Coconut

Coconuts are just so inviting.  They look magical all round and hairy with something wonderful hiding inside.  They've been showing up in the stores lately, fresh, relatively locally grown coconuts.  The kids have been wanting to try one.  I debated.  We did this once before, and it did not turn out well.  In the States one day a few summers ago, they managed to talk me into buying one of 3 coconuts on the shelf (first warning: They carry very little stock, meaning they don't have a high turnover of fresh coconuts on the big river.)  But it sounded like fun, and when we got home I googled how it's done....screw a hole for a straw, drink the tasty coconut milk, wrap in towel and smack with hammer and cut out tasty coconut.  Easy enough. 

So, we screwed the hole, stuck in the straw, fought about who got to go first and finally everyone had a taste, with an incredibly bad look on their face, they either spit or let the milk just fall out of their mouths. Ok, so coconut milk isn't as good as it sounds.  We wrapped it in a towel and beat the life out of it before finally getting it open to find.......the entire inside of the coconut was moldy! 

 

Fast forward 2 years and fly around the planet to a sub-tropical region.  coconuts abound, we see them on trees, and when the season is right, there are piles of them in the produce aisle (good sign).  Everyone was game, even anxious, to try again.  Surely the coconut will be as amazing as we had imagined when we have it fresh.  So, we brought one home, screwed the hole, inserted the straw, and let's just say, even the milk of coconuts that are not rotten does not appeal to D.

 

H, on the other hand, drank it dry. (naturally, my Brazilian baby)  So we cut it open, sliced out some fruit and enjoyed fresh coconut for the first time.  The overall verdict was that it was just "okay."  Apparently too many years of sweetened shredded coconut has spoiled the lot.  It was fun, though, and a bit redeeming for the coconut.