Staples-about Coconut
Coconut
Commerical flaked coconut comes in cans or packages an dis usually sweetened, unless you buy it in a natural foods store. It's marvelous for cakes and fine in other sweet baked products. Fresh unsweetened coconut is best for nonsweet main course dishes like salads, curries, and soups
To open a fresh coconut,
Pierce the eyes of the coconut with a screwdriver and drain off the liquid
Put the coconut in a 400F oven for 20 minutes
Tap it all over with a hammer to loosen the shell, then split it with a heavy knife or with a mallet or hammer. Pry out the white meat with a sharp knife, then pare off the dark skin
To grate fresh coconut
put the white meat in a rotary grater, a blender, or a food processor. A medium size coconut will produce 3 to 4 cups of grated coconut
Coconut liquid
has few uses and is usually discarded, despite a common misconception, it is not coconut milk.
To make coconut milk
steep the freshly grated coconut in boiling water to cover for 30 minutes. Then strain out the coconut, extracting all the flavorful juices by squeezing them through a towel back into the steeping liquid.
To toast fresh, grated coconut
Spread it in a shallow pan in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and watching carefully, until delicately brown
Store fresh, grated coconut
in the refrigerator for no more than four or five days or it will turn moldy
To keep longer, toast it and put it in a sealed jar, don't refrigerate
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