History and product info
The humble coconut is widely grown on both sides of the equator between 260N and 260S. Botanically known as Cocos nucifera, the coconut is traditionally known as the 'tree of life', and the 'tree of a thousand uses'. Almost every part of the coconut palm is useful. The nut provides coconut meat, coconut milk and coconut cream. Uses for the rest of the plant are limited only by the imagination. The key applications have been the use of the outer fibrous layer of the fruit (known as coir) replacing sphagnum moss in horticulture, the use of the timber from the trunk instead of endangered tropical hardwoods, and the production of coconut oil from the dried meat of the nut. The top producer of coconut products is Indonesia.
Coconuts have 33% fat, which is less fat than other nuts, such as peanuts and almonds. However, what sets the cocunut apart is the high level of saturated fat in coconuts. At 90%, coconuts has more saturated fat than butter. Some of the reported benefits of coconut products include their role as anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that coconut can be used to treat parasites such as giardia, lice and tapeworm.
Wikipedia and the Coconut Research Centre (http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/) were both used in preparing this article. There is heaps more information on the web.
Storage and tips
- Fresh unopened coconuts can be stored at room temperature for one to two months.
- Grated fresh coconut can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days or frozen for up to six months.
- Desiccated coconut can be stored in a sealed container for up to six months at room temperature.
- Alice's tips: dessicated coconut sprinkled on porridge (to further exoticise your porridge, try cooking it with chopped up banana and some grated palm sugar) and dessicated coconut in fruit salad.