Harvested at around 9 – 12 months old, mature coconuts contain white hard coconut meat (endosperm) and water with the edible portion being about 70% of the total nut weight. The husk of the mature coconut is brown and this is fully removed to reveal a dry fibrous shell which is rich brown in colour. In Australian supermarkets you will find  husked mature coconuts which are round and vary between 110 – 135mm in diameter. The mature coconut is valued for its thick, firm meat used world wide in shredded or grated form. Coconut meat can be eaten natural, as an addition to soups, curries, cakes and desserts or used in coconut milk preparation. Coconut in its mature stage has a rich, nutty flavour and chewy texture with a high oil content. Whilst there is coconut water present in mature coconuts is not as abundant as in drinking coconuts but can still be consumed or used in cooking. During maturation the liquid is used by the coconut to create the expanding layer of meat.