After a ripening period of twelve months, the coconut can be harvested. This is not entirely safe, which is why people in the growing areas have come up with some interesting techniques for harvesting.
How and when are coconuts harvested?
Coconuts are harvested all year round, usually when they are still green and soft. Harvesting techniques include using long poles with knives, manually climbing palm trees and using trained macaque monkeys in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
When are coconuts harvested?
Coconuts are harvested practically all year round. As a rule, they are not quite ripe when harvested but are green and soft. They then contain a lot of the refreshing coconut water, namely up to half a liter. Coconuts that fall from the palm on their own are often spoiled or fermented, similar to windfall fruit that is already overripe.
Where are coconuts harvested?
Most of the coconuts that we sell come from large cultures in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the West Indies, the Philippines or the Ivory Coast. Coconut palms are now no longer grown exclusively on huge plantations in monocultures, but are also grown organically in smaller mixed cultures in accordance with organic standards.
How are coconuts harvested?
Harvesting coconuts is not easy, but there are several options. Knives on poles several meters long are usually used for harvesting. This means you can harvest from the ground. Or the harvesters climb the coconut trees to harvest. A good climber can harvest up to 40 palm trees per day.
Another variant of the harvest, which is widespread in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, is the use of trained macaques. The monkeys on a leash climb the palm trees and rotate the coconuts around their own axis until they fall down. The macaques are much more nimble and skilled than humans, which means fewer accidents happen.
The training of macaques is quite difficult because the monkeys learn to react to calls and are not allowed to get their leashes caught in the palm tree. This makes them valuable workhorses for the local population. If the monkeys lose the fun of harvesting coconuts, they may no longer work properly and lose value.
Tips & Tricks
You can buy coconuts fresh all year round because they are harvested all year round.