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How to open a green coconut at home. Simple tips on how to cut a coconut at home

Alexander Gushchin

I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

Content

In southern countries they use a special tool, but this can be done without it. To preserve the milk and pulp for which this product is purchased, you must follow the instructions. It is worth cutting only after the juice has been drained. Drink and eat the contents the same day. Do not store opened coconut in the refrigerator, it will quickly spoil.

How to open a coconut at home

Even without any experience, anyone can cope with the task. The following DIY tools will help you easily open a coconut:

  • hammer;
  • drill;
  • hacksaw.

If you find at least one of the listed items, then opening the shell will not be difficult, even at home. Place the fruit on a towel while cutting, then it will not slide on the table. Wash the peel thoroughly and you can begin, but be careful, because the tool can easily jump off the surface, and this can lead to injury.

How to open a coconut

You need to cut the coconut so that the milk inside the fruit does not spill. The technology is simple: on one side of the fruit there are dark spots - pores leading to the seed, which are the most vulnerable spot. Use a corkscrew, drill, or hammer and nail to make holes in these areas. When you hear the sound of a soda bottle opening, drain the liquid or insert a straw and drink straight from the coconut.

How to crack a coconut

The hard shell of the fruit can be broken or split. To choose the right method, be guided by the tools you have and the purpose for which you plan to use the pulp. Coconut has a weak spot, which can be identified by a thin convex fold in the middle or slightly toward dark spots. This is where you need to apply force. So, ways to quickly open a coconut:

  1. A little noisy, but always effective. Suitable if you only need the pulp and appearance is not important. Wrap the fruit in a towel and hit the coconut with a hammer. The shell will break, allowing the pulp to be extracted.
  2. Take a sharp knife and stab carefully. It is best to keep the nut hanging. Turn slightly and repeat the movement. When a crack appears, you need to insert a blade there and cut the coconut into two even halves. You can use a hacksaw.

How to peel a coconut

The process will be easier if you first immerse the fruit in boiling water for a few minutes or heat it in the oven (don’t forget to drain the liquid from the coconut first): as a result, the pulp will come away from the shell on its own. The same effect can be obtained by freezing for a quarter of an hour. When the hard and soft parts are separated from each other, it is necessary to peel off the rough skin. The easiest way is to use a paring knife.

Today, coconut is becoming a popular product. Many people don’t know how to open a coconut, much less have tried to do so. An ordinary nut can be cracked with a nut cracker, but a coconut holds its defense tightly. Without knowing how to break a coconut, you can waste your time and energy. No one tells you how to peel a coconut - having brought home an “exotic”, a person tries to find a way out on his own.

How to choose a coconut

A common consumer problem is not how to break a coconut, but the choice of product. If you find an unsuccessful nut, you can be forever disappointed in its gastronomic qualities, so the purchase is a significant step. A common problem is the freshness of the product.
Ignorance of simple rules can make the purchase useless, and trying to open a coconut at home can be a waste of time.

What to look for when choosing a coconut:

Ask the seller about expiration dates and delivery of goods.
More juice means a tastier fruit, a heavier nut means more liquid. Nuts with visible damage are unsuitable for consumption.
Wet fruits should also not be consumed.
The “correct” coconut will allow you to enjoy an unusual, pleasant taste.
An obviously spoiled product is not fit for consumption, like sour milk.
A ripe, tasty nut has a hard shell, a dry shell, and when shaken, the sound of liquid is heard.

How to open a coconut yourself

It will take exactly 1 minute, since you can split the coconut quickly. It’s simple - like “One, two, three!”:
We drink coconut juice. On the surface of the coconut there are 3 eyes - the thinnest skin. Using a sharp object (knife, nail), pick out 2 eyes. Insert a straw into one and drink the juice.
Opening. Some people don’t understand how to split a coconut – they hit it hard on the asphalt. The method is effective, but unaesthetic. To open a coconut at home, you need to find its weak point - 1/3 of the distance from the eyes to the other end. This is where the blows from the blunt part of the knife are directed. Turn the nut, hit, repeat until a crack forms. 2-3 turns - and it’s clear how to split a coconut in 1 minute.
A crack has appeared - the fruit will break.

Other ways to open a coconut at home

The first method is “hit and spin.”
You will need a juice container. Without thinking about how to open a coconut, wrap your hand around it. Use a heavy, blunt knife to find the center line. You can imagine a coconut as a planet and run a knife along the equator. Rotate the nut to strike along the center line. Rotate until the coconut separates. It turns out that it’s not difficult.

