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Coconut for Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to coconuts
About coconuts
Coconuts grow on trees in tropical climates, and their meat has many different purposes. Coconut water is also an incredibly popular beverage and can be used in cooking. You can shop for whole coconuts and various coconut products when you browse local stores online through Instacart. Delivery is often completed within 2 hours of ordering!
Many people wonder if a coconut is a fruit or a nut. Technically, coconuts are considered seeded drupe. Being a drupe means that coconuts can be classified as a fruit, a nut, and a seed. Botanists classify a drupe as a fruit with a dense stony covering that covers the seed. Some other examples of drupes are peaches and olives.
Like other drupes, coconuts have three layers:
- Exocarp: Greenish outer layer.
- Mesocarp: Fibrous husk-like middle layer.
- Endocarp: A thick woody layer around the seed
When coconuts are picked off a coconut palm, they look nothing like what we find in the stores. The outside layer, or exocarp, is wholly removed. The only layer you get to see in the store is the endocarp. The endocarp is around the seed.
Since they are named coconuts, many people believe coconuts are classified as a nut. If you're not overly specific, they technically can be a nut. However, if you go by the technical definition, they are not. Nuts such as acorns only release their seeds when fruit walls break down or when animals eat them.
Interestingly enough, scientists don't know where coconut originated from. Some scientists believe that the over-200-year-old fruit came from the Indian Archipelago or Polynesia. In contrast, other scientists believe that the coconut is not nearly that old and originated in the Pacific and moved toward the west.
How to pick out coconuts
When choosing a coconut in the store, you may wonder how to pick the perfect one. You want to get a fresh, ripe coconut since you will want to make the most out of every part. Here are a few things to look for when grabbing the perfect coconut.
- Shake it: Shaking the coconut enables you to feel how much liquid is actually inside. You want it to make a nice sloshing noise. If you pick up a coconut that does not make any noise, this is not the one that you want to buy. The water inside the coconut indicates how fresh the coconut is.
- Examine the eyes: Coconuts have three eyes on their exterior. Take a look to make sure all of them are free of mold, and check to see if any of them feel soft — any soft spots on the eyes are indicators that the coconut will mold soon.
- Check the exterior for cracking, molding, and wetness: If there is a crack on the coconut exterior, water can be leaking out. A damp spot is an indicator of a crack starting to form. Wet areas can also be prone to molding. If the coconut begins to mold, the meat inside will start to turn, diminishing the flavor and usability.
- Weigh the coconut: The heavier the coconut is, the more likely it is to have a lot of water inside. This means it's very fresh and should be very tasty.
How to cut a coconut
Coconuts can be tricky to cut, especially since you don't want to lose any liquid from the interior.
- Start with the eye. Locate the softest eye on the coconut. It's usually darker and rounder than the others. Cut a small opening in this eye and drain the water out of the coconut.
- Open the coconut. There are a few different ways to open a coconut. You can hit it with a hammer while you turn it in your hand. The second way is to throw it on the floor. Slamming it on the floor will break the coconut apart into smaller pieces. The final method is to take a knife and slice it into two halves.
- Remove the meat. Take a knife and slide it between the outer shell and the meat. Turn the coconut in your hands or on the counter while continuing to slide the knife around. This should break the meat out into a couple of pieces.
- Eat as desired. Once the meat is free, you can eat the pieces. If you prefer, you can dry the meat or put it into your recipes after peeling off the excess skin.
Coconuts Near Me
Buy your favorite Coconuts online with Instacart. Order Coconuts from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about coconuts
You can use every part of the coconut. The parts that are not eaten are used to make utensils, instruments, and fuel.
Coconuts have many health benefits. They are high in fiber and rich in MCTs. They aid in digestion, weight loss, and heart health. However, you should limit the amount of coconut you eat since it is high in calories and saturated fats.
Instacart makes it easy to shop for coconuts from the comfort of your own home. An Instacart shopper will fill your order at a store of your choice, and you can get same-day delivery in as little as 2 hours!