The History of the Coconut

Series Summary

Oh, I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dedelde. Now that I have them, what ever am I to do? Those of us that are not from the tropical area of the world might find it difficult to crack open these little fruits. Let's face it- they're tough little buggers. However, they are so tasty, and they have so many uses! Whether we want to make a coconut cake, coconut seafood, or a tasty coconut beverage, the coconut palm tree, or “Tree of Life,” has allowed us to enhance almost any culinary dish. Indeed, thanks to the wisdom of Harry Nilsson, a lime in the coconut is the perfect hangover cure.

If you have tried with no success to crack a coconut, you are in luck! In this free video series, learn how to open a coconut. Our culinary expert has cracked her share of coconuts, and she shares her secrets with you. Gail Hoffman shares the history of the coconut, and she offers advice on the many ways that you can prepare fresh coconut. Learn how to pierce the coconut's shell, and learn how to crack a coconut to remove the flesh. Gail illustrates how to prepare the flesh of a coconut. So, the next time you are walking in the grocery store produce aisle, don't be afraid! Buy an coconut, and prepare fresh coconut today!

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name's Gail Hoffman, I'm from North Reddington Beach, Florida, and on behalf of Expert Village I am going to demonstrate how to open a coconut. Coconuts are the seed of the coconut palm, which originally are from Malaysia but now are found in South America, India, Hawaii, and here in Florida. They grow on the coconut palm, and they have an outer coating and inside is the coconut in the hard shell, and then inside that is the flesh of the coconut. When you're purchasing a coconut, to find out if it's fresh, it's important that you shake it and listen for the coconut milk inside. If there's no coconut milk inside, then it's probably old and the milk has dried, there's some sort of leak in the outer shell and the center has become dried out. "