The second method is the Stone Age method.
Primitive man managed to find out how to open a coconut without a knife or nail. The ancient man decided to simply break it. Holding the nut firmly in your hands, hit it on a hard, level surface (stairs, corner of the house, brick). In the city, you don’t have to think long about how to break a coconut.
The third method is the “bag method”.
You need a thick food bag. Place the coconut in a bag, hit it hard with a hammer or hit it on a hard surface. I managed to open the coconut - take it out of the bag and rinse it. The fourth method is the “heat-cold” method. The coconut shell will easily separate from the flesh if the nut is exposed to heat or cold. Place in the freezer or oven (90 degrees) for 15 minutes. Then it’s worth remembering how to open a coconut with a hammer.

Source:

What to do after cracking a coconut?

The problem of how to break a coconut is not the main one - you need to be able to eat the fruit. Coconut is often added to baked goods, desserts, salads, sauces, and soups. Shredded coconut pulp can be stored in the refrigerator, first sprinkled with coconut milk. What foods does coconut go with? Chicken meat, fish. Dried coconut flakes can be a wonderful garnish for baked goods. One fruit is:
coconut water – 2 cups;
milk – 1 liter; shavings;
banana cocktail;
chicken soup;
banana coconut pudding;
Rafaelo cakes;
Cashcake;

Facial milk.
You can refine the pulp and make shavings using a special device, a grater or a blender. Chips are the basis of milk. Milk is made by hand or with a blender. The last option: fill the bowl with shavings and water, turn on the blender and bring the mixture until smooth, strain through cheesecloth. By hand - pour water over the shavings, knead the mixture with your hands, and strain.

Coconut is a tropical fruit with a strong peel, under which snow-white pulp and healthy juice are hidden. Today this fruit can be purchased in any supermarket. But despite its availability, many people do not want to buy it because they do not know how to open a coconut.

Popular methods

After purchasing an exotic nut, the question arises of how to properly open a coconut at home. The shell of the fruit is thick and very strong; you cannot handle it without skill and working tools. Often people, having bought a coconut, have no idea what to do with it next - break it, saw it, chop it, or try cutting it.

Before cracking the coconut, drain off the milk juice. Coconut liquid can be drunk immediately or used for cooking. Don't count on a full glass of milk; there is very little of it in a mature (brown) coconut.

Holes are pierced at the site of the three spots. The dark spots are the pores leading to the seed. The peel in this place is more pliable, so it won’t be difficult to poke holes. To quickly release the liquid, two holes are enough: through one, fresh milk will drain, through the second, the nut will be filled with air.

There are several ways to divide the tropical fruit into parts. If the aesthetic side of the issue is not so important, then you can let the coconut break by hitting it on the asphalt. But there are other more reasonable ways, for example, sawing with a jigsaw, breaking with a hammer, etc.

Chop with a cleaver

To cut a coconut, you need a large and strong knife. A sharp cleaver for chopping bones or a machete is suitable for these purposes. The cutting is carried out as follows:

  1. Take the coconut in your left hand.
  2. Inspect the seam that runs between the holes in the nut. Walk along it to the middle of the coconut.
  3. Tap the center with the blunt edge of a knife (not the blade), turning the fruit in your palm.
  4. Continue rotating and tapping until the coconut cracks.
  5. If everything is done correctly, the nut will split into two equal halves.
  6. Now you can take the “hemispheres” and scoop out the tasty pulp.

If, after opening, the coconut flesh emits a sour smell, then it is better to throw away this product along with the juice. You can't use it, it's spoiled.

Using holes

You can cut the fruit according to the existing holes. To open a coconut quickly you need:

  1. Place the nut on a hard surface. It is more convenient to cut on a cutting board.
  2. Insert a knife into one of the pierced holes.
  3. Hit the handle with force so that the blade goes inside.
  4. Gently turn the knife by the handle and break the fruit until it is completely open.

When splitting a coconut, the crack may first open and then close again. You need to be careful not to pinch your fingers.

With a hammer

This method is feasible if the person who will open the coconut has sufficient physical strength. To break a coconut with a hammer you need:

  1. Place the nut in a strong plastic bag (wrap with a towel or cling film);
  2. Place it on the concrete floor.
  3. Apply a strong blow with a hammer or other suitable object.
  4. Remove the drupes from the bag.

