From coconut milk to coconut cream to coconut water and beyond, the coconut is a miracle food in many ways. The palm tree, from which the coconut grows, is known in some cultures as the “tree of life” – and we heartily agree! Here are some of the health benefits of coconuts…
A great source of nutrients, coconuts support the growth of healthy bones and teeth by helping the body to absorb calcium and magnesium.
Coconut milk also has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties that help the body to increase its immunity and to fight off illness and disease.
Good for your heart, coconut products tend to increase HDL (good)
cholesterol and thus improve the cholesterol ratio for reducing heart
disease.
In addition, the nutrients and fatty acids in coconuts promote healthy skin and hair.
For more details, visit coconutresearchcenter.org for a wealth of information about the health benefits of coconut products. For decades, the website’s founder, Dr. Bruce Fife, has advocated the benefits of coconut products and disputed the critical claims of the soy industry.
The follow are frequently asked questions about Coconut Grove and our yogurts.
The coconut tree is a large palm tree growing up to 98 ft tall, with pinnate leaves 13 – 20 feet long and pinnae 2 – 3 feet long. Old leaves break away cleanly, leaving the trunk long and smooth. Because the three small holes on the coconut shell resemble human facial features, the name “coconut” comes from the 16th century Portuguese and Spanish word – coco – meaning “head” or “skull”. And yet interestingly the coconut is not botanically a “nut” but rather a “drupe” or fruit, due to the outer fleshy part of the coconut surrounding a cavity with a seed inside.
Within the hard outer wrapping of the coconut is a solid white pulp and within this pulp is the coconut water. The coconut fruit is edible and is used for both food and medicine.
Coconut Grove Organic Coconut Milk is produced by harvesting nine-month-old organic coconut fruits of the highest quality and then pressing the grated coconut pulp thru a filter to create the finest organic coconut milk possible. Our organic coconut milk is then aseptically packed for transport to our yogurt facility in Northern California.
Coconut Grove has a very unique relationship with farmers in the Mindanao Province of the Philippines. Sourcing organic coconut raw material can be challenging – but we are very fortunate to have developed long-term relationships with cooperatives in Mindanao who are committed to providing us with organically grown raw material and are also committed to expanding their production as our needs grow. Coconut Grove is fully committed to the development of Fair Trade, organic, sustainable and non-GMO in all aspects of our supply chain from farm to table.
The cavity of the coconut is filled with coconut water – which is sterile until opened. The coconut water is clear, colorless and contains sugar, fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins & minerals – and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance making it a nutritious food source. Coconut water has recently become a popular and refreshing drink in the United States that is also used in isotonic sports drinks.
Coconut milk is made from the white pulp of the coconut fruit and is produced by pressing the grated coconut pulp thru a filter to extract the delicious milk which also contains vitamins, minerals and fiber. Coconut milk comes in various grades from quite thick – 20% to 22% fat – to quite thin – 5% to 7% fat. For our Coconut Grove Organic Yogurt, we use organic coconut milk that is between 6% and 10% fat. More of the health benefits of organic coconut milk can be found on our website under Health Benefits.
Coconut Grove Organic Yogurt launched in September of 2013 at Whole Foods in Northern and Southern California.
Currently we are rolling out in Whole Foods and independent retailers throughout the West Coast, Mid-West and parts of the North-East.
Use our handy Locator Map to find a store near you!
Does your local store not carry Coconut Grove? Place a request with customer service at the store, and let them know that you want Coconut Grove! And download our Sales Sheet to pass on. Retailers and distributors are welcome to contact our sales team here.
Although our fruit yogurt at this point doesn’t blend easily when stirred, it melts in your mouth when you eat it. We are presently using an organic fruit mix that contains organic dried cane syrup – and we are working on an organic fruit mix using organic coconut sugar. We will update everyone as our research progresses. And even though there is this mixing characteristic, we believe that, once a bite gets into your mouth, you’ll find that the taste & texture is superb.
We use only organic coconut sugar for the sweetener, which is the color of a dark brown conventional sugar – but so much healthier for you. (see more below about coconut sugar) Then, we use an organic vanilla that is also dark brown. And, voila, a “light brown” delicious tasting organic Coconut Grove Vanilla yogurt is created!
Coconut Grove Organic coconut sugar is produced from the sap of flower blossoms of the coconut palm tree. Producing our organic coconut sugar starts with harvesting or “tapping” the blossoms of our organic coconut trees (a procedure very similar to producing pure maple syrup). Our farmers make a cut on the spadix of the flower and the sap starts to flow from the cut. The sap is then collected in bamboo containers which is then transferred into giant woks and placed over moderate heat to evaporate the moisture content of the sap. The sap is translucent and contains about 80% water. As the water evaporates, it starts to transform into a thick syrup-like substance known as a “toddy”. From this form, it is further reduced to crystal, block or soft paste form – or it remains in its syrup-like form.
Coconut sugar is subtly sweet and similar to brown sugar – but with a slight hint of caramel. However, since Coconut Grove Organic coconut sugar is not highly processed, the color, sweetness and flavor can vary depending on different factors – including what coconut species is used, the season in which it was harvested, where it was harvested and even the way the “sap” or “toddy” is reduced. This feature also yields a slightly golden brown color – especially in our Vanilla flavor. There are a number of positive reasons for using organic coconut sugar over other sweeteners and we intend to expand its use in all of our products.
We use #2 and #5 food grade plastics for our containers and lids. Neither of these contains chloride that releases dioxins when heated, and they are BPA, phthalate, and PVC free. To top it off, our foil lids have a protective plastic lining that prevents contact between the yogurt and the foil.
Coconut Grove Yogurt has focused on the “reduce” in the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan when it comes to our packaging. We use light weight #5 plastic for our containers, and have also reduced our case packaging when delivering to the stores.
We encourage you to “reuse” your yogurt containers, for instance start plants for the garden, use for food storage, and other creative uses like donating your saved cups to local schools for art projects!
So please, don’t forget to “recycle” when you can! To locate facilities that offer #5 plastic recycling, please visit Earth911.org. This site will direct you to recycling centers for all types of packaging in your region.
