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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI just went to a raw foods/sprouting training at Hippocrates Institute. I learned there that the young (Thai) coconuts I have been buying (they look like white huts, with round bottoms and pointy tops) are treated with formaldahyde to keep the husk white. I think these coconuts are an incredible resource for health beneficial nutrients (and the water and meat is so much tastier than brown coconuts)...does anyone know about this treatment? Are there any untreated but husked coconuts on the market? Are there any easy methods of opening the hard outer green shell that does not involve a machete? I live in south florida and have access to the green coconuts off the trees, but have a heck of a time trying to get into them.
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I just listened to a tape by Bruce Fife and he said that the amount of Formaldehyde is minimal if even any used at all because most coconuts are not sprayed. However, he said that if they were sprayed, it would be a trace amount just to keep the molding down during transit. He also said that it would not penetrate into the coconut through the shell…he wrote the book on the coconut miracle. I believe there was a discussion on this also on gliving.com. I have only seen organic coconuts once, and my Brother tried opening the coconuts off of the trees in Florida and said forget it and went out and bought a case of coconuts :) I thought the only way to get rid of the outer green shell was with a machete, so am interested in other ideas also so I could pass them on to him…I love Hippocrates, they would not mislead you, I just wonder how much of the coconut would really be compromised it any, on the parts that we would ingest? Good topic! :)
I buy and use the green ones every day. They sell them in Tescos, UK version of Wall mart. So they are being bought by all kinds of people and opened by “normal” folks every day…not just us raw food loonies!!
They are easier to get into that you think, you just need a big knife and a hammer and a screwdriver. They taste WAY BETTER than the Thai ones.
All we do to get into them is:
Using a screw driver and a hammer make 2 holes in the top and get the water out. If the water doesn’t come out wriggle the screwdriver around in the hole to make it bigger.
Then rest a meat cleaver on the top of it, where the end is a bit pointy, and using the hammer bash the knife until it goes through the shell. Keep hammering it until it opens. It takes about 10 bashes with the hammer before it just cracks open.
The difference in the taste is so huge between these lovelies and the white ones that it makes me very very suspicious of the white ones which I will not eat again.
Thanks, both replies sound like good news to me. I will make more of an effort with the green nuts, but won’t completely turn away the Thai. (I had wondered if the formaldahyde could get through, how much it could affect it, etc. I’ll look into it more…). I know Hippocrates is super strict with their food and combining because many clients there are so very ill that even a little sugar, chemical, etc could really hurt. I am scared of using machete, knife, etc. My boyfriend is handy with a drill, and we had used it with a piece that makes the hole about 2 inches in diameter. Problem is, the nut is so deep in the husk. We’ll try the drill again with a longer bit to get the juice out, then I’ll try Zoe’s knife method. Thanks for any feedback!
Not sure where you live but my bf and I buy the “Best” brand of young coconuts. I live in Wisconsin . We actually stop buying young coconuts for a while when we found out about them being irradiate and dipped. Apparently this brand does not irradiate – not sure if they dip or not but I heard too that the because of the white shell – the chemicals do not pentrate into the part you eat inside.
So, check with your local Asian store to see what brand of young coconuts they have. The “Best” brand will be wrapped in some saran wrap with a “Best” label on it. :)
That’s what we have been getting also queenfluff. Actually some that we have bought say “Best” and one batch we bought said “Better” LOL! Pretty funny…I am guessing they are from the same company, but don’t know.
Zoe, good tip on opening the green type! I forwarded that info to my Brother who lives in Florida…he wanted to avoid the machete also…
i have stayed away from the thai ones, formaldahyde scares me. i love coconut, but it is work to get into them and get them ready to prepare. i mostly buy the smallest ones i can find, organic in a shell. but recently, being lazy i found coconut meat and milk in the frozen section of the asian market. the only ingredient was coconut, although it didn’t appear to be organic, but it sure was easy.
I’ve heard this too but it is so hard to find any kind of this information on the internet. Also, that skin is thick and hard, the toxins, I think, don’t really seep into the water/meat inside the coconut.
They are packed with nutrition. One coconut:
1405 calories No cholesterol 60g carbs 13g protein 27g sugar 35g fiber 1,413mg potassium 86% RDA for copper 53% iron 297% manganese 44% phosphorus 29% zinc
I’ve read that raw vegan diets are often short on protein, fat, cholesterol, b-12, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc. Good stuff these coconuts
Hi Shane, The nutritional info is for an old coconut right? Do you have the young coconut info? I know they are much, much lower in calories and fat than the older, brown coconuts. I used to have the info but can’t find it right now, will keep looking :) Thanks…
Hey Rawmama, some of those figures are from the US Department of Agriculture’s food database, and you may be right. That site does not differentiate between old and young coconuts. Just “coconut, raw, medium sized.” I also got similar info from sparkpeople.com, but that site doesn’t make the age or species differences, either… Sorry to add confusion here. Learning experience for me. I didn’t know there would be differences, but it makes sense.
Nooooo problem :) We all are learning, and it’s great to have info from various sources. I found my notes and my comparison between young and old coconuts (about nutrition) does vary a lot from what you found, especially when it comes to calories. I had found my info months ago on 2 sites. The 2nd site I went to, listed below, is no longer an English document, and I have no clue what it now says! :( But here are the sites anyways and the info I found. Sooooo, I wonder how many calories a young coconut really has?! :) Thanks for your help, I appreciate it…
http://www.cocotap.com/nutrition.htm http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0021-75572…
NUTRITIONAL INFO YOUNG coconuts are considered highly nutritious. One whole YOUNG coconut has only 140 calories, OLD has 283 calories. The YOUNG coconut has 50 mg sodium OLD has 16 mg YOUNG 28 grams of carbohydrate, OLD 1 cup contains 12.2 grams of carbohydrates YOUNG 2 grams of fiber, OLD high fiber food that delivers 7.2 grams for 1 cup of freshly grated meat YOUNG 15 grams of sugar, and YOUNG 2 grams of protein, OLD 2.7 grams of protein for 1 cup. YOUNG provides 17% of the RDA for calcium and total fat content is 3 grams, all saturated. With a zero content of cholesterol,
Coconut WATER Comparison: While the mineral content remains fairly constant, the sugar and protein concentrations increase as the nut matures. The taste of coconut water varies depending on the age of the coconut. The water from mature coconuts, although good, doesn
anyone know where these “green” ones are available in the US (i live in new england). i’ve never seen them. hmmm…
nice topic! to open a coconut i take a serrated knife tip coconut on side and basically ‘saw’ thru til i see drops of coconut water then take the knife and twist it over a bowl to release more of the liquid. if it doesn’t flow ‘saw’ into it more. my wife uses a strong knife and hits it around the top, i tell here my way is easier. she laughs. peace and enjoy
Pianissima-perhaps they might have some in an Asian or Latin market? I am from a small town in New England originally, and those markets can be hard enough to find in smaller towns. Good luck!!!!