As a result of these actions, the peel will split into irregularly shaped fragments.

Using a hand saw

This method allows you to get coconut halves of the correct and beautiful shape. For this you need:

  1. Mark the place to cut so that the saw does not slip off the surface.
  2. Divide the nut in half.

Heat in the oven

If you do not have the necessary tools, determination or sufficient physical strength at hand, then you can open the coconut by exposure to temperatures. To do this you need:

  1. Heat the oven to 180⁰.
  2. Poke holes in the coconut and drain the milk. If this is not done, the fruit will explode when heated.
  3. Place the nut in a deep pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

After heat treatment, the coconut husk bursts. In this case, the pulp is easily removed from the shell.

How to open green fruits

Such coconuts are young (immature). The thickness of their peel is similar to that of a pumpkin, which means that you can open the nut with an ordinary kitchen knife. It is enough to cut off one of the poles as a cover. That's all. You can insert a straw inside and enjoy drinking coconut juice, which is very healthy. If you regularly drink a cup of this drink, you can improve your metabolism, thyroid function and boost your immunity.

Extracting the pulp

It will be easy to separate the pulp if the coconut is split into several shells. The simplest extraction option: insert a knife blade between the peel and the copra, swing the tool to the sides and remove the piece. Then pick out another one. And so on until the entire core is removed. You can pre-cut the pulp to pull it out into neat, even slices.

Things will go faster if you use the following life hack:

  1. Place the whole coconut in the oven at 180⁰. 15 minutes will be enough.
  2. Tap the entire surface of the shell. This will allow the pulp to separate from the peel once inside the fruit. Elongated fruits need to be tapped longer.
  3. Remove the thin brown skin as you would from potatoes. Any knife or vegetable peeler can cope with this task.

Summing up

Opening a coconut is a problem that everyone who buys this fruit faces. Due to the tough peel, there is a risk of damage to the pulp. When cutting a coconut, you need to approach it thoroughly, armed with a knife, hammer, screwdriver and patience. Step-by-step instructions and practical tips will help with this.

The delicate, slightly sweet coconut taste is very appreciated, refreshing, and has a tropical aroma. And sometimes you want to enjoy the true taste of coconut or transform the festive table with an exotic serving. However, the tropical fruit is extremely strong and difficult to open. Of course, you don’t need to take a drill or circular saw. But you will have to make some effort, especially if you want to save the nut for an elegant serving.

Cracking a coconut using an oven

This is the classic and most famous method. It will allow you to preserve the good appearance of the shell for subsequent serving as a decoration or decoration. The method is quite simple, it requires an oven and a sharp knife or housekeeper.

Initially, you need to drain the juice from the fruit. If this is not done, it will boil inside the coconut and literally explode the fruit. A lot of pulp and shells will be lost, and the oven will have to be washed thoroughly. Draining coconut juice is very easy. It is necessary to turn the fruit to the side where there are several small indentations, usually the top. It was through them that the coconut fed from the palm tree. Now you should carefully determine the softest place with a sharp knife. It is into this that you need to resolutely go deeper, turning the knife to a depth of 1.5 cm. You can make the task somewhat easier by using a clean screwdriver.

Now you need to quickly turn the coconut over a glass or cup and observe whether the liquid comes out. If the juice begins to drip, then the depression is sufficient and you just have to wait a little. Depending on the fetus, it may take from a few to ten minutes. The volume of juice from one coconut is 120–160 ml. By the way, here you can determine how fresh and suitable the fruit is. If the juice is clear and sweet, then it is the highest grade. A slight cloudiness is still acceptable. If the juice has an oily consistency, it means that the coconut is already spoiled and is not recommended for consumption.

It is better to open the coconut at maximum temperature. The higher it is, the better and faster the fruit will crack. The nut must be placed on the grill, so it will not bake and burn, but will heat up evenly over its entire circumference. Usually 10 minutes is enough. Then you need to pull it out and closely inspect it. You need to find a large crack or several small ones in the shell. If there are none, then heating should continue.

Wrap the cracked coconut in a thin towel or plastic bag and hit the already damaged side on the table several times. The initial crack will be a weak point, causing the shell to crack. Now it is enough to pry it with a knife and open the fruit with swinging movements. The pulp should be peeled until white using a sharp knife or a housekeeper. A whole, undamaged nut is ready to serve. Also, usually the shell splits into 2-3 parts, and it can be used to decorate a dish or table.

