# What happens if you throw a coconut in a campfire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702 "2011-04-01T00:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/61 "2011-04-07T22:19:01Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > You read my mind. > > This sort of thing is just the sort of thing that sounds like fun…and beer always makes idiot stunts like this better. I read this at work and thought it sounded like something I’d like to do with friends this weekend. We’ve had a pretty stressful week, so trying to blow up a coconut in a campfire with beer included might be good. > > I’d like to say that the reason we won’t try is because I suddenly got all mature and stuff. The real reason is because I went to all three grocery stores on the way home and all the coconuts have been scored around the middle for easy opening. ☹ My son recently returned from a trip to visit friends in Bogota. One of his favorite discoveries is a game called Tejo, in which players throw rocks at little packets of gunpowder on a sort of little shuffleboard type field. The place he went charged nothing to play, but there was a 15 (!) drink minimum. As he said in a comment that accompanies a Youtube vid he posted, “What could go wrong?” ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/62 "2011-04-11T08:04:55Z")
. . . like a coconut. It just came to me. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/63 "2011-04-11T08:36:37Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Where are all the chemistry and physics guys when you need them… > > (here is my best shot) IANACPG.. …I am not a coconut popping guru..? My bet is that the bastard will crack and hiss all over the fire. Surely _someone_ can contact The Professor and ask. All that time on Gilligan’s Island, all those coconut cream pies, _something_ must’ve happened involving the little buddy, Maryanne’s coconuts, and a fire.. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/64 "2011-04-11T13:31:41Z")
Where are all of the scientific geniuses on The Straight Dope BB??? Who will be the first one to make a report with full details of all the factors involved??? Forget the bravado, bluster, and BULL S–T!!! Give us the facts, just the facts, nothing but the facts!!! ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/65 "2011-04-11T22:02:24Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > Surely _someone_ can contact The Professor and ask. All that time on Gilligan’s Island, all those coconut cream pies, _something_ must’ve happened involving the little buddy, Maryanne’s coconuts, and a fire.. Sorry for the aside - but I can understand where the people on the island got the coconuts - heck - they were surrounded by them… But where, exactly, did they get the cream for the coconut cream pie? I think we need a new show - “Gilligans Island, after hours” ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/66 "2011-04-11T22:21:47Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > …I am not a coconut popping guru..? Chemistry and physics guy 😃 ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/67 "2011-04-12T12:29:25Z")
Ok. This is the closest to anything useful I could find [from](http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=272238): \*\*\*Is it dangerous to bake the coconut, without first removing the juice? \*\*This is a tough question and I have no definite answer. The fact is, after some 15-20 minutes, cracks appeared in the coconut. It didn’t open yet, but I was pretty confident that, if I hammer it slightly, it will open instantly. Actually, that did happen, but **caveat** : when I removed the coconut from the oven, I could still hear the watery juice inside the coconut. The temperature was however surely much above the boiling point of water, therefore, for water to be still in the watery phase, a significant pressure had to build up inside the coconut. The problem is NOT only that the coconut may explode, BUT that the expelled gases will be **VERY HOT** (\> 100°C). Indeed, when I slightly hit the coconut, a ~6 square cm portion of the shell burst away. The liquid inside the coconut evaporated instantly. Fortunately, I was not hurt. There were some advantages to this method: a.) the juice evaporated (NO bad taste anymore) b.) the shell crack opened immediately c.) the coconut meat was separated from the hard shell - NO need to peel it of However, as described, this method might pose some serious life threats. I am interested IF others have tried this method out and could share their experience, especially the optimal parameters to bake the coconut (temperature, time, …)\* Not a coconut popping guru YET, **drachillix** … **Frazzled** , I’ve pondered that cream question over 98 episodes. Other than eeking out supplies on board the ol’ SS Minnow, I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/68 "2011-04-12T20:54:04Z")
> [@T.Slothrop](#): > > . . . like a coconut. It just came to me. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/69 "2011-04-12T21:44:00Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > But where, exactly, did they get the cream for the coconut cream pie? It’s obvious that someone on the island must have been lactating. Perhaps the Skipper. BTW, my 13-year-old son is eagerly hoping that someone will produce a definitive answer to the OP. He just asked me again last night if there were any new posts to the “coconut thread”. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/70 "2011-04-13T09:17:46Z")
if it’s a young coconut (thin soft shell) the juice will evaporate through it. if it’s an old coconut (thin and hard stone cells) the steam will seep through the three stem holes on the top (looks like a human face.) ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/71 "2011-04-13T09:24:58Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > if it’s a young coconut (thin soft shell) the juice will evaporate through it. > > if it’s an old coconut (thin and hard stone cells) the steam will seep through the three stem holes on the top (looks like a human face.) This theory needs further testing. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/72 "2011-04-13T12:53:59Z")
> [@SSgtBaloo](#): > > This theory needs further testing. i can attest for young cocos as i’ve done it a couple times (don’t ask why.) matured coconuts with thick strong shells are found in the market and oil refining plants so i don’t get to test them on a bonfire. but i’m willing to bet those three holes will form a sufficient vent. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/73 "2011-04-14T16:18:09Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > i can attest for young cocos as i’ve done it a couple times (don’t ask why.) matured coconuts with thick strong shells are found in the market and oil refining plants so i don’t get to test them on a bonfire. but i’m willing to bet those three holes will form a sufficient vent. must. not. ask. why. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/74 "2011-04-15T02:45:29Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > must. not. ask. why. why. must. not. ask. why? I. Ask. Why? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/75 "2011-04-15T02:49:10Z")
becoz, i was wondering whether it will go “plop”, or put the camp fire out, or kill 50,000 people over a 2-mile radius (don’t ask what i bet on.) ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/76 "2011-04-15T07:57:34Z")
This entire thread being a proposal for a scientific experiment (with possible explosions), I am surprised that no one has brought the swallow variable into the equation. I do not wish to violate any copywrite rules, so just google “Monty Python coconut”. He has done a lot of research on the subject. Sadly, Python totally ignored the Samoan Dwarf Coconut in his groundbreaking work. Note: It is the tree that is a dwarf, not the coconut itself, nor the owner of the tree. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/77 "2011-04-15T16:16:16Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > becoz, i was wondering whether it will go “plop”, or put the camp fire out, or kill 50,000 people over a 2-mile radius ( **don’t ask what i bet on**.) Now, you just quit that, y’hear?!? ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/78 "2011-04-15T16:33:25Z")
Anyone send this question to _Mythbusters_ yet? The best part of them trying this would be that if it didn’t explode naturally, they would still be sure to make it explode. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/79 "2011-04-16T06:05:53Z")
…like a bomb. But it will pop and crack and make sounds while it burns. Coconuts are thrown into the fire during the indian festival of [Holi.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi).In some other Hindu rituals also, coconuts are thrown into fire.They just pop and burn. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702/80 "2011-04-16T08:21:43Z")
> [@indian](#): > > ..like a bomb. But it will pop and crack and make sounds while it burns. > > Coconuts are thrown into the fire during the indian festival of [Holi.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi).In some other Hindu rituals also, coconuts are thrown into fire.They just pop and burn. Awwww! _pouts_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-throw-a-coconut-in-a-campfire/576702.md?page=5)