How to open a coconut
Coconut is a nutritious valuable fruit, from the pulp of which many useful things can be prepared. The main thing is to know how to open a coconut.
Inside the fruit there is juice with a pleasant taste, as well as snow-white pulp, from which healthy oil is extracted, fragrant milk, cream, cream, shavings valuable in cooking and even flour are made.
All these products can be purchased in a store, for example, while relaxing in a tropical country, or ordered online. However, they are not available to everyone, and they cost a lot. However, you can make any coconut product at home if you buy mature coconuts and learn how to break them properly.
The easiest way
There are many different ways to open a coconut. The photo below shows one of the simplest.
You will only need:
- the coconut itself
- knife,
- cup.
Hold the coconut firmly in your hand. Take a strong knife, turn it with the point up and tap the coconut with it around the circumference. When the coconut cracks, pour the juice into a glass.
If you think this method is dangerous, try opening the coconut as shown in the following video.
If you didn’t succeed, we use the 100% method.
What is needed for this
- a tool for creating a hole in a coconut (drill, screwdriver, hammer or other);
- a tool for breaking a nut (hammer, rolling pin);
- towel/plastic bag;
- knife for vegetables;
- mature coconut.
Making a hole
First you need to make a hole in the coconut by cutting it in any part of the nut or, more conveniently, in one of the "eyes". The softest eye is usually located closer to the center.
To learn how easy it is to find the soft eye of a coconut, see the following video.
One of the most suitable tools that will help to make a hole in the fetus is a high power hand drill. It can be replaced with a corkscrew, screwdriver or even a durable skewer. In extreme cases, a long nail and a hammer will do.
After driving a nail into the coconut, pull it out with the back of the hammer and get a hole.
It is optimal to pierce the coconut in one of the "eyes", because these three places are the thinnest in the outer coconut shell. Accordingly, drilling in these places is much easier than in others. To make the process easy, it is important to immobilize the fetus and fix it well on a non-slip surface. A kitchen towel can help with this. Putting the coconut on it will prevent it from slipping out while drilling.
To drain the water inside the coconut, simply turn the fruit over, remembering to make a second hole before doing so. This water can be used in cooking, added to drinks. You can insert a straw into the hole made and drink water. If you do not plan to do anything with it, you can just pour it.
How to break the shell
The next step is to break the nut into pieces.
The following options are available to you:
- After wrapping the fruit in a towel or placing it in a plastic bag, place the coconut on a hard surface. Let it be a sidewalk, a concrete floor, or something equally solid. We do not recommend breaking the walnut on the countertop, as there is a high risk of damaging it. Beat the coconut in the towel or bag with a hammer or rolling pin to break it open. Apply maximum strength to the blow directed to the middle of the fetus. Some coconuts open immediately, while others require a lot of effort.
- You can hit a nut on a fairly sharp and strong stone.
- There is also the option of cutting the fruit into halves using a hand saw.Sawing a coconut is along its central seam - you will see it between the "eyes".
- Alternatively, you can simply tap the fruit with a hammer to make a crack. Inserting a sharp object (knife, nail, scissors or other) into this crack, apply force and split the fruit into halves.
At home, you can open a coconut using the oven. After removing the juice from the fruit, put the nut in a preheated oven. After holding it at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes, you will see how the shell spontaneously bursts.
Pulp Extraction
To cut out the flesh of the coconut, use a small knife, such as the one you use to peel vegetables. Cut the flesh to its full depth, and then detach it from the shell with the tip of a knife or fingers. To make it easier, cut the flesh into rectangular or V-shaped pieces - it will be easier to extract them.
If possible, the pulp can also be detached with a metal spoon, corkscrew or screwdriver. It must be inserted into the gap, which is located between the outer shell and the pulp, and then try to pick off the white mass.
The outer side of the snow-white pulp is covered with brown skin, which should be removed before further manipulations with the resulting contents of the nut. You can easily remove it with a vegetable knife.
Now you have coconut pulp and you are free to use it as you wish:
- eat;
- grate and make coconut milk;
- grate, dry and make coconut flakes;
- grind and pour water, strain, dry and turn into coconut flour;
- get coconut oil.
Shell
The shell can be used for interior decoration.
Turn them down, leave them in a well ventilated area. Within a week it will dry and harden.You can decorate it or use it as a cup or bowl. Such a vase will look especially good at a picnic filled with fruits.
Thank you! the answer, as always, in the palm of your hand) with black dots, the nut itself hints to us where to start))
Today is Friday! And I decided to buy a coconut so that I could taste something like that with my family :) But, of course, I didn’t know how to open it. The article helped: the coconut split after several stab wounds. As a result, about 50 grams of liquid and a whole plate of coconut flakes were obtained from one coconut. We will dry and add to homemade cakes. It is also quite tasty to stir fresh shavings with sugar - a sweet mass with a pronounced coconut flavor is obtained. The taste is unusual, but overall good.