Cleaning coconut using the microwave

The technique is as similar as possible to the oven method, but there are certain differences. The main thing is the quality of coconut juice removal itself. It is necessary to drain off as much moisture as possible, and it is recommended to shake the nut several times. This will take about 10 minutes.

Even with proper desiccation, coconut can still explode in the microwave. Therefore, you should put the fruit inside for 2 minutes at maximum power, quickly pull it out and look. If there are no large cracks, then leave for another 40 seconds. And so continue until sufficient damage appears on the shell.

Then wrap the fruit in a bag or thin cloth and apply several blows to the table with the exact side where the crack appeared. The crack is easily pryed with a knife, so the nut opens with the help of rocking movements. After this, all that remains is to clean the pulp. The method takes less time compared to the oven, but the special effect of the microwave slightly bakes the pulp, which slightly changes the taste and aroma of fresh coconut.

Break a coconut with a hammer

This is the most brutal, but quite effective method. There is no need to drain the coconut water; just wrap the fruit in a paper towel and rag. Wrapping should be done carefully; it is advisable to tighten everything so that the fruit is firmly fixed. The wrapped coconut should be placed horizontally on a table or hard surface.

With your left hand you need to firmly hold the end of the fruit, and with your right hand you need to apply sharp blows with a hammer. It's better to hit the center of the coconut. You can also carefully turn the fruit after each blow, this will create a circular crack and the shell will split into two beautiful parts. They can be used to decorate the table or serve a dish. If you hit one point, the nut can break without cracking.

When the fruit cracks or falls into two or three parts under the blows, you should unwrap the towels, move everything under the bowl and open the shell. About 150 ml of liquid will spill out. Now you need to free the pulp from the remnants of the shell. Small pieces can simply be pryed off with a sharp knife. If there are halves or ends, then you should put them on the edge and apply a few more blows with a hammer, but not very hard.

When splitting, you should hold the end of the coconut tightly with your hand, and strike with a hammer at one point, possibly at the pointed end. Then the pulp that has fallen into pieces can be easily removed with a knife.

When knocking out, it is necessary to apply many light blows over the entire area. The goal is for the pulp to peel off from the shell, after which it can be scooped out entirely with a knife or spoon. The pulp still has a thin outer skin and needs to be peeled with a housekeeper or a sharp knife. In general, the method is very fast; an experienced cook completes this procedure in just over a minute. However, it requires skill, experience and some physical strength.

Breaking a coconut with a kitchen mallet

In addition to a construction hammer, you can use a regular kitchen hammer for chops. Moreover, for some, this method is the easiest and fastest to learn. The entire technique is identical to conventional splitting. The only caveat is that it is better to drain the juice, as the pulp will break and the liquid will splash throughout the kitchen.

Draining coconut water is standard. Use a thin knife or screwdriver to pierce the softest of the three indentations, then turn it into a glass or bowl. Usually about 150 ml of sweet and aromatic water flows down.

Now you can break the fruit. To do this, you need to fix the coconut with one hand and hit it with a chop mallet, the side with large spikes. The most effective technique is to imagine your waist and draw a line from the top to the tip. Using sharp, moderately strong blows, tap this entire waist, moving and turning the coconut. Gradually it will crack exactly and exactly in this place. Another method is to hit one area hard. This can lead to cracking or breaking of the shell and pulp. Excess pieces should be removed and breaking continues, destroying adjacent areas.

Removing the pulp from the inner layer of the shell is done using a sharp knife; it is ideal to use a special one - a fillet knife. It is thin and bends well, so the coconut meat can be easily cut out even from large chips without further destruction.

Cracking a coconut with a screwdriver

This is a fairly simple method that will allow you to get a fairly presentable nutshell. A wide flat screwdriver or chisel is required. Even a knife or kitchen ax will do, as long as the product is bend-resistant. An ordinary kitchen knife can simply break, also injuring your hand.

It is necessary to drain the juice by punching a hole in the area of ​​three indentations and placing the fruit in a bowl or glass for 5 minutes to allow the water to drain. You can split directly from the same eye. Drive a screwdriver in there at a slight angle and loosen it, enlarging the hole. Next you need to drill a hole nearby, a crack should form. You can use it to split the entire fruit. If you don't rush, you can achieve almost perfect splitting into two parts.

