Different Stages of Coconut
Depending on their age, coconuts can vary in flavor and use.
Poppers
7 months old
The coconut is full of water at this stage, which makes it a wonderfully refreshing drink on a hot day.
Jelly Meat Coconut
8 months old
The water inside this coconut is sweeter than poppers. A thin layer meat with a jelly-like consistency is formed, which can be given to babies as first solid food and to elders with chewing and digestion problems.
Spoon Meat Coconut
9 months old
The water at this stage is near its prime sweetness. A delicious white meat with ¼ inch thickness is formed, which can easily be removed using a spoon, eaten straight, and used to thicken smoothies, coconut noodles, and coconut yoghurt.
Rubber Meat Coconuts
10 months old
Rubber meat coconuts have the sweetest water and a thick, rubbery meat that contains enough fat to make milk.
Shakers
11 months old
Shakers are almost fully mature coconuts with the best meat that has developed rich, healthy fats ideal for coconut milk.
Brown Coconuts
12-14 months old
These coconuts, which naturally fall from the tree, are fully mature seeds. Brown coconuts have the highest fat content and provide the most calories and usefulness, best used to make coconut cream and oil.
14-20 months old: Sprouters
Sprouters are brown nuts that sprouted to become a baby coconut tree. They can grow into a fully mature coconut tree in four years given proper planting and care.