How to open coconuts. 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, a special tool is used, but this can be done without it. To preserve the milk and pulp for which this product is bought, it is necessary to follow the instructions. It is worth carving only after the juice is drained. Drink and eat the contents on the same day. Do not store open coconut in the refrigerator, it will spoil quickly.

How to open a coconut at home

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

• a hammer;
• drill;
• hacksaw.

If there is at least one listed item, then opening the shell will not be difficult even at home. Put the fruit on a towel while cutting, then it will not slide on the table. Wash the peel thoroughly and you can start, but be careful, because the tool easily jumps off the surface, and this leads to injury.

How to open a coconut

It is necessary 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 dots - the 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 being opened, drain or insert a straw and drink straight from the coconut.

How to crack a coconut

The hard shell of the fetus can be broken or split. To choose the right method, be guided by the tools that you have and the purpose for which you plan to use the pulp. Coconut has a weak point, which can be identified by a thin raised crease in the middle or slightly towards the dark points. In this place it is worth applying force. So, how to quickly open a coconut:

1. A little noisy, but always effective. Suitable if you need only the pulp, and the appearance does not matter. Wrap the fruit in a towel, hit the coconut with a hammer. The shell will break, allowing the pulp to be removed.
2. Take a sharp knife and stab gently. It is best to keep the nut on weight. 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 dip the fruit in boiling water for a few minutes or heat it in the oven (do not forget to drain the liquid from the coconut first): as a result, the pulp itself will move away from the shell. The same effect can be obtained by freezing for a quarter of an hour. When the hard and soft part are separated from each other, it is necessary to peel off the rough peel. The easiest way is to use a paring knife.

There is little to surprise modern man. This is especially true for exotic fruits. On the shelves of the supermarket you can find any curiosity brought from anywhere in the world. Coconuts have long ceased to be something unusual and rare. Have you ever thought about their benefits? In fact, coconut is rich in nutrients, it contains vitamins B and C, glucose, sucrose, fructose, calcium, iron, potassium, sodium and mineral salts. Coconut has restorative properties. It is used to treat diarrhea, cholera, impotence, beriberi, diseases of the genitourinary system and Coconut helps improve eyesight, controls blood sugar, improves insulin secretion, and this helps prevent diabetes.

How to split a coconut at home

So, knowing the usefulness of this product, you decided to purchase a nut. However, immediately after the purchase, the question arises - how to split the coconut, because it has such a dense peel. Many try to open it with a hammer, knife, file and other improvised means available on the farm. Probably, many have seen on TV how deftly the residents of hot countries know how to open coconuts. However, you still can’t cope with the shell and get to the filling. So, how to split a coconut at home.

As you know, in addition to the pulp, coconut contains useful things. Therefore, the first thing to start with is to extract the liquid from it so that it does not spill when the fruit is opened. To do this, you need to make a hole in the coconut. To do this, take some sharp object - a drill or a thick nail. Lay the coconut on a hard surface with three dark circles facing you. It is in them that you need to aim to make a hole, since they are the most tender parts of an exotic nut. Attach the tool to one of the stains and hit it with a hammer. Without much difficulty, you will get a hole in the coconut. You can make two more holes in the remaining areas, or you can drain the milk through the hole already received.

How to split a coconut at home after draining the liquid? It turns out that opening this exotic fruit is not such a difficult task. You just need to know the right technology. There is one secret line on the coconut. If you beat on it, then the coconut will quickly and easily crack. This line is located on the side of the dark eyes. It is she who will help us open the coconut.

The photo shows on which part this cherished line is located. Now take a knife or hammer. By tapping the tool along this line in a circle, you will notice how a crack will go along the coconut.

So, you already know how to split a coconut at home. Now the last step remains - to separate the peel from the pulp. This is much easier if you put the coconut in the refrigerator for a few hours or in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. After these simple manipulations, the pulp will easily exfoliate from the peel.

Now you just have to choose a recipe for cooking a dish using tasty and healthy coconut pulp!

