There was a clock in my life when a can of coconut water system was good a can of coconut urine. Lightly sweet, a little piquant, sort of like nature ‘s Gatorade. I knew that most canned coconut waters tasted nothing like the fresh unseasoned coconuts I drank straight from the shell in Asia or South America, but that did n’t very bother me .
But that was then and this is immediately. After having intoxicated, tasted, and meticulously note-taken my way through every sword of coconut water I could find, I consider myself a sort of technical on the subject, and I ‘ve got some opinions on what makes big coconut urine, and who does it the best .
*Okay, I have n’t quite given it up—I allow myself two “ pop days ” per month .
Contents
harmless Harvest : One Coconut Water to Rule Them All
Let me get this out of the way correct from the beginning : There is one trade name of bottle coconut water that is hands down, without doubt, far and away, not-even-in-the-same-game better than any other. Harmless Harvest ‘s coconut urine is the best bottle coconut water you ‘ll get without lopping off the top of a nut with a machete yourself .
It ‘s a tad sweeter than most of its competitors, indisputable, and it has a truly nice savory background, but that ‘s not what makes it great. It besides has the most intensely nutty relish with a complexity that its competitors lack, but tied that ‘s not its strongest selling decimal point. What sets it aside is its clean taste. It ‘s the alone brand I ‘ve seen on the market whose water is 100 % raw. Rather than heating their coconut water system to pasteurize it, they use a hard-hitting, low-temperature method that produces coconut water that ‘s wholly safe to drink, but is however 100 % raw .
Where every other post loses complexity as volatiles and aromatics are broken down during pasteurization, Harmless Harvest maintains it. A side impression of this production method is that at least half the bottles of Harmless Harvest have a distinctly pink/purple imbue thanks to high levels of antioxidants. I ‘m not one to espouse the health virtues of antioxidants or worry about nameless “ toxins ” in my body, but if you are, then this ocular display of antioxidants should be another sell point for you ( for my part, I ‘ve noticed no spirit remainder between pink and net batches ) .
How to Pick a good Coconut ( Water )
Of course, all commodity things come with a downside and in this case it ‘s price. At around 31 cents per snow leopard, Harmless Harvest is by far the most expensive coconut body of water at my local Whole Foods ( that ‘s $ 5.99 for a 20-ounce bottle ), about three times equally expensive as the cheapest stigmatize ( wholly Foods ‘ own 365 label ), and twice ampere much as most other major brands .
So what ‘s the best coconut urine to get without breaking the bank ?
I have a few general guidelines for picking good coconut water a well as some specific guidelines .
niobium : When coming up with these guidelines, I made certain to taste all of the coconut waters without looking at the component list or early information, only drawing conclusions from that data after I ‘d made my selections .
General Coconut Water Guidelines
- Check the ingredients lists and only go for coconut waters that list nothing but “young coconut water” or something to that effect. Extra sweeteners and natural or artificial flavors are the most common additions and both have a strong correlation with coconut waters I ranked lower.
- Avoid coconut water from concentrate. A few of the big coconut water brands sell different versions of their products, including those made from coconut water concentrate. I have yet to have a bottle of coconut water from concentrate that doesn’t taste like plastic and tears.
- Look for coconut water from Thailand. Most coconut waters sold in the U.S. come from Southeast Asia—Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines are common, though at least two major brands bottle their coconut water in Brazil. I’ve also seen a few packs that don’t list country of origin. After picking my four favorite brands, I was surprised to find that all four of them were bottled from Thai coconuts and that none of the coconut waters from other countries were particularly tasty. On the whole, Thai coconut waters tend to be slightly sweeter with a much deeper, nuttier flavor.
- Bottles, then cans, then Tetra Pak. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but if you see an array of coconut waters in front of you, even within the same brand, the ones packed in plastic bottles tended to have the freshest, most natural coconut flavor, followed by cans, and finally square Tetra Pak containers.
early Favorites
Read more: Simple Secrets To Weight Loss
sweet : smack Nirvana
Cost: 24 cents per ounce .
sample Nirvana is sweet. possibly besides angelic for some ( my wife said it “ tasted like birthday cake ” ). But it ‘s refresh and flavor-packed however. If you ‘re the kind of person who drinks their cereal milk, you ‘ll enjoy this one. If you prefer your coconut water on the more savory side, hop it .
Most freshen : Amy & Brian ‘s Coconut Juice
Cost: 15 cents per ounce .
Amy & Brian ‘s calls their merchandise “ coconut juice, ” but it ‘s no unlike from coconut water. It ‘s good a matter of terminology ( in Thailand, where it ‘s bottled, coconut water translates literally as “ coconut juice ” ). Their coconut water has the feature fresh balmy relish of Thai coconut varieties, though not quite as sweet or nutty as Harmless Harvest. It ‘s a very freshen can that ‘s besides available in pulpy varieties with little tender nub of coconut floating around .
You might notice that Amy & Brian ‘s comes in two cans : 17.5-ounce steel cans and 10-ounce aluminum cans. The two products are not identical ! The smaller cans contain water from a sweet assortment of coconuts than the larger cans, so if you want that extra sweet, it ‘s worth seeking out the minor cans .
Best value : C2O and Whole Foods 365
Cost: 14 cents per ounce ( C20 ) and 11 cents per ounce ( Whole Foods 365 )
Both C2O and Whole Foods 365 Everyday come in tall-boy steel cans and have a identical decent—if not wholly fresh-tasting—sweet/savory balance with no off flavors and a very reasonable price point. Bear in judgment that they are besides available in Tetra Pak format, but I suggest seeking out the cans rather .
Featured Video
Read more: Simple Secrets To Weight Loss