Another way is to feel the seam in the area with three indentations and drive a screwdriver there, loosening the shell at the place where it grows together. The best option to collect the pulp from such pieces is to place the already split coconut in the microwave for 1 minute. Next, use a knife or a specially sharpened strong dessert spoon to pry out the pulp and turn it out. You can make the task somewhat easier if you use a knife to cut it into smaller pieces down to the shell (this will require much less effort).

Cutting – preserving shells for serving

Almost all of the above methods involve uncontrolled or conditionally controlled destruction of the shell. However, sometimes it is necessary to keep it intact for table decoration. In this case, different techniques for sawing the fruit are used.

Any hand saw will do. Circular saws and grinders are not recommended, as they are difficult to control when working with coconut, and they also heavily contaminate the pulp. The best solution would be to use a hand jigsaw or metal saw. Moreover, the smaller the teeth, the better and smoother the cut will be.

You can cut lengthwise or crosswise, the main thing is to fix the nut well. You can wrap the unaffected part with a rag for better fixation. There are several techniques:

  1. Through cut. In this case, the fruit is sawed completely.
  2. Circular cutting of the shell. Only the shell is sawed around the entire circumference. After this, having fixed one part of the fruit, the sawn-off piece should simply be twisted with a twisting motion and separated from the pulp.

However, the most difficult thing is ahead, since if it is necessary to preserve the shell, then the pulp will not be easy to obtain. It is best to stock up on a special French spoon, thin and sharp. It is used in restaurants to scrape out the pulp from various fruits. You can also sharpen one edge of a regular dessert knife. The area close to the cut can be separated using a knife, simply inserting it between the pulp and the shell and cutting in a circle. You will have to extract the pulp deeper with a spoon, taking it away gradually, in layers, so as not to damage the shell at the very end. This can take time, especially when cutting a third of the nut crosswise. But the result will be an ideal decoration or decorative element for the holiday table.

The temperature difference can make the extraction of pulp somewhat easier. This will not work to crack the nut, but to peel the pulp from the shell due to the different speed of size change. The already sawn coconut should be covered with a plate and placed in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, then in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. The pulp will come away from the shell very easily, almost on its own. However, this treatment will somewhat dull the coconut aroma, which must be taken into account.

Conclusion
Despite the apparent complexity, there are many methods for quickly and efficiently opening the shell. Moreover, the equipment that is already in the kitchen is enough. Of course, you shouldn’t throw the juicy fruit on the floor. Although this will lead to the desired result, it will splash the room with juice and pulp. All you need is an oven or microwave, a regular knife, a screwdriver and a spoon. With this kit you can quickly and safely extract delicious tropical coconut meat.

If you need a professional serving or table decoration, you will need a hammer or saw. With such tools you can already set the shape of the chips or simply saw the nut as you want. When following the instructions, there is no risk of spoiling the fruit, shell or injury. But it will be possible to serve an exotic dish, decorated as in a restaurant with Michelin stars.

« Important: All information on the site is provided for informational purposes only. Before applying any recommendations, consult with a specialized specialist. Neither the editors nor the authors are responsible for any possible harm caused by the materials.”

Today, coconuts can be bought in almost any store that sells fruit. But they still rarely buy them, most often because they don’t know how to open them. In fact, there is nothing complicated about it.

Coconut - a gift from heaven

We are used to calling coconut a nut. But this is not a nut, but a drupe, and its relatives are, for example, peach, cherry, plum, viburnum and even raspberries and cloudberries.

What else is good about coconut - it is absolutely waste-free, that is, all its parts are used - coconut water is drunk, milk, butter and shavings are made from the white pulp, and the shell is used for various crafts.

This is interesting! The true homeland of the coconut is not known for certain, since its seeds, carried by ocean currents, spread independently, eventually filling all the coasts of the tropical zone.

Fresh coconut is a storehouse of nutrients. It is rich in many minerals, including potassium, calcium, zinc, sodium, iron, copper, selenium, iodine, and vitamins C, K, E, group B.

Ocean currents carried the coconut fruits, allowing them to spread along the coasts of the entire tropical zone.

Coconut water is considered an excellent electrolyte replenisher (by the way, this property makes it an excellent hangover cure), and is also close in composition to human blood plasma (it can even be used for transfusions). Eating coconut can generally improve blood quality, increase the elasticity of blood vessels and lower cholesterol levels, which, in turn, significantly reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis.

All products derived from coconuts strengthen the immune system. The pulp of the fruit is successfully used to treat diarrhea and poisoning; the local population even used it to treat cholera. Drops for ear diseases are also made from the pulp. If you burn the shell, the resulting ashes can be used to dry and disinfect wounds, including purulent ones. Coconut is generally an excellent antiseptic.

By the way! Aborigines call coconut a gift from heaven, but translated from Latin its name sounds like “monkey.” Apparently, because local residents made almost everything they needed for life from the fruits of coconut palm trees, from a variety of food products to furniture and clothing, and did not work by the sweat of their brow, Catholic preachers disliked these plants and waged a merciless fight against them, cutting them down entire coconut groves.


The local population calls coconuts a gift from heaven and makes almost everything they need for life from them.

Coconuts, especially coconut water, help improve the functioning of the excretory system, have a diuretic effect, and also help dissolve kidney stones. Eating coconut pulp normalizes digestion and cleanses the intestines. It is also an excellent remedy for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Attention! Patients with diabetes can drink coconut water without fear; moreover, it perfectly stabilizes blood glucose levels, but it is better for them to avoid eating the pulp and its derivatives (milk, oil), since the pulp contains more sugars.

Coconut water is a natural energy booster that can restore lost energy in a short time, which makes it an indispensable drink for athletes and people engaged in physical labor. It also prevents dehydration.

Cosmetologists love coconut oil, as it nourishes, moisturizes well, significantly reduces oiliness, slows down skin aging, and also restores hair.

Selecting and opening a coconut

To choose a good coconut, remember just four rules:

  • The coconut should be light in color. Dark - too old, overdried.
  • The shell should not have cracks or chips, and the fibers should not be too wrinkled or broken.
  • The coconut should be heavy and have liquid inside. Therefore, weigh the fruit in your hand and then shake it over your ear - if it gurgles, it means you can take it.
  • There are three indentations at the top of the coconut. Inspect them carefully - they should be undamaged, clean and free of mold.

  • A good coconut is light in color, with a whole shell and three clean cavities

    If all these conditions are met, then you will most likely get a good coconut. Now you need to open it.

    This is quite simple to do, but there are some nuances.

    You will need:

  • A stable stand (this can be a small salad bowl or bowl, preferably metal so that it does not break; a salad ring of a suitable size is ideal).
  • Something sharp (an awl, a screwdriver, a thick nail; some men generally prefer a drill and a metal saw blade, especially if they later make something out of the shell).
  • A knife with a sharp tip.
  • Hammer (preferably small).
  • Container for draining coconut water.
  • Spoon.
  • Start by poking the three indentations on the top of the fruit with your sharp object. One of the holes is easily pierced. Expand it (this can be done with the sharp tip of a knife or even the handle of a teaspoon; you can also use a regular corkscrew).


    A hammer and a screwdriver are the best tools for opening a ripe coconut.

    In principle, you can already pour out the coconut water, but it is better to make a second hole to speed up the process. You can't do without a hammer here. For example, place a screwdriver on the second recess and hit it with a hammer. You now have a second hole.

    Now drain the coconut water. It is not stored for a long time, so it is better to drink it immediately or put it in the refrigerator and use it within 24 hours, for example, for culinary purposes.


    This line is the best way to open a coconut

    Let's start breaking the coconut. Mentally divide it into three parts (as in the picture) and start tapping along the indicated line with a hammer, turning the coconut in a circle. Soon a crack will appear (sometimes after the first lap). If you don't have the patience, you can insert a screwdriver into this crack and hit it with a hammer - the fruit will crack.

    Video: how to open a ripe coconut

    But there is one trick here. You can make the white pulp separate from the shell itself. To do this, continue tapping the coconut along the drawn line with jerky, but not very strong blows. It is better to hit with the sharp side of the hammer.

    If everything is done correctly, the coconut will not only split into two parts, but the flesh itself will separate from the shell. All you have to do is remove the thin brown layer with a sharp knife. If the pulp does not separate, it doesn’t matter. Using a sharp knife, cut it into segments right into the peel, and then scrape it out with a spoon.


    If you break the coconut correctly, the flesh will separate from the shell itself.

    How to open a drinking coconut

    A young, unripe fruit that contains a lot of coconut water is called drinkable. It is covered with a thick inedible intercarp. The pit in it has not yet completely hardened, so such a coconut can be easily opened with a sharp knife. The natives knock off the lid with one blow, but you shouldn’t try to repeat this. It takes a lot of practice to do this.

