Re: Young coconut-young green coconut

[Guest guest]

@@@ Steph:

After searching every Asian grocery store in town, I finally found

one that carries young coconut. I've bought two over the past few

weeks, but didn't open either one for a few days after purchase.

The second one I stored in the fridge until opening.

>

> At any rate, both of them had pink water. I read from Body

Ecology that pink means it's bad and to throw it out. Is there any

way to know when buying a coconut if it's going to be pink or not?

Is it because I'm not opening it immediately?

@@@@

@@@

The young green coconuts sold in asian markets are sold with the

green skin removed leaving the white husk, shell, young tender

coconut meat, and milk in tact. For freshness the white husk should

not be dry and if you hold the coconut in the palm of your hand

and bounce it up and down it should feel heavy not light.

If the milk is pink it's spoiled. You need to tell the store

their coconuts are bad and if possible you should ask them how they

would pick out a fresh coconut or point you to a fresh batch.

-Opal

@@@@

First, I wanna say that I agree with Opal that the basic solution is

to talk to the store owner about it--ask them for packing slips to

show the date of arrival, etc, ask about refrigeration, storage, etc.

Hopefully you can work something out.

As far as not opening it immediately, that's not the problem. I've

had young coconuts sit in the fridge for a few weeks with no problems.

I'm guessing they sat in the store for a long time, and possibly

without refrigeration. Also, for just a few days it's okay for them

to sit out at room temp.

In Chinatown in Manhattan you can buy young coconuts at dozens of

sidewalk produce stands, and I've noticed that some of them have

little signs saying that they have refrigerated young coconuts for

sale inside at a slightly higher price (typically $1.50 instead of

$1.25). In my experience, the young coconuts sitting out on the

sidewalk stands in Chinatown are very very fresh, just like most

produce in Chinatown, probably because of the massive volume and rapid

turnover of that area. (Everything's cheapest there too!) In

contrast, when I buy young coconuts from Vietnamese shops in Philly,

they are typically far less fresh than the Manhattan Chinatown ones,

even though they are high-volume supermarkets the same size as

American supermarkets. I'm guessing they simply don't sell as many

and that they sit around longer without refrigeration.

In my early coconut days I used to shake the coconuts near my ears to

determine whether they had lots of water inside, but one time a

Chinese kid laughed at me and said that some of them don't make any

sound. In my experience, I've never bought a young coconut that

wasn't loaded with water. There is quite a bit of variation in how

much meat there is, though, and how solid it is, with no correlation

to outside appearance that I'm aware of.

Thanks to both of you for the info about pink coconut water; I'd never

heard about that. To be honest, I can't recall offhand what colors

I've seen for coconut water, so maybe I've drank pink coconut water!

I think it's usually a faint greyish color.

I think there have been one or two times I threw away the coconut

water (and meat) because it smelled off to me.

I have often found small patches of green and white mold on the

outside white husk of young coconuts, especially when they've sat

around for a few weeks, but with the insides in perfect and fresh

condition.

A friend from SE Asia, where coconut anything is a daily item, told me

that the general rule of thumb they use is not to drink coconut water

that's sat out for more than two hours. Refrigerated it's okay for a

few days I'm guessing, and from personal experience a day or two has

been fine. Freezing is good for extended storage.

@@@ Opal:

Check out your asian market frozen food section. I buy single

serving frozen young green coconut juice with pulp. It comes with a

little straw and fork I enjoy it after thawing it out in the

fridge. It's a very refreshing delicious drink that's hassle free

and inexpensive.

SideNote: My asian market sells 6 different brands of frozen young

green coconut juice. I buy a brand that has no added sugar-all

natural.

@@@

That's interesting to me because I've never seen frozen coconut water

(by " juice " , and also " milk " above, I'm assuming you mean " water " ) in

Asian shops! But this is probably because I've never thought to

look, although I've pretty thoroughly browsed a great many Asian shops

of many varieties, and I live in a region (close to Philadelphia and

New York) where I have access to as much Asian stuff as anywhere in

the US other than a few CA cities. I have seen frozen coconut water

sold in a small, homestyle Jamaican restaurant once.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

,

I live in CA and the brand name that I get is called " Lucia "

Ingredients: young coconut juice, young coconut pulp

On the label it says 100% natural, keep frozen and there's

a picture of green coconuts.

Cost: $49 cents

It's in a 10.5 fl oz hard plastic container with lid. When

thawed you can use the straw to drink the juice then pop off the lid

and use the fork to eat the young pulp.

The container is typical of other brands in the market as well

and I've seen brands from different countries where coconuts

are abundant.

