How to Open a Coconut

Guide Note

Sure, they taste great and have an interesting texture, but there's one big problem with coconuts. This guide will teach you how to easily open a coconut so you can actually use that delicious meat and rich milk inside its tough shell.

Table of Contents

How to Open a Coconut Tips

  1. Be sure that the thick, hairy husk has already been removed from the coconut.
  2. Drain the coconut water to use in other meals.
  3. Wrap the coconut in a towel before pounding it.
  4. Set the coconut on a hard surface when opening it; a softer surface could cause you to hurt yourself as your hammer rebounds.
  5. Enjoy the coconut meat raw or as an ingredient in a recipe.

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Introduction

  • Maybe you're in the mood to add a tropical touch to your favorite dessert. Perhaps you are having friends over and you want to serve your guests tropical drinks. The coconut is a that will help you in a wide range of dishes. The only problem? Getting through that rough exterior. Here's How to Open a Coconut.

Step 1: Gain Coconut Knowledge

  1. Coconut water is the untreated juice in the center of the coconut.1
  2. Coconut meat is the hard, crisp stuff inside the shell. This is the edible part and is typically shredded or cut before it is served.1
  3. Coconut milk is the juice strained from the meat. The flavor is tempered by simmering it at a medium temperature. Coconut milk is a useful ingredient for Thai and other kinds of cuisine.
  4. The husk is a thick, hairy layer that is usually removed before being put out for sale at a supermarket.3
  5. The hard shell is the tough part you'll need to get through in order to get at the delicious inside.

Step 2: Drain the Coconut Water

  • Sure, you could always go crazy and smash the coconut with a sledgehammer. If you do this, however, you'll miss all of the coconut water inside. Here are different ways to open a coconut enough to drain it in a glass so you can use it later.
  1. (Creative Commons photo by tree-species)
    (Creative Commons photo by tree-species)
    Make three cuts into the top of the coconut until the triangle-shaped piece comes out, making an easy-pour spout.4
  2. Go native and open your coconut the way Pacific Islanders do. Get a rounded stone a little bigger than your hand. Pound the stone around the equator of the hard shell of the coconut. After you go around the coconut a few times, the coconut will start to crack. Pound on the weakest part until you can pour out the coconut water.5
  3. Use a power drill to make an easy hole through which you can drain the coconut water.
  4. Using a hand tool to make a hole can work very well, too. Here are some hand tools that do a good job of opening a small hole:6
    1. A hacksaw will make a clean slice in the shell of the coconut.
    2. A corkscrew makes a small, but effective hole in the top divot of the coconut.
    3. An awl will also make a small hole.
    4. A hammer and chisel can be used to carve a hole in the coconut's shell.

Step 3: Coconut-Smashing Time!

  • Now that you've drained out the coconut water, it's time for some stress-relieving fun. You have to split the coconut to access all of that delicious coconut meat. Here are a few ways to do this:
  1. Grab a hammer and a clean towel large enough to hold your coconut. (If you're really stressed out, grab a sledgehammer.7)
    1. Wrap the coconut around the towel and place it on a hard surface.
    2. Smash the coconut with the hammer until the shell is broken enough for you to get to the meat.
  2. If you used a stone to make a crack in the coconut, continue pounding along the coconut's equator until the coconut splits into halves.5
  3. Place the blade of a hatchet in the hole you made to drain the coconut water.6
  4. Continue sawing through the coconut shell with a hacksaw.

Step 4: Harvesting the Coconut Meat

  • The slaughter of the coconut. (Creative Commons photo by Robin)
    The slaughter of the coconut. (Creative Commons photo by Robin)
    Now that your coconut is open, you're very close to enjoying the meat. The meat is usually a half-inch thick and won't come out easy. Here are some different ways to harvest it.8
  1. Slice into the coconut meat at an angle with a dull knife. Since you're doing it at an angle, you have the leverage necessary to simply twist the knife to pop out a nice, big piece of meat. Repeat until you've gotten it all.8
  2. Use the old-fashioned technique. Get a shell with a serrated edge and use it to scrape the meat out of the shell.5
  3. If you pounded the coconut into little pieces, you can use a sharp knife to slice the meat away from the shell.

Step 5: Enjoy the Coconut

  • So, now you have a bunch of coconut meat and delicious coconut water. What are some mouth-watering ways to use them?
  1. Prepare the coconut meat and the coconut water.
    1. (Creative Commons photo by Alan Stanton)
      (Creative Commons photo by Alan Stanton)
      The coconut meat can be grated with a cheese grater. Use different sides, depending on the size of coconut pieces called for by your recipe.5
      • For a more complex flavor, you can even toast the coconut, browning some of the flakes.9
    2. Turn the coconut water into coconut milk by simmering it in a saucepan over a medium heat.1
  2. Munch on the coconut raw if you like. They taste good and have an unusual texture.
  3. Use your liberated coconut in a recipe.10
    1. Coconut Shrimp combines two interesting textures with scrumptious results.10
    2. Coconut Chewy Macaroons are a great after-school treat.11
    3. Baking Coconut bread keeps the house warm in the winter and ensures you have a tasty desert.12

Conclusion

  • After using a little elbow grease, you've opened up your coconut and are enjoying the fruits of your labor. (Even though coconuts are not a fruit, but a nut.)

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References for How To Open a Coconut

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Global Gourmet: Kate's Global Kitchen: All About Coconuts
  2. ↑ Coconut: Where Coconuts Grow
  3. ↑ Maona: How to Husk a Coconut
  4. ↑ The Urban Vegan: anatomy of a coconut
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Primitive Ways: Opening a Coconut With a Stone
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Yahoo! Answers: Whats the best way to open a coconut?
  7. ↑ How to Open a Coconut: How to open a coconut
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Polynesia: Coconut Cracking - How to Crack a Coconut
  9. ↑ Baking911: Toast or Roast Nuts or Coconut
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Coconut Recipes: Coconut Recipes
  11. ↑ Recipezaar: Coconut Chewy Macaroons recipe
  12. ↑ BBC Food: Coconut bread


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