What are the uses of the coconut sugar?

Coconut sugar can be used as a sugar substitute for hot or cold beverages like coffee, tea. Like the ordinary sweetener: white and brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar make a perfect alternative.

Coconut sugar can also be mixed in juices, smoothies for delicious beverage or in oats to make the breakfast more tasty and to bake fabulous desserts. You can also spread the coconut syrup on bread and toast or drizzle on pancakes. If you are eager to make your own breakfast then you can coat muesli with coconut sugar or even on pop corns to enjoy in front of a movie! 

What to ask for more? It's considered to be healthier than refined and artificial sugar but that we will come back in our next post! 

Here are some delicious recipes you could try to delight yourself and your guests:

Kuu Pua Cocktail

Ingredients:

Coconut sugar
Ice cubes
3 Slices fresh pineapple (1 to garnish)
2 Slices fresh orange
1 1/2 ozs Vodka
1 oz Passion fruit juice
1 oz Guava juice
1 Splash of coconut syrup

Directions:

Rim a cocktail glass with the sugar. Fill a shaker with ice. Add the fresh fruit and muddle. Add the vodka, juices and coconut syrup, shake vigorously. Strain into the glass. Garnish with the pineapple rolled in more sugar. 

Almond Breeze Tropical Morning Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 Cups almond Milk
1/2 Seeded and cubed papaya
1/2 Seeled and cubed mango
1/2 Cubed pineapple
1 Banana
1 Orange peeled and cut into quarters
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 Cup coconut flakes
Ice

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into glasses and garnish with a piece of pineapple and a sprinkling of coconut flakes.

Chewy lime and coconut sugar cookie

Ingredients:

2 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups coconut sugar
1 Large egg
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one large lime
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Cup toasted coconut
1/2 Cup coconut sugar for rolling cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

2. Toast the coconut-place coconut on lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees. Tossing a couple of times. Remove from oven when coconut is light brown.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and coconut sugar until smooth and very fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes.

5. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest. Mix until well combined.

6. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut. Mix until combined, don't over mix.

7. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough into balls. Put coconut sugar in a small bowl and roll cookie dough balls in the sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. The cookies will start to crack a little bit.

9. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes. Move cookies to a cooling rack and savour it! 

What is the taste and texture of the coconut flower sugar?

The taste of coconut sugar is subtly sweet almost like brown sugar but with a slight hint of caramel. However, organic coconut sugar is not highly processed, the color, sweetness and flavour can vary depending on different factors. It depends on the coconut species, season, area where it was harvested and even the way the sap or toddy was reduced. 

In the market we can find the coconut sugar in liquid form similar to honey or granule, block or even soft paste. The coconut sugar can be mixed with hot or cold beverage and can be used in many other ways.  

Yummy isn't it! 

I let you try by your self and let's catch up in my next post to find out more about  the uses of coconut sugar. 

What is the taste of the coconut flower sugar?

I will let you imagine or you can wait for my next post!

What are the different forms of the coconut flower sugar?

The result is pure, delicious coconut flower nectar which becomes coconut sugar. The form of the coconut sugar's depends on the moisture content of the toddy. The viscous syrup can be poured in molds for cooling (So it remains in this form) or over trays in a thin layer to reduce and crystalize to get various forms: granule, block or soft paste.

What is the texture and aroma of the coconut flower sugar?

The fresh sap has a silky, translucent, pearlescent appearance, and contains about 80% water. Once collected it is gently heated as the water evaporates by one quarter and starts to transform into a sweet fragrant and beautiful caramel-colored thick liquid substance which looks like a syrup known as a toddy.

How does the coconut flower nectar become coconut sugar?

The sap is then collected in bamboo container which is attached to capture the nectar for the next 6-8 hours, which yields about half a liter per tree. The sap is immediately heated within 24 hours after collecting, otherwise the nectar starts to ferment and becomes a toddy (A traditional alcoholic beverage liqueur or spirit).

How the coconut flower nectar is collected?

To collect this delicious nectar the farmers climb up the coconut trees (which can be high as 150 feet) then they tie these inflorescences into bunches by gently slicing the tip of the an unopened flower spike to create a wound from where leaks the pure nectar.

What's a coconut flower nectar/sugar ?

Coconut flower nectar is extracted from the fragrant, sweet sap of coconut tree/palm blossoms. The nectar is simply the dehydrated sap of the coconut palm flower, unrefined and naturally high in nutrients. This vitamin and mineral-rich nectar is traditionally hand-harvested.

What is a coconut flower?

The Coconut tree/palm is one of the oldest flowering tree in the world, the coconut flowers blossom only after 7 to 10 years depending on the species.

The flowers develop inside a large green bud which is called 'The Spathe' which keep both male and female flowers. (A 'Spathe' is a large leaf that enclose the flower to keep certain plants such as palms,  arums, and dayflowers.)

The bud splits open as the flowers are growing, the several branch have hundreds of tiny male flowers which look like lilies and few female flowers which look like small coconuts.

Flowering occurs continuously and with the help of the insects and wind the male flowers pollinate the female flowers. Once the female flowers are pollinated, they become coconuts after a period of 10 months.

The nectar / sugar is extracted from the coconut flowers after pollination, which takes us to the next story. What is a coconut flower nectar?

The History behind Coconuts

The modern coconut as we know it was known to have existed 37 to 57 million years ago during the Eocene Period in India and Australia. The origin of the coconut plant is the subject of debate since some scientific research suggests the Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean. While others see the origin in north western South America since the ‘Nipa’ fruit which is one example of an older palm fossil that has been found.

Coconut palms are the most familiar palm from the tropic which used to be a wild plant and has been spread by human activity and currents in the ocean. In the present day it has become a part of everyday life in many places for its resources like food, shelter and fuel.

Coconuts were even used as currency for the purchase of goods right up till the beginning of the 20th century, on the Nicobar Island (Indian Ocean). Coconut palms were mentioned in written scripts 2,000 years ago in India.

How the Coconut got its name.

The coconut finally became known in the 16th century when Vasco de Gama brought the nut back from the Indian Ocean. In Portuguese, ‘coco’ means ‘grinning face’ or ‘monkey face’ resembling the three dark circles on the outer.  In 1755, Samuel Johnson published his English language Dictionary with the fruit spelled ‘cocoanut’. Many people was confused and thought that Johnson had confused cacao beans with nuts. Eventually when chocolate was introduced into England, the “a” was left out and sometimes spelt with a hyphen ‘Coco-nut’.

Coconut Water

Natural coconut water has been a popular choice of drink because of it natural rehydration properties, it is also packed with natural vitamins and minerals.Throughout World War ll Coconut water was given to injured soldiers as an alternative to saline which led to saving endless amounts of soldiers lives. Hunters, fisherman, farmers and labourers throughout South America and Asia have been drinking coconut water for many years to boost their physical and mental performance. This ancient reputation has been passed down through the generations. 

More about coconut water in my next posting.