Help! Coconut phobia!

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Permalink Reply by Debbie on April 8, 2008 at 8:31pm

hmmm, that is one for the raw food gods.. ask Anthony aka raw model, Dhurmil or Philip or one of the many raw food people on giveittomeraw.com
good luck, not sure , maybe some soft nuts like macadamias or pine nuts that are soaked?
Sorry, but it is hard to replace that sweet taste and soft texture.
deb

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Permalink Reply by genie on April 10, 2008 at 10:56pm

I also have a long standing aversion to dried shredded coconut, but find that this has nothing at all to do with coconut water (what the liquid inside the coconut is called), fresh young coconut meat (which obviously isn't dry), and coconut milk, which is fresh coconut meat blended with coconut water.

You might experiment and find that you also like the fresh stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Lori on April 25, 2008 at 6:45pm

I'm a little allergic to coconut and decided to try and make myself immune to it (in combination with a natural hatred toward the taste). I, too, realized in every one of my PMS...I mean, Raw Dessert Non-Cookbooks coconut is in every recipe.

I decided to just suck it up and the first thing I made was the coconut cream pie - which by the way, was not creamy and the texture was an insult to anything creamy in this world. I forced myself to have this pie for breakfast and after dinner until the pie was gone.

For whatever unholy reason, now I crave the stupid pie every day. But hey, it worked. I did break out in hives the first day but the second day it actually lessened and by day 4, I seemed to have accomplished my goal of growing immune to coconut.

I find that I really enjoy cold coconut water, it's actually kind of refreshing.

I don't know if it will work for you, but you never know. I just figured I'd pick out what sounded the most threatening and ate that first!

I do find one use for it that I like. When I make almond milk I use the 'crap' left over from straining it through some (unused) panty hose (I'll buy cheese cloth one day), mix in some shredded coconut and a few dates or figs (or anything 'sticky' I have laying around) and smoosh them into coin sized thingies and pop them in the dehydrator for about 12 hours. They turn into these kind-of cookies. They don't have a name, but I felt bad throwing food away (almond milk scraps) so I figured I'd turn them into little bizarre snacks.

I say you own the coconut, show that coconut who is boss.

WHO DOES COCONUT WORK FOR?!

8o)

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on April 25, 2008 at 6:52pm

Hello, i've been drinking the O.N.E. coconut water and love it so!!! In fact, i just signed up for a monthly delivery of the stuff. Just got my first order today! For me, its easier than buying and trying to open up the young coconuts. I'm not very good with large knifes or hatchets!!! :O)
Michelle

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Permalink Reply by bav on April 25, 2008 at 7:15pm

K,

The coconut they refer to in raw recipes is young coconuts - are white, look kind of like a torpedo, not the hard, round, brown ones you think of when you think coconut. The water in these young coconuts is super healthy for you on its own, or blended into smoothies, soups, treats. It is light tasting and refreshing. There is no substitute for the water straight from the young coconut. Most of the stuff sold has been processed, with sugar added, so stay away. The meat from these coconuts does not really have the strong coconut flavor of the older nut. It can vary in consistency, and even in color. It really takes on the flavor of whatever you blend with it. So, I would encourage you to give it a try... at least once. And if you decide to give it a go, then we can chat about chopping that sucker open! :)

hugs,
b

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on April 25, 2008 at 7:34pm

Hey B...are you familiar with O.N.E.? I believe this is not a processed product and is just the young coconut water? It tastes pretty good! Any thoughts?
M

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Permalink Reply by MoreJoy on April 26, 2008 at 8:56pm

Any packaged coconut water that is imported into the United States is most likely pasturized. I can't get young coconuts around here but have used the O.N.E. brand on occasion to add to smoothies for texture. It's not as good as the real deal but works well in a pinch.
Joy

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Permalink Reply by K on April 25, 2008 at 8:08pm

Wow, thanks everyone! Lori, I was thinking along your lines of just sucking it up and trying it out and seeing if I couldn't just get over my fear/hatred/loathing of the stuff and see if that would work.
Bav, I might go try one of those young Thai dealios everyone is talking about. I do not have a machete to open it though, maybe my beef eating neighbor :)! Here is the really strange part of my story. When I was a wee youngin, like 2-4yrs old, an Indian family used to take care of me during the day while my mom was at work. I remember them chopping up coconuts and feeding me the nut and milk as a snack. I remember scarfing it down like it was candy. Now I love Indian food, hate coconut - what went wrong?! :)
Michelle, I too thought that coconut water ONE was supposed to be as good as the fresh stuff and would love to learn more. I do make smoothies and would use that.
Thanks all!!
K

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Permalink Reply by bav on April 26, 2008 at 9:25am

The packaged coconut water is NOT the equivalent of fresh from the coconut. It sits, unrefigerated, in a cardboard container, on the shelf at the grocery store, with an expiration date in some distant future. I can't say exactly how it has been processed/pasteurized, but I guarantee it has been treated in some way - otherwise it couldn't sit on the shelf like that. And it has loads of sugar in it.

The CSL is about getting back to nature, getting back to what Mother Earth has provided to us for our nutrition as a species on the planet. It is about stepping away from the processed, unhealthy quick-fix foods because they are easier.

Believe me, I get the constraints of time. What I do is chop up a bunch of young coconuts at once, keep the water in an airtight glass container in the fridge, same with the meat - so I have a few days worth of coconut materials. While not ideal, but it does make it easier for on-the-go lifestyles, you can actually freeze the coconut meat. I cut them into "noodle strips" and freeze in individual serving-size containers and pull out what I need, depending on what I'm making.

I know it seems like a hassle, but it is just prep time... and people spend a lot of prep time cooking food, the raw lifestyle just has us hacking up coconuts as our prep.

And if you are having a bad day, there is something therapeutic about whacking the stink out of a coconut! :)

Hope that helps! Once you get the routine of it down, it becomes easier - really!!
Hugs,
b

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Permalink Reply by Sundari on April 26, 2008 at 9:32am

Thanks Bav! This info is fantastic:) I was drinking O.N.E. for a while and I knew in the back of my mind that something wasn't right. I needed a CSL reality check! I am going to pick up a knife this weekend so I can start drinking coconut water at home. Any suggestions on a good knife?
xoxo,
Sundari

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Permalink Reply by bav on April 26, 2008 at 12:19pm

I use a big meat cleaver. I don't have a brand suggestion. Obviously, it needs to be super sharp. I have some technique suggestions about getting it open, so when you are ready to start chopping, let me know.

Did you have the coconut water at Bonobo's?? That was fresh coconut water. Maybe you could tell everyone how refreshing and hydrating it was, and how it doesn't really taste of all, up-in-your-face coconut?? You are so descriptive...

hugs,
b

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Permalink Reply by Sundari on April 26, 2008 at 1:10pm

The coconut water at Bonobos and at Pure Food and Wine was very different from the O.N.E. coconut water! We even saw the coconuts waiting in boxes outside Bonobos one morning, waiting to be chopped open and served that very day:) I'm sure they are going to sell out of it at the NYC Posse Meetup! The main difference is that the taste of the fresh, real deal coconut water is subtle and refreshing, while the stuff that sits in a cardboard carton on the shelf tastes like a juice box in comparison. I found it to have a hint of "nuttiness" too:) It would be nice if Whole Foods would start preparing coconut water fresh everyday!

xoxo,
Sundari

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