The nuts that grow on coconut palms are called coconuts. This fruit has a strong shell, which is covered with brown fibers from the outside. Under the coconut shell there is a white pulp, which has a delicate aroma and a specific taste. In addition, inside the nut there is a kind of transparent consistency (coconut milk), it has a sweetish salty flavor.
Choosing quality coconut
To try such a nut, it is not necessary to go to the places where it grows, since at present it can be purchased without any problems at a supermarket. But most people who decide to buy a coconut, ask the same questions, how to choose and how to open it?
In order to get a good coconut, you need to use the following tips from experts:
- First of all, what you need to pay attention to is the integrity of the nut. In this case, its shell should not have chips, scratches and cracks. If such damage is present, then rot or mold could have already formed inside the fruit, which adversely affect its taste. Therefore, if you get just such a coconut, it is best to bypass it.
- Ripe coconut has a rather heavy weight. In addition, its ripeness can be determined by shaking. If you rub the nut, you can hear the gurgling of the liquid, which means that it is juicy and ripe.
- On one side of the coconut there are three round spots, which also play an important role in its selection. If these eyes have a darker color than the shell, then the fruit is ripe and does not have any internal or external damage.
An ordinary person who has never held such an exotic product in his hands is rather difficult to choose a quality fruit. Therefore, it is better to take two or three copies. Because, according to probability theory, at least one of several fruits will be really tasty.
In a store, the quality of an overseas nut can be determined solely by its appearance. But coming home, splitting and cleaning this fruit, you can already say with absolute certainty whether it is of high quality or not.
The following signs are characteristic of a qualitative nut:
- aroma of coconut milk, which should be pleasant and not sharp. Otherwise, it will mean that the process of rotting has begun in the purchased product;
- shade of pulp. In a high-quality fetus, the color will be pure white, and in a spoiled one - pinkish;
- the amount and consistency of the pulp. It should be gentle and in large enough quantities. In addition, the liquid in the ripe coconut should be a small amount.
Coconut Opening Instructions
To open such an exotic fruit at home, you need to perform certain actions.
First of all, you need to drain the milk out of it. For this you need:
To find on its surface three spots, which have a darker shade than the fruit itself. It is worth knowing that in some instances there are four, and sometimes five spots each, but this happens very rarely. These eyes are considered the most vulnerable spot of the coconut. In this case, two dark holes have the same dense structure as the shell, and the third dent is easily exposed to any object with a sharp end.- Using a sharp object (knife, sewing or nail), pierce a dent. For this you need to push the tip into the fetus with a turning movement. To speed up the process of fluid leakage, it is recommended to pierce another spot, but this will require great effort.
- After breaking through the holes, the coconut needs to be turned over and the existing milk is drained into a glass or other container.
To find on its surface three spots, which have a darker shade than the fruit itself. It is worth knowing that in some instances there are four, and sometimes five spots each, but this happens very rarely. These eyes are considered the most vulnerable spot of the coconut. In this case, two dark holes have the same dense structure as the shell, and the third dent is easily exposed to any object with a sharp end.Next to open the fruit you will need to knock on it with a hard object so that cracks form on the surface of the nut. For this action is best suited ordinary hammer. With the help of such a tool coconut knocks from the eyes, because in this place its shell is more susceptible to deformation.
When the crack appeared, you can begin to split it. To do this, use a sharp object, the tip of which is inserted into the resulting crack and rotated. With a successful outcome, the coconut should split into two halves.
The next and final step is the separation of the pulp from the shell, which can be done in the following ways:
- With the help of a usual tablespoon, with which the flesh is hooked and cut off, thus separating it from the shell. It should be borne in mind that this method is effective if the coconut pulp is soft and soft, that is, in young fruits.
- Using a wine corkscrew or screwdriver. With this method, the tip must be pushed between the shell and pulp and carefully peeled off the shell. This option is universal, as it can be used for young and old fruits.
- With the help of a sharp knife, with which the pulp is cut into small pieces up to the skin itself, after which the edible part of the coconut is separated by fingers or the same knife from the shell. This method is most suitable for old nuts.
Practical advice
For a more convenient and high-quality opening of the overseas fetus, you must use the following recommendations:
- To speed up the process of leakage of fluid from the nut, should be in the opposite side of the spots with a drill, drill a hole of small diameter.
- A more fragile speck is considered to be one that is farther away from the other two.
- When cracking a nut, you must first secure it. This will avoid traumatic situations.
