Verona Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Recently, because of the cost of fruit, i asked parents for donations of fruit for the children's snack. They have been very good and have been bringing in apples, bananas, oranges, satsumas, pineapple, strawberries, blueberrries, raspberrries , melon, etc. Yesterday, a parent brought in a coconut. I have looked up on the internet and found this........... The jury is out on whether the coconut is a fruit, nut or seed. A Botanist considers the coconut one-seeded drupe (aka: dry drupe.) A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (much like a peach or olive.) 'Drupa means 'overripe olive. The coconut and all drupes have three layers: exocarp (outer layer); the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer) and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed.) The definition given as coconut can be all three: a fruit, a nut or a seed. Until proven otherwise the coconut comes under: fruit; nut and seed. Other places have said it is a fruit - what do you think? Sue J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel10 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 My son is allergic to peanuts but fine with coconuts. (I don't give him other types of nuts) I'm still not sure whether to give this to the preschool children though. Having said this, our child at playgroup that is allergic to nuts brought in coconut cakes to share with her friends. We did give them to the children as the only other child with a nut allergy Mum was there and she said it was fine (she is a registered nurse) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 A colleague of mine was severly allergic to nuts but was fine with coconut; she always said it was a fruit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmileyPR Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I would go for fruit because it produces a watery substance (the watery milk). We enjoy drinking it in the Caribbean countries and eating it's white flesh, be it soft or hard. We also make lots of desserts from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Its one of those things where the botanical definition is often different from the culnery one or the common usage one. SO peanuts are not actually nuts, and yet are the 'nut' most often associated with allergies. Cashews are actually seeds and not nuts either. And, bananas are herbs, as well as being fruits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thanks for your replies. Mundia, I was told that pine nuts are not nuts - but kernels!! I will put a notice on the door for parents in the morning saying that we will be having coconut as part of snack. Sue J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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