    You can buy drinking coconuts in countries where they grow. This product is also available in some online stores. So we still have more access to mature coconuts. But if you still have to face the green ones, make a hole as best you can. Shelled coconuts are easier to open.


    It is easier to open already cut drinking coconuts

    For example, you can:

  • Remove the pulp from one side only, poke a hole and put a straw in there. This method is good if you have a not very sharp or small knife.
    You can simply poke a hole in a drinking coconut
  • Make a hole using a special coconut corkscrew.
    You can open a drinking coconut with a special corkscrew
  • Using a sharp knife, make a cut parallel to the bottom of the pre-hewn coconut.
    You can carefully cut off the cap of a green coconut.
  • Make four cuts and remove the resulting lid. If the coconut is very young, you can simply cut it with a sharp knife; if it is of medium maturity, you can cut it with four strokes of the cleaver (do not use your hands). It is convenient to eat the pulp from a coconut opened in this way with a spoon.
    Four cuts are the most popular way to open a drinking coconut.
  • Drill a hole with a drill and insert a straw into it.
    Green coconut can be drilled with a drill
  • What to do with coconut meat

    The white flesh of coconut can be used to make milk, butter and shavings.

    Milk

    The pulp must be crushed. This can be done in two ways: on a grater or in a blender.

    Then the crushed pulp is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 1.5 or 1: 2. The more water, the less fat the milk will have. The water should be boiled and warm.

    Then you can beat the mixture in a blender again and immediately strain through cheesecloth. Or add water, leave for half an hour, and then strain. Either way, you will have coconut milk that is ready to drink. I prefer to insist.


    Strain the infused mixture of coconut flakes and water through cheesecloth.

    If you are going to make butter later, you definitely need to use less water. If you want to use milk for baking, then use a ratio of one to two. If you prefer to make a smoothie, you can do it either way. It all depends on whether you like it thicker or thinner. By the way, making a smoothie is very simple: pour the resulting milk into a blender (or use an immersion blender), add any fruits and berries (preferably seasonal) and blend. Of course, it is better to do this right away, since self-prepared coconut milk very quickly begins to lose its beneficial properties.

    Oil

    Coconut oil is made in the same way as milk. Chopped shavings and warm boiled water are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1.5. Next we proceed in two ways:

    We take the milk obtained according to the recipes described above, cool it and put it in the refrigerator. In a day or less it will separate, carefully remove the top layer, like cream from regular cow's milk. Transfer to a jar, store in the refrigerator and use.

    Grind the pulp, add warm water, cool completely and put in the refrigerator. Overnight, a layer of coconut oil will form on top; its consistency should resemble lard. We also carefully remove it and melt it in a water bath. Do not warm it up, just until it becomes liquid. Strain through cheesecloth to remove pieces of shavings. Pour into a clean jar and place in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.


    The consistency of homemade coconut oil is similar to lard

    Freshly made coconut oil will keep for about a week, so don't make a lot of it at once.

    By the way! To make oil, it is better to choose old coconuts. The older the coconut, the more oil can be extracted from it. In addition, it will be more fatty.

    Coconut oil is an excellent cosmetic and medicinal product. It can be used to remove makeup from the area around the eyes, mixed with sunscreen (or even used instead), and used as a cream to eliminate flaking skin, for example, on the elbows. As a medicine, it can be used to heal household burns or cuts, and against cracked heels.

    Of course, milk and coconut oil obtained at home cannot be stored for long. But in my opinion, they are much nicer and healthier than industrial products stuffed with preservatives and other chemicals. You just need to make them in small portions so you have time to use them.

    Shavings

    It is easiest to freeze the squeezed coconut flakes and use them as needed - add them to the dough or make the filling for the Bounty cake. But if you need shavings for sprinkling, you will have to dry them. This can be done in several ways. Here are the simplest ones:

  • Cover a baking sheet with parchment, spread the shavings over it and leave to dry naturally.
  • Place it on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated (one hundred degrees is enough) oven on the very top. Turn off the oven immediately, close the door and leave the chips there for a couple of days until completely dry.
  • Dry in the oven at one hundred degrees with the door open until done.

  • It is better to dry coconut flakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment

    Dried shavings can be stored for a long time in dry, hermetically sealed containers.

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