Coconut: How It Grows, Its Value and How to Choose One

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Coconut is no longer exotic: every supermarket sells it, and coconut milk, desiccated coconut and coconut oil are kitchen staples. Here is what a coconut is botanically, how it grows, its nutritional value, how to choose, open and store a coconut and how to make coconut milk at home.

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What a coconut is

The coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Although it is called a nut, botanically it is a drupe: a smooth outer skin, then a thick fibrous layer (used to make coir), then a hard shell with three "eyes", and inside, white flesh and coconut water.

According to a popular account, the name comes from Portuguese sailors: "coco" meant "head" or "bogeyman", as the three dark holes on the shell look like a face.

How the coconut palm grows

The coconut palm grows throughout the tropics, especially on sea coasts. It starts bearing fruit after about 6–10 years, lives 60–100 years and produces anywhere from a few dozen to a hundred or more fruits a year. Each fruit takes about a year to ripen. Coconuts float well and stay viable for a long time, so ocean currents have spread the palm across tropical islands and coastlines.

A sprouted coconut is sometimes grown as a houseplant. It needs very bright light, temperatures of at least 18–20 °C and humid air, but even with good care an indoor palm usually lives only a few years.

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Nutritional value

Coconut flesh is very nourishing: 100 g of fresh flesh contains about 354 kcal. Most of the energy comes from fat, mainly saturated, so coconut and coconut products are best eaten in moderation. The flesh is high in fibre and contains manganese, copper, iron and potassium.

Coconut water, by contrast, is light — about 19 kcal per 100 ml — and rich in potassium. It is refreshing in hot weather, but it is not a medicine: people with kidney disease or on a potassium-restricted diet should drink it with caution and after talking to a doctor.

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How to choose a coconut

• Green (young) coconuts are bought for their water: there is plenty of it, and the flesh is soft and jelly-like.
• Brown (mature) coconuts have firm flesh and a little water.
• Choose a fruit that feels heavy for its size, with no cracks, mould or damp patches, especially around the eyes.
• Shake it: you should hear liquid sloshing. If you hear nothing, the coconut has probably dried out or gone off.

How to open a coconut

1. Find the softest of the three eyes and pierce it with a screwdriver or corkscrew.
2. Drain the coconut water into a glass.
3. Wrap the coconut in a towel and tap around its "equator" with a hammer — the shell will crack all the way round.
4. Prise the flesh from the shell with a blunt knife. Work carefully and keep the coconut wrapped to avoid injury.

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How to store it

A whole coconut keeps at room temperature for several weeks. Keep opened flesh in a sealed container in the fridge for 2–3 days and coconut water for no more than a day. You can also grate the flesh and dry it in the oven at 70–80 °C; stored in an airtight jar, it keeps for months.

Coconut in cooking

Coconut milk and cream are the base of curries, Thai tom yum soup and many Asian sauces, and are added to porridge, coffee and desserts. Desiccated coconut tops cakes, biscuits and sweets and is used to coat prawns and bananas. Coconut oil is used for baking and frying, but remember it is high in saturated fat.

How to make coconut milk at home

1. Grate the flesh of one coconut (or use a cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut).
2. Cover with hot but not boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.
3. Blend and squeeze through muslin or a fine sieve.
4. Keep the milk in the fridge for up to a day. Coconut cream will rise to the top — use that too.

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Fun facts about coconuts

• Coconuts in gas masks. During the First World War, charcoal made from coconut shells was used in gas mask filters because it absorbs harmful substances well. Coconut-shell activated carbon is still used in water and air filters today.
• The Coconut Palace. For Pope John Paul II's visit in 1981, a palace was built in Manila that made extensive use of coconut timber and other parts of the palm. The Pope declined to stay there.
• Two ancestral homes. Genetic studies show that cultivated coconuts come from two regions, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and their spread helps trace ancient sea trade routes.
• Coconut armour. Warriors in Kiribati wore armour woven from tough coconut fibre.
• Dancing with coconuts. In the Filipino folk dance maglalatik, dancers beat out the rhythm on coconut shell halves strapped to their bodies.
• Fuel and drinks. Coconut oil can be made into biodiesel, and in the Philippines the sap of coconut flowers is distilled into a strong traditional spirit called lambanog.
• A coconut hit. Harry Nilsson's 1971 song "Coconut" became a hit and later featured in many films and TV shows.

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FAQ

Is a coconut a nut?

In everyday language, yes, but botanically it is a drupe, like a peach or plum.

How much coconut can you eat a day?

Because of its high calorie and saturated fat content, coconut is best eaten in small amounts as part of a varied diet. If you have a chronic condition, ask your doctor.

Love the exotic? Find out how to grow an avocado from a stone, and order a bouquet with delivery in Kyiv from UFL any time.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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