!
I'd love to try it but we had no success in finding any young coconuts anywhere :O( And yes, Glad2beme, I did consult the phone book first :)
I guess I will be doing some online shopping now ...

glad_2beme

11-12-2004, 03:57 PM

One other idea....if you have a thai restaurant in your area, see if they use them...ours do not they use canned coconut milk...but you never know, especially if it is a small family owned restaurant....good luck oh, I am not sure about shipwreck island, we did not go this season when I found out they were closing the strip....it was a fav of mine and my husband's so I just left it as a great memory.

VeganWannaBe

11-12-2004, 04:18 PM

Thanks Glad ...
So far, no luck yet :(
I even went to the site that Vegbaby shared & they no longer sell young coconuts online either ...ergh. I'm getting desperate now! I AM WILLING TO PAY TOP DOLLAR, SPARE NO EXPENSES, SELL OFF ALL MY WORLDLY GOODS ... for just one young coconut!

glad_2beme

11-12-2004, 04:19 PM

ok, I have found a way to make a fortune, thanks for the idea...lol. go to a search engine and do a search on them, or I can mail you one...