Coconut has often been touted as the tree of life and rightly so. Apart from being a versatile source of food and drink, this fruit and the very tree itself can be used for a variety of things. Sweet, juicy, milky, and nutty all at the same time, the coconut is as refreshing as it comes.

Coconuts are commonly found in tropical areas, which is why they may be harder to come by at times. When this happens, you want to preserve it and leave it as long as you can and freezing is one of the best ways to do it. Get to know if it’s possible to freeze coconut here.

Can You Freeze Coconut?

Coconut usually refers to the edible fruit of the coconut palm tree. This tree hails from the tropics. The fruit contains flesh and liquids, otherwise known as coconut water. The flesh itself can be eaten fresh or dried or even processed into coconut milk or oil, making it quite a versatile fruit.

The answer to the question of whether or not you can freeze coconuts is yes. The coconut fruit can be frozen and kept in the freezer for months at a time. This allows it to stay fresh and lets you enjoy the fruit long after it has been opened.

How Long Can You Keep Coconut in the Freezer?

You can store the fresh coconut in the freezer for up to six months. However, you should store only the flesh and scrape it off from its green or brown husk. This way, no contaminants or bacteria can affect the taste and safety of the coconut meat.

What’s great about storing coconut is that it freezes well. While separating the meat from the husk can be quite tedious, having some coconut ready in your freezer for when you need it is a godsend. This means you can use it not just for smoothies, and cooking, but also for general snacking as it is considered full of nutrients.

If you also want to keep the coconut water inside, make sure to keep this separate from the flesh as well. You can freeze coconut water, but bear in mind that it may lose some of its sweetness and milky taste over time. Still, it makes for a cold and refreshing drink, especially on a hot day. You can even use it for cooking if you wish.

Learn How to Freeze Coconut

There are different steps before you can freeze coconut. Get to know what these are so that you can keep your coconut in its freshest state. Here’s how.

1. Start by breaking the husk. One helpful tip would be to find the three eyes of the coconut and poke it with a stick or a knife. You can also peel or slice away the brown or green husk.
2. After piercing into the coconut, you can then proceed by draining the coconut water inside onto a container. Don’t let this precious sweet nectar go to waste as this is quite refreshing. You can also freeze this afterward.
3. Once all the juice is drained, proceed by cutting open the coconut husk and slicing the fruit into chunks.
4. Scrape the meat or the flesh as cleanly as possible. Slice or cut the meat according to how you intend to use them.
5. Store the coconut inside a freezer-safe bag. Remove or squeeze out as many air bubbles as you can.
6. Put a label on the freezer bag indicating when you sliced and stored it. This will be good for up to six months.

Tips on Freezing Coconut

• Shred, Don’t Grate

Although shredding and grating seem similar, they actually have differences. Shredding gives you smaller strips, while grating gives you a much finer result that’s akin to powder, meaning it will dissolve or disappear easily. You can use a food processor to help you shred the coconut.

• Store the Coconut Into Portions

Portioning your coconut prior to freezing allows you to control how much you want to use at any given time. This also prevents you from thawing the coconut and refreezing it just to get what you need.

If you’re only storing a portion in a freezer bag, you might want to push out all the air before closing it to keep it airtight. Moreover, folding the bag in half will let you recreate a much tighter hold on its contents and keep it secure.

• Add a Bit of Sugar

Add a light dusting of brown sugar over your coconuts prior to freezing them. This preserves the meat better even after freezing it and helps keep it light and sweet as the day you opened it.

The Bottom Line

Keep your favorite tropical fruit at home with these tips. By learning how to freeze coconut correctly, you can have it on hand whenever you crave for it.