How to make coconut shavings

Today, it is not difficult to buy coconut shavings in the store. You can even buy it in a colorful form. But how useful is the store product? Basically, in-store coconut shavings are made from waste coconut pulp. In essence, it is a cake devoid of any usefulness.

Making your own coconut milk shavings is not a difficult process, but it does require some preparation. If you do something wrong, you could end up with a disappointment instead of a delicious treat.

Choosing the right nuts

First, you need to choose a "worthy contender." It would seem that what is difficult? But there are some nuances.

1. First, take the nut in your hands. Is it heavy? Did it seem lighter on the counter? Great, it passed the first test.
2. Next, shake the coconut near your ear. What do you hear? Ideally, there should be a muffled gurgle, which means the nut is filled with liquid. This is also good. If it sounds as if there is not enough liquid, this is the first sign that the nut has begun to dry out. If you don't hear any fluid movement at all, put the coconut back and test another one. Because this one is already close to its demise and there is little usefulness in it.
3. Watch the appearance of the coconut. The nut you want should have no chips, dents or wet patches. If there are any, it means that the pulp is probably also damaged.
4. Next, look at the three holes. They should be dry and slightly darker than the main color of the coconut. Put a little pressure on them. But just not too hard. If the nut has gone bad, the surface of the holes will be very soft, you can even accidentally wet your finger in the fermented coconut water. If you notice that when you press the surface of the holes is not elastic, it is better to put away the nut and look for the next one. The white or pink stain on these very holes (or even on the shell as a whole) is the first sign of a bad product. It's simply mold.
5. Smell it. A completely sealed product has practically no odor. Only the smell of the natural fibrous surface may be present. Any aroma emanating from the fruit, and even more so a pungent one, indicates that the integrity of the shell is compromised.

How to open a "tough nut."

It is not enough to bring home a perfect coconut. Now the question is how to open it. For this we will need:

• A nail, screwdriver or awl;
• a cocktail straw;
• a large, sturdy cutting surface;
• a hammer or saw.

1. Find the same three dark circles that we have already checked in the store. With a pointed long object, like a nail, make a hole in the two circles. You can help yourself with a hammer. Coconut water will pour out through one hole, and air will enter through the other. Next, remove the liquid from the coconut or just drink it with the prepared tube. If you want to save the coconut water for later, don't forget that it is stored in the refrigerator for no more than one day. Then begin to open the nut. Put the coconut on a hard cutting surface and simply saw it open. If the shell of the fruit does not need to be kept intact, you can put the coconut in a thick plastic bag or wrap it in a thick towel and just hit it with a hammer.
2. Instead of a hammer, an axe can help. You just have to chop the coconut with it.
3. A more humane method is to open the nut with a good strong kitchen knife. Take it in your hands. With the back side of the knife, hit well on the side of the coconut. Then twist the nut a little and make another blow. Continue to do so until the sound on impact changes. This means that there is a crack in the shell. Strike a few more times to crack the nut completely.
4. Another way to open with a knife. Insert the blade of a strong knife into one of the holes and hit the handle with a hammer. Then gently twist the knife.
5. Method of heat treatment of the walnut. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Remove the liquid from the coconut and place it in a high-sided oven dish. Let the coconut "bake" for 20 minutes. You can also use a microwave. In this case it will take 5 minutes. After that, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. After all these manipulations you should tap the seam of the nut with a hammer. The shell will crack and split into two parts, and it will be easier to get the pulp with such a method.
6. To crack the shell, and to get the pulp you can without problems, it is necessary to tap a whole nut with the back side of a strong knife or a hammer. Step back about 1/3 from the top of the coconut. You should not beat it strongly, which makes the process easier for people who do not have a lot of physical strength. But it is necessary to beat for a very long time. When cracks appear on the surface of the shell, it can be cracked and the pulp can be easily taken out.
7. Very similar to the previous method. If you do not have any devices at hand, you can find a hard surface, on which you need to knock long and monotonously. Sooner or later the nut will give up.

Nobody cancelled the safety technique. Under no circumstances should you try to cut the fruit with a knife. The shell is very hard, so the knife can slip, cutting your hands or creating even worse consequences. If you're using an axe, also watch out for your own and others' safety.

Again, pay attention to the flesh inside. It should be hard and white. If there are transparent spots, or pinkish, or soft, alas, the nut is spoiled. If the taste of the pulp or coconut water is sour or just unpleasant, the product is spoiled.

How to take the pulp out of the nut and make shavings

After the coconut has succumbed and cracked, you need to take out the pulp. It may seem that separating the pulp is quite a complicated process, but a regular knife will help. There is no need to be a perfectionist and try to separate the pulp from the shell completely, not in pieces. Such feats are useless. It will have to be chopped later anyway.

Next, a small peel remains on the pulp. It can be removed with a knife, vegetable peeler or grater. Then be sure to rinse the peeled coconut in water to remove everything superfluous. Using the same grater, shred the well peeled coconut pulp. It is better to choose small or medium sized holes. You can do something simpler and pass the pulp through a food processor.