This is one of my all time favorite snacks and I suppose

it has to be very fresh since it's frozen.

-O

> @@@ Steph:

> After searching every Asian grocery store in town, I finally found

> one that carries young coconut. I've bought two over the past few

> weeks, but didn't open either one for a few days after purchase.

> The second one I stored in the fridge until opening.

> >

> > At any rate, both of them had pink water. I read from Body

> Ecology that pink means it's bad and to throw it out. Is there

any

> way to know when buying a coconut if it's going to be pink or

not?

> Is it because I'm not opening it immediately?

> @@@@

>

>

> @@@

> The young green coconuts sold in asian markets are sold with the

> green skin removed leaving the white husk, shell, young tender

> coconut meat, and milk in tact. For freshness the white husk

should

> not be dry and if you hold the coconut in the palm of your hand

> and bounce it up and down it should feel heavy not light.

> If the milk is pink it's spoiled. You need to tell the store

> their coconuts are bad and if possible you should ask them how they

> would pick out a fresh coconut or point you to a fresh batch.

> -Opal

> @@@@

>

> First, I wanna say that I agree with Opal that the basic solution

is

> to talk to the store owner about it--ask them for packing slips to

> show the date of arrival, etc, ask about refrigeration, storage,

etc.

> Hopefully you can work something out.

>

> As far as not opening it immediately, that's not the problem. I've

> had young coconuts sit in the fridge for a few weeks with no

problems.

> I'm guessing they sat in the store for a long time, and possibly

> without refrigeration. Also, for just a few days it's okay for

them

> to sit out at room temp.

>

> In Chinatown in Manhattan you can buy young coconuts at dozens of

> sidewalk produce stands, and I've noticed that some of them have

> little signs saying that they have refrigerated young coconuts for

> sale inside at a slightly higher price (typically $1.50 instead of

> $1.25). In my experience, the young coconuts sitting out on the

> sidewalk stands in Chinatown are very very fresh, just like most

> produce in Chinatown, probably because of the massive volume and

rapid

> turnover of that area. (Everything's cheapest there too!) In

> contrast, when I buy young coconuts from Vietnamese shops in

Philly,

> they are typically far less fresh than the Manhattan Chinatown

ones,

> even though they are high-volume supermarkets the same size as

> American supermarkets. I'm guessing they simply don't sell as many

> and that they sit around longer without refrigeration.

>

> In my early coconut days I used to shake the coconuts near my ears

to

> determine whether they had lots of water inside, but one time a

> Chinese kid laughed at me and said that some of them don't make any

> sound. In my experience, I've never bought a young coconut that

> wasn't loaded with water. There is quite a bit of variation in

how

> much meat there is, though, and how solid it is, with no

correlation

> to outside appearance that I'm aware of.

>

> Thanks to both of you for the info about pink coconut water; I'd

never

> heard about that. To be honest, I can't recall offhand what colors

> I've seen for coconut water, so maybe I've drank pink coconut

water!

> I think it's usually a faint greyish color.

> I think there have been one or two times I threw away the coconut

> water (and meat) because it smelled off to me.

>

> I have often found small patches of green and white mold on the

> outside white husk of young coconuts, especially when they've sat

> around for a few weeks, but with the insides in perfect and fresh

> condition.

>

> A friend from SE Asia, where coconut anything is a daily item,

told me

> that the general rule of thumb they use is not to drink coconut

water

> that's sat out for more than two hours. Refrigerated it's okay

for a

> few days I'm guessing, and from personal experience a day or two

has

> been fine. Freezing is good for extended storage.

>

> @@@ Opal:

> Check out your asian market frozen food section. I buy single

> serving frozen young green coconut juice with pulp. It comes with

a

> little straw and fork I enjoy it after thawing it out in the

> fridge. It's a very refreshing delicious drink that's hassle free

> and inexpensive.

> SideNote: My asian market sells 6 different brands of frozen young

> green coconut juice. I buy a brand that has no added sugar-all

> natural.

> @@@

>

> That's interesting to me because I've never seen frozen coconut

water

> (by " juice " , and also " milk " above, I'm assuming you mean " water " )

in

> Asian shops! But this is probably because I've never thought to

> look, although I've pretty thoroughly browsed a great many Asian

shops

> of many varieties, and I live in a region (close to Philadelphia

and

> New York) where I have access to as much Asian stuff as anywhere in

> the US other than a few CA cities. I have seen frozen coconut

water

> sold in a small, homestyle Jamaican restaurant once.

>

> Mike

> SE Pennsylvania

>

> The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay