Opinions please: When a recipe calls for "flaked coconut", do you use...

[michael-in-phoenix]

...sweetened shredded coconut? The kind that's sold in a bag and very soft?

Unless it says, "sweetened shredded coconut", I use the big, dry, unsweetened coconut flakes. I get them at Trader Joe's or health food stores.

I'm thinking most recipe writers are not thinking the way I do.

What do you think?

Michael

 

[marilynfl]

For older recipes, I use sweet. For newer ones, I look at the sugar & usually use unsweetened.

 

[lisainla]

Unless it specifies unsweetened, I use the sweetenened stuff. I've only had 2 specify unsweetened.

 

[melissa-dallas]

I agree with Lisa.

 

[shaun-in-to]

Canadian Living Magazine's style book says flaked and shredded are both

sweetened. Desiccated comes either sweetened or unsweetened, so a recipe should specify.

My own experience is like Michael's -- that there is in fact unsweetened flaked and shredded to be found in health-food stores.

When I'm editing recipes I try to get the author to specify this every time. Same with "bread crumbs". I'm not always smart enough to know whether I'm to use dry or fresh.

 

[earnie]

I use sweetened unless

I use sweetened unless it specifically says unsweetened because I can only find sweetened in the stores locally. Would have to drive to larger cities to find unsweetened.

 

[rozinva]

I also use sweetened unless the recipe calls for otherwise

 

[angak]

I use sweetened too. if the recipe calls for unsweetened, I just cut back on the sugar.

 

[patbastrop]

me too.

 

[cheezz]

me 3

 

[dawnnys]

I guess it would depend on the recipe - if the recipe already has sugar as an

ingredient, I guess I'd use sweetened. If it's a savory dish, I think I'd use the unsweetened, although it is hard to read minds!

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

Thanks everyone. I thought most folks use the sweetened.