Anyone ever eat real Coconuts?

[CAMAROBOY69]

We have been watching a lot of Survorman lately and after seeing him drink and eat real coconuts, we decided to try it. After all they taste great in everything like Almond Joy or Mounds. I love coconut...

So we bought 4 from the local store. To our very unpleasant surprise the first 3 were just loaded with mold and disgusting. So finally the last one we opened was actually good. The fluid that came out was clear. I decided to drink a little. What the heck!!!?? Tasted like soap!! So I though well maybe the meat of the coconut will be better. It was disgusting and tasted like soap.

They must add a lot of sugar or something to make them taste like the other coconut items I have had. Or maybe we need to let it dry out???

 

[Max_DC]

Apart from the fact that your coconuts may have been in a less than optimal condition I guess you're pretty much used to the fake chemical coconut flavor in combination - as you said - with a ton of sugar. Blame the food industry for that

 

[Vince_Fiero]

I has been a while.

What I do remember:
* needed a hammer to get in the thing, 🤬 hard nut to crack.
* used the juice in a drink I believe, no issue
* scaped the flesh out for a preparation, no issue here either

We are not sweet 'tooths only bought 1, was OK 👍.
I do remember from my trips in Asia that the coconuts there look different then imported ones. Never got around to try some locally in Asia.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I wonder if the green ones fresh off the tree taste better. These were just solid brown were clearly off the tree for a while.

 

[Syntax error]

Yes, quite regularly. Coconut has a sweet taste to it and the juice is very refreshing. Sounds like you purchased some not so fresh examples. Don't let it dampen your spirits, give it another go but buy the coconut from somewhere else. Asian grocery stores usually stock coconut juice if you are interested in trying the juice of one that doesn't taste like soup.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Yes, quite regularly. Coconut has a sweet taste to it and the juice is very refreshing. Sounds like you purchased some not so fresh examples. Don't let it dampen your spirits, give it another go but buy the coconut from somewhere else. Asian grocery stores usually stock coconut juice if you are interested in trying the juice of one that doesn't taste like soup.

Thats what I am guessing too. Must have got a bad one. Especially since 3 of them were filled with mold.

As I said in the first post I usually love coconuts. Or at least the artificial kind in mounds and almond joy and in some cake mix. This one tasted like straight up bitter soap.

 

[Blitz187]

Green or young coconuts commonly have their tops sliced off, add a straw and presto you have a ready-made refreshing tropical drink! That is coconut water, which is very different from the coconut milk used in cooking. The meat is tender and translucent, which you can scrape out to eat after your drink or add it to fruit salads & canned mixed fruits for a tropical twist.

Brown or mature coconuts are commonly sold with the already brown dried husk removed. The meat has become more firm and opaque white. I understand that some people produce coconut milk by mixing the meat with the coconut water eg. Hawaiians. In South East Asia, the brown shell with just a thin layer of meat left is ground up. The fresh ground coconut is placed in a muslin bag with 1 cup of water added, the bag is then squeezed to produce thick coconut milk (equivalent to canned coconut cream); this is used in SE Asian desserts & added at the end of cooking curries for extra creaminess & coconut flavour.

I think you need to go for the fresh green coconuts... not the brown dry ones

 

[Radracing]

Yes, just like any friut they have to be fresh to be any good. Coconut ice cream is one of my favorites. You have to buy them fresh like this.

Or you have to buy it from this guy.

They have some pickled ones in sweet sauce that they use for a Filipino treat called "Halo halo" with shaved ice, a scoop of ice cream and some other ingredients thats is really good.

But the easy way for me is to go to the corner bar and order this.

a Pina Colada!

 

[Mark T]

Man I love coconut, especially in a thai curry. The only experience I can remember of eating fresh coconut was when my mum purchased one, left it in the cupboard then decided one day to eat it. Put a hole in it to dry the juice and it came out green

Maybe if you dry the cococnut out it may become sweeter. Funny this thread should pop up as I'm making a coconut cake on Sunday (using dessicated coconut).

