When Life Hands You A Coconut - Get Cracking

The problem with having a coconut-bearing palm tree is all those coconuts.

The owners pass them on to anyone who'll take them. When my desperately-seeking-a-home-for-coconuts buddy Delores asked me if I wanted one, I told her I was game.

Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to 13 times a year. One tree can produce an average yield of about 60 coconuts, sometimes three times that amount.

When you get the coconut home, as I did, you might then ask yourself, "Now what?"

It's pretty simple - get cracking.

Arm yourself with a hammer, an awl or thin nail and a dish towel. If your coconut is still wrapped in its outer husk, head outdoors. The exterior is initially green but turns brown and fibrous after being picked and dried. Find a hard surface such as a driveway or large rock. Mine was a concrete block. Grasp the coconut husk firmly with both hands so that the coconut stem end is facing the ground.

Strike the coconut firmly against the hard surface, rotating it after each thrust. But be prepared. It took me about a dozen whacks before I was able to tear the husk away from the nut.

Inside that outer coat is the form we recognize at the grocery store - a small brown orb covered with fibrous strings containing three "eyes" or holes.

When you are shopping for fresh coconut, the eyes should be dry. And you should hear a good amount of sloshing inside when you shake it.

I didn't have to worry about using the awl to open the eyes of my coconut because during my wild, stress releasing wallops, one of them opened on its own. I then drained the coconut water - properly known as coconut juice, not milk - into a container I later used to make rice.

Bake the whole coconut for 25 minutes at 350 degrees to shrink the flesh away from the shell, making it easier to remove its meat. Remove the coconut from the oven, hold it in a dish towel and tap it a few times with a hammer until it cracks open.

After separating the meat with a butter knife, use a vegetable peeler to remove the dark brown skin off the white flesh, if desired.

The fresh coconut can be grated, shredded or left in chunks. It will last two to seven days in the fridge. For longer storage, you can freeze the meat in plastic freezer bags for one to three months.

CARIBBEAN RICE

2 cups hot cooked rice

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons hot mango chutney

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine the rice, mandarin oranges, pineapple, bell pepper, almonds, coconut, green onions, chutney and ginger in a large skillet and mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until heated through, stirring frequently. Serve immediately. Yields 6 servings.

Source: "Simply Sarasota Creatively Casual Cuisine" by the Junior League of Sarasota (2007)