For I am coconut / and the heart of me / is sweeter / than you know……………..Nikki Grimes
Beauty is most times usually hidden in ugly outer shells and for coconut, it is not an exception!
The versatility of this fruit (or nut) is one big reason I love it. I took some time to research and explore things that can be done with coconut as it appeared to me as though I was constrained into eating just the meat (the white part of the coconut) alone. After that study, I realized two things; you’re only limited by how far you can think, and coconuts are highly underrated.
One most recent and common use of coconut is its milk. After coconut is cracked and the flesh is removed from the shell, the milk is extracted by grinding the meat with water and sieving out the shaft. The milk is in my opinion, the easiest to extract as you have three basic tasks to do to get the milk: separating the shell from the coconut flesh, blending it and lastly, sieving out the milk. This plant-based milk is used as an alternative to dairy milk for vegans and other categories of people who avoid animal fat. It has more health benefits, easy to make at home and be used to make other dishes such as rice, curries, and other drinks/smoothies.
Coconut oil is also made from fat in the milk. When the milk is left to settle, the fat floats and when it is subjected to heat, it turns to oil. This is relatively easy as well. Coconut oil can be used to cook, bake, for the skin and hair.
Other things you can make with coconut are:
- Desiccated coconut- the flesh is shredded and dried. It can be used in baking.
- Coconut flour
- Coconut yoghurt
- Coconut butter
Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing recipes of how I made some of these products.
Love,
Ayobambo
Nice one