What Is Coconut and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with coconut? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 947 recipes to put it to work.

What is coconut?

Although coconut meat contains less fat than many oilseeds and nuts such as almonds, it is noted for its high amount of medium-chainsaturated fat. About 90% of the fat found in coconut meat is saturated, a proportion exceeding that of foods such as lard, butter, andtallow.

There has been some debate as to whether or not the saturated fat in coconuts is less unhealthy than other forms of saturated fat (seecoconut oil). Like most nut meats, coconut meat contains less sugar and more protein than popular fruits such as bananas, apples and oranges. It is relatively high in minerals such as iron, phosphorus and zinc.

Types of coconut

Specific kinds of coconut and the recipes that use them.

Coconut, shredded (desiccated)

Coconuts sold in the shops of non-tropical countries often have had the exocarp (outermost layer) removed. The mesoocarp or "shell" thus exposed is the hardest part of the coconut, and is composed of fibers called coir which have many traditional and commercial uses. The shell has three germination pores (stoma) or eyes that are clearly visible on its outside surface once the husk is removed.

Coconut, shredded, unsweetened (desiccated)

The coconuts that drop from palm trees in tropical climates have enriched salads, curries and pies worldwide. But when the meat was found to be primarily saturated fat, they were labeled unhealthy.

Now studies show that the medium chain fatty acids in coconuts are not like other saturated fats. One, lauric acid, is the predominant fatty acid in mother's milk.
Medical professionals still urge moderation--and more studies.

Coconut flake quality varies.

Supermarket--and some health food store--brands are made for long shelf life by using additives (sulfites, propylene glycol and sugar). Shredded and flaked air-dried coconut can lose flavor.
The best flakes for a healthy diet are the freshest and most pure.

Freeze-dried coconut flakes are naturally sweet and need no preservatives or chemical additives. Frozen fresh to minus 20 degrees F, they are then dried, retaining flavor and nutrients.

Coconut cream

Coconut cream is the thick, rich part of pressed coconut. When grated coconut meat is steeped in hot water and squeezed, the first press is dense and fatty, and that is coconut cream.

Let a can settle and it is the firm white layer that rises to the top while the thin liquid sinks below.

It is the same plant as coconut milk, just more concentrated. Coconut milk is thinner because it is the second, watered-down press. Cream carries far more fat, which is why it tastes so plush and stiffens the way it does when chilled.

Do not confuse it with sweetened cream of coconut, the sugary stuff in the cocktail aisle. Coconut cream is unsweetened.