When my sister and I were kids, on a few rare occasions we were allowed to buy a fresh coconut. I remember that it was always a production to get it open and often my dad would use power tools and special workshop equipment to crack the hard shell. We never liked the raw meat or water as much as we anticipated but it was quite an exotic adventure to tackle this tropical treat (this was the 70s, by the way!). I always (incorrectly) assumed it was a big deal to get the coconut open, requiring a man's strength and know-how and it was always challenging to then pry the white flesh from the shell. Last week I mentioned my pride in breaking open a coconut all by myself and thought I would share a quick tutorial. The process is so easy and simple I feel rather fooled by those childhood memories!
Gather your supplies: fresh coconut, towel, Philips head screwdriver, hammer, bowl or measuring cup for the water, and a sieve.
First, hammer the screwdriver into each of the three eyes, making sure it goes all the way through the shell. Drain the water through the sieve into the measuring cup. Reserve. I yielded a half cup of water!
Next, firmly hit the circumference of the shell with the hammer. It takes a good few wallops per area but then the coconut will magically crack into two neat halves.
To easily remove the meat from the shell, simply put the two halves on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Run a regular dinner knife around the inner edge of the coconut as if you were loosening a cake. Miraculously, the flesh just pops out of the shell in a perfect half-dome shape. From there you can simply cut the meat into bite size pieces to nibble (the brown side is fine to eat), or if you require pristinely grated coconut, peel the brown side away and grate firmly on a box grater.
I portioned the coconut into 12 gram bundles and slipped them into a bag for the freezer. You can keep the fresh raw meat in the fridge for 4 to 5 days but the freezer will keep it much longer. I chose 12 grams as a serving size because it's 2 Weight Watcher Smart points, fyi! Use the empty shells for Monty Python-type horsey galloping sounds or to serve rice Survivor style. Now I did open this coconut all by my little lady self...but I did it in the workshop and I did use my Daddy's hammer!
Enjoy!
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