Title: Coconut Basics
Categories: Dessert Fruit
Yield: 1 Servings

SELECTING,STORING,PREPARING
		Cocos nucifera

SEASON: All year; supplies are best in November and December.

LOOK FOR: coconuts that are heavy for their size; the liquid should slosh around inside when the coconut is shaken. Avoid fruit with moldy or wet eyes.

TO STORE: Refrigerate coconuts and use them within a week. Shredded fresh coconut will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

TO PREPARE: Pierce the eyes (the 3 indentations at one end) with a clean screwdriver and hammer, and drain the liquid (reserve liquid if using it in a recipe). Bake coconut in a preheated 350 degree F oven 30 minutes. With hammer, tap shell around middle to break it open. Pry the coconut meat in pieces from shell.

TO SHRED COCONUT MEAT: Peel the brown outer skin from the coconut meat. Shred the meat with a coarse grate or in a food processor. One 1-1/2 pound coconut yields 4 to 5 cups of shredded coconut.

TO TOAST SHREDDED COCONUT MEAT: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the shredded coconut evenly in a shallow pan. Bake the coconut until it is delicately browned, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to toast it evenly.

Source: The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook ISBN: 0-688-03897-2 Typos by Dorothy Flatman 1995

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