Coconut is a tropical fruit. They are the most well protected nut in the world. if you have bought an unopened coconut and are opening it for the first time , the task may appear little difficult . But once you know the trick to open it , you can enjoy this refreshing fruit ! The opening technique depends upon the type of coconut you plan to open.
Types of coconut and their opening technique
Coconuts can be categorized into two:
Green coconuts : Green coconuts are young an immature coconut. The flesh in the green coconut is very soft then that of a mature coconut. The flesh of these coconuts are so soft that sometimes it is also known s coconut jelly.
Brown coconuts : Brown coconuts are old and mature coconuts. The shell of these coconuts are very hard. The meat of the coconut is not as soft as that of the green coconuts.
How to open a green coconut
If the coconut is green coconut then the task is relatively simpler. The green coconut is young and immature so to enjoy the coconut you need not to open it completely. Green coconuts can be sliced with a machete from the top as to make a whole in the shell and the water of the coconut can be enjoyed with a straw. Later on the flesh of the coconut can be enjoyed by cutting the coconut with the help of the sharp machete and removing the flesh from the soft shell of the coconut. The flesh of these green coconuts is very soft
How to open a brown coconut
Brown coconuts are relatively difficult to crack then the green coconuts. The shells of these coconuts are very hard and can with stand a great force. It requires technique to open these hard coconuts. Here are some ways of opening the brown coconuts
- Opening the coconut with the help of hammer
- Opening the coconut by hitting against a hard surface
- Opening the coconut in an oven
First and foremost step of opening the coconut with either way starts after draining out the water from the coconut. For draining out the water from the coconut you need to puncture the eyes of the coconut with the help of a nail and a hammer. Once punched, place the coconut over a container for the juice to drain.
Opening the coconut with the help of hammer: After draining the water from the coconut, its time to open the coconut. For opening the coconut wrap the coconut in a towel. The reason for wrapping it in towel is that while hitting the coconut with the hammer coconut might bounce back and hit you! Place the towel on a concrete floor and not the tile or on your counter. It is because that while hitting the coconut the tile might break. After placing the towel on the concrete floor and smash the coconut with the hammer. Start out with gentle blows because if you hit too hard the coconut might smash completely. After you hit the coconut few times, the coconut will begin to crack. Then open the coconut just your hammering mark. Hit on these points for three or more rounds and the coconut will break ! After this you can easily remove the flesh of the coconut with the help of a sharp knife. It is recommended that you protect your finger while hitting the coconut with the hammer. The reason being that if you mishandled the coconut while hitting you might end up with hurting your own finger.
Opening the coconut by hitting against a hard surface : The second method of opening a coconut is hitting the coconut against a hard surface. Hard surface should not be the counter of your kitchen nor your kitchen tile floor as these can develop crack. Use a concrete floor for opening the coconut. First of all mark the circumference of the coconut. Then hold the coconut around the marked line and hit the coconut against the concrete floor with the maximum force you can. If not successful once, hit it multiple times till it breaks.
Opening the coconut in an oven : Place the coconut in a pan or shallow dish in preheated oven. The oven should be heated at 200ºF/93ºC. Place the dish in the oven for twenty minutes or till you hear the cracking sound of the coconut . the coconut might not split completely. Then hit the cracked coconut against a hard concrete floor.
Removing the coconut flesh or meat
After the coconut is opened, the next step is to remove the flesh or meat of the coconut from the coconut shell. There are three ways by which you can remove the flesh of the coconut.
- Using a knife for removing the flesh : It is the most common way of removing the flesh from the coconut shell. You have to use a sharp knife for removing the meat of the coconut from the shell. Hold the coconut in one hand and then gently remove the flesh from the shell. You need to cautious while removing the flesh from the knife that you need to do it gently and carefully so that you do not hurt your hand while doing it.
- Bake the opened coconut in an oven : After breaking the coconut open, you can bake it at 350ºF/180ºC about 15 minutes. The meat should come off the shell rather easily. This is rather a simple way of removing the flesh of the coconut.
- Using a coconut shredder : Another way to remove the meat from the shell is to use a device called a coconut shredder. This device is generally used in Asia and are mostly used by the coconut sellers. It looks a little like a meat grinder. Simply hold the coconut against the blade, and turn the crank. This process will hardly take few minutes to remove the flesh from the coconut shell.
You can store both green and brown coconuts in refrigerator but it is advised that you have you both coconut water and meat fresh only.