Coconuts. When I think of them I think of my childhood and Mounds Bars. As a kid, I HATED Mounds bars I don’t know what it was but that weird coconut consistency did not go with my 5 year old taste buds. It was as if the chocolate world was rickrolling me. But I grew to love those sneaky little chocolate bars and coconut itself.
So first things first, let’s just address the elephant in the room here. Coconuts are not nuts. WHAT?! Yeah I know, but they are in fact drupes (think cherries and peaches). The name comes from the Spanish word for monkey face coco because that’s what it looked like.
Coconuts serve as a staple of many island culture cuisines since it’s chock full of nutrients and fat. Going beyond just eating coconuts the oil can be used for a plethora of things beyond just cooking. Now you’re going to say, “Hey Smart Guy, coconuts are high in saturated fats aren’t those bad for me?”
Fast forward to today and coconuts are everywhere. Coconut milk, coconut water, shredded coconut, and coconut chips. All of which I enjoy.
Coconut imparts a wondrous mild pleasant flavor on baked goods and or savory dishes too. But lately, Mrs. Unmanly Chef and I have been noshing on coconut chips. Coconut chips are sold in health food stores, they’re filled with fiber, low in sugar, and because of the high fat content of coconuts, rather satisfying. But coconut chips are pricey, so I decided to make my own and so can you!
Recipe – Coconut Chips
1 Young Coconut
Method
Step 1- The hardest part of coconut preparation is opening these stupid things up, when you go to a grocery store look for young coconut. Then when you bring the coconut home, make sure you have a hammer, sharp knife, and possibly a screwdriver on hand to open up the coconut. Watch this video to figure it out. How to open a coconut.
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Step 2- HOORAY! Your coconut is open, hopefully your sanity is still with you as well. First drain the coconut water out of the coconut, you can pour it in a cup and drink it. Or you can freeze it and use it in your cooking, your choice. Coconut water straight from the source though is pretty damn refreshing I’m not going to lie to you folks.
Step 3- Use a spoon to carve out the coconut meat.
Step 4- Slice it as thin as you can into strips.
Step 5- Place pieces of coconut meat on a dehydrator or baking sheet.
Step 6- Bake at 275F until coconut chips are crispy (But not burnt). You can take them out earlier depending on your preference of chewiness.
*If you used a dehydrator*
Step 6- Allow to dehydrate for several hours and then remove once it’s crispy and dried out.
- Recipe – Coconut Chips
- 1 Young Coconut
- Step 1- The hardest part of coconut preparation is opening these stupid things up, when you go to a grocery store look for young coconut. Then when you bring the coconut home, make sure you have a hammer, sharp knife, and possibly a screwdriver on hand to open up the coconut. Watch this video to figure it out.
- How to open a coconut.
- Step 2- HOORAY! Your coconut is open, hopefully your sanity is still with you as well. First drain the coconut water out of the coconut, you can pour it in a cup and drink it. Or you can freeze it and use it in your cooking, your choice. Coconut water straight from the source though is pretty damn refreshing I’m not going to lie to you folks.
- Step 3- Use a spoon to carve out the coconut meat.
- Step 4- Slice it as thin as you can into strips.
- Step 5- Place pieces of coconut meat on a dehydrator or baking sheet.
- Step 6- Bake at 275F until coconut chips are crispy (But not burnt). You can take them out earlier depending on your preference of chewiness.
- *If you used a dehydrator*
- Step 6- Allow to dehydrate for several hours and then remove once it’s crispy and dried out.