Coconut ice cream is also amazing.

 

[TheCracker]

So we bought 4 from the local store. To our very unpleasant surprise the first 3 were just loaded with mold and disgusting. So finally the last one we opened was actually good. The fluid that came out was clear. I decided to drink a little. What the heck!!!?? Tasted like soap!! So I though well maybe the meat of the coconut will be better. It was disgusting and tasted like soap.

They must add a lot of sugar or something to make them taste like the other coconut items I have had. Or maybe we need to let it dry out???

Fresh coconuts can taste slightly soapy to me too. Not all to the same amount, but i certainly know what you mean.

This looks like a good guide to buying Coconuts.

 

[Radracing]

Oh! don't forget Macaroons.

Yummmm!

 

[Mark T]

I love coconut macaroons, might have to make some of them aswell.

 

[Sage]

If you go to an Asian market look for “young coconut” – quite often it’ll be cut into a pentagon-like shape.

 

[Mustangmiha]

Can't say I have. But coconut cakes are definetly one reasons to live, believe me. It's like heaven in your mouth. Ahhh, I think I'm hungry...

 

[LeeMoldon]

coconut ice is quite a delicacy! very sweet though

 

[Cougar23]

I have eaten quite a few conconuts over the 10 years my family lived in north queensland where the trees are everywhere lining the coast. Me and my dad used to go fishing (he was a charter fisherman) and when the fish wheren't biting we'd have a look around for some coconuts. When you get them fresh off the tree they are beautiful. Drink the juice the break bits of the meat off the shell. Mmmmm....
I wouldn't imagine them being any good out of a shop though. They have probably been sitting there for quite a while before being stocked. i.e. in shipment etc.

Cheers, Cougar23 👍

 

[Rykon Zero]

In Hawaii, I got a very nice whole coconut. While certainly, the fruit isn't going to be candy, it is still delicious.

Then again, I am half asian, and I'll eat anything and say it's good.

 

[niky]

Fresh coconuts, meh. Fun for a while, but it's just so much work cutting one up for a shot of water and some coconut meat.

What I wish we could get down here is fresh, sweet strawberries (local strawberries are sour) and fresh artichoke. I can hardly remember the taste of non-canned artichoke!

Do you hear me, world? I wish artichoke would actually grow down here! Now!

 

[Rykon Zero]

Indeed, artichoke are very, very delicious. We can get them by the truckload here.

 

[Radracing]

Hehe! opposite sides for opposite likes. You need a care package Niky?

I just remembered Coconut shrimps. Yummm!

 

[Moglet]

Coconuts are bloody horrible, and you're all clearly mad.

 

[Radracing]

Coconuts are bloody horrible, and you're all clealy mad.

Hey! sorry youre missing out. More for us to eat then.

 

[Zrow]

Haha, that's awesome Camaroboy. I'm not a big coconut fan, though - Mounds is probably my least favorite candy bar.

On a semi-related note, I watched Bear Grylls eat locusts and beetles for breakfast the other day.

 

[niky]

Hehe! opposite sides for opposite likes. You need a care package Niky?

I just remembered Coconut shrimps. Yummm!

I'll gladly trade an entire shipping box of coconuts for a cooler full of fresh artichokes.

 

[Radracing]

I'll gladly trade an entire shipping box of coconuts for a cooler full of fresh artichokes.

Hmmmm! I don't know, let me think of something else I crave for from back home.

 

[Omnis]

We have been watching a lot of Survorman lately and after seeing him drink and eat real coconuts, we decided to try it.

Sounds like what you're looking for is Agua de Coco. Look for coconut water in the store and don't buy the ones in the steel cans because they're from Indonesia and taste like crap. Buying whole coconuts from the store is a bad move. They're only good if they fall fresh off the tree or are processed right away.

The brand I like best is Vita Coco, but coconut water still isn't really my thing.