Cooking For Engineers

[B]

Looking all over for an air and watertight glue that is nontoxic and food safe to glue 2 pieces of coconut together; it also needs to act as a filler and be built up to fill holes in the seem. Anyone?

[B]

Ok starting to think this glue doesn't exist. Instead is it possible to get the coconut flesh out without making a hole larger than a drill would make. liquify and rinse the flesh out?

[Dilbert]

my initial reaction was a food grade hot melt adhesive.

quite a few at listed FDA approved for "intermittent contact" typically intended for packaging applications.

what precisely are you intending to do with the hollow coconut shells?

[IndyRob]

I'm envisioning a tropical adult libation with only a hole for a straw...and, maybe another for an umbrella. (extra points if it involves dry ice somehow )

Isn't Elmer's Glue non-toxic? I don't know if that means food safe, but coconut shells seem sufficiently woody that a wood glue should at least stand a chance of working if the shell were to be well dried.

If there is still a concern with food safeness, then perhaps an internal coating of food-grade silicone might solve the problem - if you could get something that's liquid, put it in through the hole and tumble until the inside is coated and then let dry.

Don't ask me about washing the thing though.

[Dilbert]

.........washing / etc

that's rather a big issue. major deal difference when doing stuff "just between us chickens" and "doing this for money"

coconut shells are organic and porous. I am not an world expert, but I don't see how one could use them as a contact container for any kind of beverage in a commercial setting - washing & reuse considerations are a whole nuther! issue.

ref: non-toxic
in the realm of food processing, one must be exceedingly careful about definitions / approvals.
as previously referenced, there is a _major_ go-to-jail type difference between intimate food contact and intermittent food contact and how and where materials variously approved are utilized.

in a commercial venture, this is not a good topic for amateur night.....

[GaryProtein]

^^^^^ I have had tropical mixed drinks served in coconut shells that were used as the serving vessel. I'm sure they are only used once that way.