Coconut

Pierce two of the three “eyes” with a clean screwdriver or corkscrew and drain the water into a bowl. Wrap the coconut in a tea towel, then tap firmly around its middle with a hammer until it splits.

Choose one that feels heavy for its size and has no cracks or damp patches. Shake it: you should hear liquid inside; avoid one that smells sour or has mould around the eyes.

Keep the flesh in an airtight container in the fridge and use it within four days. Grated coconut freezes well, so freeze any surplus in a sealed bag.

Spread it in a dry frying pan and toast over a low heat, stirring often, for about 3–5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Take it off the heat straight away, as it keeps cooking in the hot pan.

Use grated coconut in macaroons, coconut rice and curries, or scatter toasted flakes over porridge and fruit. Coconut milk is a common base for dishes such as Thai curries and dhal.

For texture in baking, finely chopped almonds or ground oats can work, though neither has coconut’s flavour. In a curry, replace coconut milk with an unsweetened plant-based cream; add a little water if it is too thick.

No. Coconut water is the liquid inside the fruit; the flesh is the firm white layer lining the shell. Coconut water has 19 kcal per 100 g, while coconut flesh has 354 kcal per 100 g.

Botanically, coconut is a drupe—a fruit with a hard inner layer around its seed—rather than a true nut. In cooking, it is often grouped with nuts because the edible flesh is firm and can be grated or eaten as a snack.