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Harvesting the coconuts.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
One of the methods to harvest the coconuts is to make a long pole from bamboo pieces put together. At one end a sharp knife is attached to the bamboo pole so that the harvester is able to detach the coconut from the tree.
(Later on I will show two other ways to harvest coconuts)
Coconut
Botanically, a coconut is a simple dry fruit known as a fibrous drupe (not a true nut). The husk (mesocarp) is composed of fibers called coir and there is an inner "stone" (the endocarp). This hard endocarp (the outside of the coconut as sold in the shops of non-tropical countries) has three germination pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface once the husk is removed. It is through one of these that the radicle emerges when the embryo germinates. Adhering to the inside wall of the endocarp is the testa, with a thick albuminous endosperm (the coconut "meat"), the white and fleshy edible part of the seed. The endosperm surrounds a hollow interior space, filled with air and often a liquid referred to as coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut milk is made by grating the endocarp and mixing it with (warm) water. This produces a thick, white liquid called coconut milk that is used in much Asian cooking. Coconut water from the unripe coconut, on the other hand, is drunk fresh as a refreshing drink.
Coconut tree
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
The Coconut Tree (Cocos Nucifera L.) is called "The Tree of Life" because of the endless list of products and by-products derived from its various parts. Food, shelter, fuel - name it, the coconut has it.
The coconut fruit produces buko, often used for salads, halo-halo( crushed ice with sweetened fruit), sweets and pastries.
Coconut oil is extracted from copra (dried coconut meat/kernel)
The coconut husks are made of bristle fiber. The abundance of fiber makes it good, stable supply for cottage industries that make brushes, doormats, carpets, bags, ropes, yarn fishing nets, and mattresses, etc.
Out of the bud of the coconut tree's is a juice called coconut toddy or tuba. The fermented juice is the common alcoholic drink in the coconut region. It is also used to produce vinegar.
Tuba after being left for five days then distilled, produces an alcoholic spirit known locally as lambanog which is more or less 98% proof.
The most important use of coconut shell is activated carbon produced from its charcoal. It is utilized in air purification systems such as cooker hoods, air conditioning, industrial gas purification systems, and industrial and gas masks.
Out of the coconut trunk, hardy and durable wood is obtained to make benches, tables, carvings, picture frames, tables, tool boxes, and construction materials, among many others. Paper pulp can also be extracted from the coconut trunk and other woody parts of the tree.
Coconut leaves - even the leaves are not allowed to go to waste. The spine of the leaves are usually used as firewood for cooking while the leaves itself is stripped and turned into brooms or "walis ting-ting".
Medicine, beverages and dyestuff are obtained from the coconut roots.
The coconut industry is considered a major dollar earner that provides livelihood to one-third of the country's population.
There are two main types of coconut trees, based upon their stature - tall or dwarf. Coconuts are widely available all year round throughout the tropics. Harvesting is done throughout the year. Trees begin to yield fruit in 5-6 years, more likely 7-9 years, and reach full bearing in 12-13 years.
