Coconut water is high in many vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. Because it contains electrolytes, it is considered one of the best natural rehydrating drinks in the tropics. Pasteurized coconut water retains most of the minerals, and is frequently sold as a sports drink. Since fresh coconut water deteriorates so quickly once it is exposed to air, it is best obtained and consumed in the tropics where it can be purchased fresh, with all the nutrients and enzymes intact. Packaged coconut waters must be pasteurized, destroying some of the nutrients. It has been reported that during World War II coconut water was used in emergencies as IV fluids, since the nutrient-packed water is completely sterile inside the coconut until the hard shell is cracked and it is exposed to air.

 

In the Philippines and other tropical places, raw coconut water is often left in the open air to ferment, where it eventually turns into a vinegar. The fermentation process enhances the nutrients, unlike heat pasteurization. The acidic environment prevents the growth of undesirable bacteria naturally. This process is a "backyard" cottage industry, however, and the final product is seldom consistent or attaining to our high standards. Therefore, Tropical Traditions worked with professors at the University of the Philippines for several years to develop an incubation system that could produce clean coconut water vinegar from our certified organic coconuts (used to make our Virgin Coconut Oil) and retain the mother of vinegar (a colony of bacteria cultures) as a truly raw product. We use the mother of vinegar to inoculate future batches of organic coconut water vinegar.