Opening a coconut can be a challenging endeavor. To ensure success, you will require tools for puncturing its shell, draining its contents and breaking open its shell.
First, de-husk the coconut by peeling away its outer husk and breaking open with either a knife or hammer.
Use a Sharp Knife
Step one in opening a green coconut is to remove its outer husk. Trim away enough husk to expose about two-inches of the top portion of nut; leave remaining portion as base to prevent tipping over of coconut.
Find three dots (sometimes known as “eyes”) on a mature coconut (some call these the “eyes”), then gently puncture one with a knife or cleaver to release its sweet juice and save some for later or incorporate into a smoothie or drink recipe.
Once you have pierced the eyes, place the coconut over a glass or bowl and turn it upside-down for water to drain out. If it is a large coconut, pour this excess liquid into an additional container before placing in your refrigerator for later use.
Make two more incisions at 90 degree angles from one another in order to form a U-shape around the top of your coconut and create an opening you can pry open easily.
Finally, if you have access to a meat cleaver, splitting the top of a coconut in two allows access to its sweet meat inside.
Use a paring knife to separate any remaining flesh from its shell, in order to get maximum flavor and texture from your coconuts. These tools will ensure the best taste and texture possible from each coconut you purchase.
With some practice and the right pressure and angle, it is possible to learn to use these tools with precision, so as not to scrape off any brown bits that may exist on the inner shell of your coconuts. Once this technique has been mastered, these tools can then be used to cut and shred coconut meat for use in various recipes.
Fresh coconuts are an indulgent tropical treat with many nutritional advantages. Packed full of antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C – plus thick creamy flesh for use in various recipes or desserts!
Drill
Use of a drill to open a coconut isn’t recommended for those without any experience handling sharp kitchen utensils, but there are tools designed specifically to make the task simpler, such as the CocoDrill, which features a stainless-steel cylinder designed to quickly pierce through green coconut tops while extracting all their delicious liquid inside without hassle.
This handy little gadget works wonders with any type of green coconut and makes accessing its meat easy and waste-free. At just under $10, this is an affordable way to reduce waste while cutting back on emissions and cutting carbon footprints.
Hammer or Screwdriver
Coconut is a tropical fruit with multiple uses in culinary arts. Its sweet and creamy juice can be added to recipes, while raw or cooked coconut meat is delicious when consumed raw or cooked. If you want to spice up your meals with an exotic touch, opening up a green coconut is easy and fun!
As soon as you open a coconut, drain its contents of any excess liquid to avoid it exploding or cracking apart. Use a screwdriver to puncture one of its three round eyes by using its tip to puncture.
After the three eye holes have been selected, identify which of them has the softest interior surface. This typically is one that appears like a thumb hole when poked with your finger into its center of a coconut.
Once you’ve identified the softest eye, insert a corkscrew into it and twist until it pierces through to the coconut meat. Repeat this process on all three eyes.
Once complete, drain and transfer the coconut water to a bowl – saving any leftover for smoothies or other recipes!
Crack your coconut open with a hammer for an easier and faster method to extract its meat from its shell.
Before using any tool or hammer, be sure to wear protective goggles and gloves. Hammers are very sharp; therefore, be cautious.
Check that the hammer you plan on using fits your task by reading up on its specifications from its manufacturer.
Once you’ve acquired the appropriate tool, it’s time to begin your work! Place a hammer in your dominant hand while using your non-dominant one to hold onto a coconut, tapping firmly around its perimeter with your non-dominant hand and the hammer.
Break it in half using a butter knife, and remove the meat from its shell. Next, cut each half into four quarters using another butter knife.
Breaking coconuts open using only your hands requires practice but is an efficient and fast way to extract its meat, making this method suitable if there are no tools at hand to assist.
Spoon
Coconut is an impressively nutritious fresh fruit option, providing energy-boosting fiber, electrolytes, natural sugars and minerals essential for everyday wellbeing.
However, in order to open a green coconut it’s essential that several factors be taken into consideration. First of all, an instrument capable of poking holes through its shell will be necessary.
There are various tools you can choose from when it comes to opening doors, but for an impressive debut use a spoon as it’s one of the simplest and most efficient methods available.
Coconuts feature three holes on their top surface that resemble eyes and mouth; this design is known as their “face”.
Search out the softest of these and use your spoon to gently wiggle it until a hole large enough to extract milk without splitting the container in two has been created.
Once your hole is dug, pour the coconut’s essential liquids – such as milk – into a bowl or glass.
Depending on the size and shape of your coconut, you may need to rinse it in order to extract its remaining juices and create its “coconut water.” You can either drink this by itself or incorporate it into smoothie recipes for maximum nutrition!
Another effective use for a spoon is shaking it out of its shell – this allows for full scoops of coconut milk from fruit without breaking them up into two parts.