The resulting shavings are not yet the final result. If you try it, you can understand that it is stiff and not as dry as the store one. To improve the taste you can use vanillin or powdered sugar to sweeten it.

A common food coloring will help to change the color. To do this, place the coconut shavings in a bag or airtight container. Add the food coloring powder and mix well. Remember that any food coloring is not very useful. Such a treat does not keep for long, because this is not the end of the preparation.

How to dry coconut shavings

The final step will be drying. It is best to use a natural process for drying - just in the air. To do this, pour a thin layer of grated coconut pulp on spread out paper. A few hours at room temperature is enough. It should be warm, because then the pulp will almost never dry. But if you need to cook coconut as soon as possible, you can resort to the help of the oven.

It is easy to do this in the mode "drying" or "blowing", but if you have a regular oven, you just need to leave it at a minimum temperature for a few minutes. Place parchment paper or a silicone mat on the baking tray. Next, place a thin layer of grated coconut pulp and dry, leaving the door ajar.

How do you know when it's time to take it out? By the color or the smell. If the color starts to darken, it's time. The smell of burnt coconut can tell you it's time.

Another thing that can help is the electric dryer. In it you need to install a grid designed for marshmallows. Lay out a thin layer of shavings. Put it on 70 degrees and wait. Readiness is easy to determine by tasting. It is recommended to take it out before the coconut becomes crispy.

If you don't want to smell burnt nuts, you can preheat the oven to about 120 degrees, turn it off, and only then put the tray with the shavings in it. After cooling, check for readiness. If there was not enough time, then set it to 50 degrees and leave to dry for another half an hour.

After cooking, the nuts should be cooled and placed in a dish made of plastic or glass. Store in a dark cool place and no more than 3 months. Direct sunlight and moisture will simply ruin the finished product. You should not store shavings and with products that have pungent and bright smells.

Good to know

1. After removing coconut water from the nut, you can store it for no more than 48 hours. Therefore, if liquid is needed, be prepared to use the pulp soon, too. A little trick: storage can be extended up to five days simply by pouring water over the pulp. Without water, it will just dry out. By the way, that liquid that is in the nut is called coconut water, not milk. Coconut milk comes from the pulp itself.
2. If you use radical ways to open the shell without observing safety precautions, in addition to scattering small and large particles of the shell everywhere, you can injure yourself.
3. When breaking the coconut, you can wrap the fruit in clingfilm or a bag and towel over the top. This way it won't slip, and it will be much easier to hold it.
4. The same safety is needed when piercing the holes. It is better to ask for help, so that someone holds the nut.
5. If you break a nut without removing the liquid before, you will not be able to save it.
6. You can store walnut pulp up to six months by freezing it. You need to make a shavings in any convenient way and, divided into portions, to put in the freezer. It is necessary to consume the coconut without defrosting, otherwise the nut will become soft and watery. Repeated freezing is not allowed in any case.
7. If you open the nut with an oven, it is not only desirable, but mandatory to remove the liquid, otherwise the coconut will explode.
8. A whole nut without damage is stored for up to three months.
9. The remaining shells can also be useful. It is suitable for use as a flower pot, candle holder, pencil cup, or casket. If you have a theme party, coconut shells make good cocktail glasses. To do this, you need to file the bottom part a little with a bolt cutter or a simple saw. Then the resulting dishes will not fall down. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to saw off too much.
10. You will not be able to eat a lot of coconut pulp. Due to the high fat content in its composition, it is very filling.
11. It is not recommended to abuse coconut for people who watch their figure. It is also worth refusing this nut to those who suffer from diarrhea or allergies to substances in the composition.

Coconut ingredients: vitamins and minerals

Coconut chips contain vitamins C, E, K, PP and group B. The product is most useful because of the presence of the following vitamins:

1. B5. A person eating 100 grams of coconut chips gets 14.4% of this vitamin of the daily norm. The benefits of this compound for the body are participation in metabolic reactions, activation of redox processes, stimulation of adrenal hormone production, participation in the formation of antibodies.
2. B6. From 100 grams of coconut chips in the human body receives 13.6% of the daily requirement of this compound. The action of the vitamin is to regulate the function of the peripheral and central nervous system, participate in the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, reducing blood cholesterol levels.

In the composition of coconut chips are also a variety of macro-and micronutrients. Of these, manganese deserves attention. In 100 grams of product it is not much - only 2.475 mg. However, this amount of trace element completely covers the daily norm for a person. It is important that the body is not deficient in manganese. If there is a deficit, the fragility of bones increases, growth slows down, and the reproductive system is impaired.

Other useful minerals in the composition of coconut chips:

1. Copper - 31.3% of the daily allowance in 100 grams of product. The trace element is involved in various processes in the human body. Deficiency negatively affects hematopoiesis, muscle function, collagen synthesis, and immune system function.
2. Selenium is 30.4% of the daily requirement of 100 grams of product. This trace element has immunomodulatory properties. It also takes part in the regulation of thyroid hormones.

The benefits and harms of coconut chips

Coconut shavings are useful for infectious, viral diseases, because the vitamins and minerals from its composition contribute to a faster recovery of the body. It is also recommended to eat this product in order to improve immunity, strengthening the body's resistance to pathogenic agents. Some experts believe that coconut chips reduce the risk of cancer.

The product contains indigestible dietary fiber. They have a positive effect on the digestive tract and relieve constipation.

Other properties of the product:

1. Maintaining heart health, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, the use of coconut chips reduces the likelihood of developing hypertension, Keshan's disease.
2. Positive effect on the forming fetus. The chips are recommended for pregnant women. Copper in its composition contributes to the normal formation of the cardiovascular system and the fetal skeleton, and zinc prevents the appearance of malformations.
3. Maintaining the normal condition of the skin. The skin has a healthy appearance only when the body receives all the necessary nutrients. If they are lacking, there are dermatitis, eczema, acne, wrinkles. Coconut chips due to the content of useful substances helps to combat skin problems. Vitamins and minerals moisturize the epidermis, protect it from the aggressive effects of the environment, reduce inflammation, accelerate the healing of damaged tissues.

The coconut chips have a pleasant taste. Thanks to it, this product improves your mood, saves you from depression and restores your strength.

Coconut can not harm the body. It is not toxic to humans. When heated does not form harmful byproducts. Contraindication to use - individual intolerance, which is manifested by allergies. It is also not recommended to give the chips to children under 1.5 years of age. At this age, the body is not yet able to digest such a product. After 1.5 years, shavings can be given, but only within reason and in the absence of allergic reactions in the child.

The use of coconut chips in traditional medicine

Coconut chips are used in folk medicine. Healers recommend using this product for the following purposes:

1. Reducing blood cholesterol levels. This effect is achieved with the daily use of 1 tsp. chip before meals.
2. Treatment of giardiasis in children. The shavings are required fresh, so you should buy a coconut. Then you need to divide it into 4 parts, put 3 parts in the refrigerator and grate the remaining part. Give the prepared shavings to the child in the morning on an empty stomach. Then within 4-5 hours it is forbidden to eat or drink anything. The recommended course of coconut shavings is from 10 to 14 days.

When using coconut shavings, it is important to remember that it is not able to replace the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

What you can make from coconut shavings: recipes

For the digestive system to work properly, and the mood was always good, you should eat dishes with the addition of coconut shavings.

Manna porridge

Ingredients:

• 30 g of semolina;
• 200 grams of milk;
• 1 tbsp. a spoonful of coconut shavings;
• 10 g butter;
• chocolate, salt and sugar (to taste).

To prepare the dish, put a pan with milk on the fire. After boiling, add semolina, coconut flakes, salt and sugar. Top the ready porridge with a bit of butter and grated chocolate before serving.

Sweet Salad

Ingredients:

• 200 g pasta;
• 1 tbsp. sunflower oil;
• 1 tbsp. coconut shavings;
• 1 banana;
• half an apple;
• 100 g black grapes;
• 1 tbsp. grape sugar;
• A little cinnamon (on the tip of a knife);
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice;
• 1 fig fruit;
• 2 dates;
• 20 g. almonds;
• 20 g walnuts;
• 20g chocolate;
• 150 g canned mandarin slices.

Boil the pasta in plenty of water. It should not be boiled. Rinse the ready pasta in a colander with cold water. Place it in a bowl and season with sunflower oil.

In another bowl slice a banana into circles, half an apple into thin slices. Add the grapes, having previously cut the berries and removed the pips. Sprinkle the fruit-berry mixture with grape sugar and cinnamon and a splash of lemon juice. Also finely chop dates and figs in a bowl. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the pasta. Add canned tangerines with a little syrup. Sprinkle the coconut on the top of the dish.

Homemade Bounty Bars

This treat is not only good for the body. It also helps to fight depression and stress. Candy bars are made of 3 ingredients:

• 200 ml of condensed milk;
• 200 g of dark milk chocolate;
• 140 g of coconut shavings.

Mix condensed milk and coconut in a bowl. Mix the mixture thoroughly. The milk should completely soak the chips. Next, spread this mixture on a sheet of parchment and form a rectangle (the optimal thickness is about 1 cm). Cut the coconut mixture into 12 pieces. Separate the bars from each other and shape them into rounds. Place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Take the coconut squares out of the refrigerator. Prick one of the coconut bars with a fork, dip it into the melted chocolate for a few seconds and then place it back on the parchment. Repeat these steps with the remaining coconut bars. The bars will be ready when the chocolate has completely hardened. For this purpose, it is recommended to put them in a dark cool place or in the refrigerator.

How to make coconut milk from coconut shavings

The belief that coconut contains milk is a misconception. The fruit contains only the white pulp, which is used to make shavings. It may also contain some water, but its presence is a sign that the fruit is immature.

Coconut milk is the result of the preparation of coconut chips. It should be poured with boiling water, left for half an hour, and then crushed in a blender on high speed. The prepared mixture will only need to strain through a cotton cloth.

Coconut milk can be drunk alone or added to coffee. On its basis are obtained delicious and useful porridges, soups.

Thus, coconut milk is a unique product. It is useful in moderate amounts, so it is worth introducing it into your diet more often.