Helpful Hints

First-time coconut buyers face several challenges.

Being very strong, these so-called nuts (coconut is actually a stone fruit, just like cherries or plums) are difficult to crack, which means you need to be smart to do it.

We will look at several ways to open a coconut and start with the most popular.

How to break a coconut - method I

Despite the fact that this method takes some time, it is not at all complicated, since you only have to use a couple of tools. Prepare a towel, a hammer and a large nail.

If you take a close look at your coconut, you will find 2-3 dark depressions on the side of the nut. It is they who are its weak points, and it is them that we use to pour out their juice so that we can split it further.

Using a hammer and a large nail, poke a hole in one or preferably each of the dark spots on the coconut.

*A screwdriver can be used instead of a nail.

* The time this process may take depends on the coconut but is usually a few minutes.

* If the coconut is quite ripe, you can use regular scissors and pierce one of the eyes on the top of the coconut.

Turn the coconut upside down over the container to drain the juice.

Now place the empty coconut in the center of a towel spread out on the floor or table.

Wrap the whole nut so that the edges of the towel are on the bottom, which will prevent the pieces of coconut from flying in all directions when you start to break it.

* A plastic bag can be used instead of a towel.

So we got to the most interesting part - grab a hammer and hit the nut.

* You will have to make several blows and quite strong ones. It's better to hit on the floor, but the best option is brick or concrete.

When the nut is cracked, break up the largest pieces of the nut, which will make the separation process even easier.

Use a knife to separate the pulp from the shell of the nut.

* This process will also take some time, but take your time and be careful not to hurt yourself.

* A thin layer of the shell may cling to pieces of pulp - you can cut it off or scrape it off with a knife.

Wash the pulp and you can use.

How to open a coconut at home - method II

A hammer is also used here.

We measure about a third of the height of the nut from the eyes of the coconut and begin to tap with the sharp part of the hammer.

* You need to tap around the entire circumference, gradually turning the coconut. The blows should be strong and clear, and when you hear that the nut is cracked, you will understand that you are doing everything right.

If everything is good, then the nut should crack in the circle that you noted, and you can separate it, then separate the pulp, as in method I.

* You may need to separate the skin from the pulp, it's not difficult, you just need to be patient.

How to open a coconut correctly - method III

You can use heat or cold to crack the coconut more easily.

Place the coconut in the oven at about 90C and wait 15 minutes.

* Instead of heating, you can use the cooling method by placing the coconut in the freezer also for 15 minutes.

* This method will make it easier to separate the pulp from the inner walls of the coconut.

Next, simply use a hammer to tap on the imaginary equator of the coconut while you twist it in your hand. Keep tapping until the coconut cracks and splits in two. (See method I and II)

You can extract the pulp - it will not be difficult, since you have preheated or cooled the coconut.

How to open a coconut (video)

How to store coconut

Coconut can be stored in the refrigerator or better in the freezer. But the longest time you can keep it if you rub it and dehydrate it.

In the refrigerator from 2 to 7 days.

In the freezer from 1 to 3 months.

Grated and dehydrated coconut from 6 to 12 months.

How to eat coconut

Coconut, or rather its pulp, can be used for the preparation of desserts, various salads, pastries or you can just eat it.

You can cut the flesh of the coconut with a knife, use a food processor or a grater to grind.

By the way, grated coconut can be put in a plastic bag and stored in the freezer for about a month.

It is also worth noting that coconut pulp eaten with fish, chicken, put in exotic soups and sauces.

Grated and dehydrated coconut can be used as powders of various confectionery products.

If fresh coconut pulp is poured with warm milk, then you can get coconut milk. And if you cool the milk and let it brew, then mix it with coconut pulp, then you will have coconut cream.

How to open a coconut if you have a machete

Coconut can be used as a base for desserts, pastries, drinks, second courses and even soups. In most cases, many fail to peel the shell and extract the pulp. In this article, we will tell and show how to crack this tough nut in a few seconds.

Useful properties of coconut:

• 1. Coconut milk perfectly quenches thirst, so tonic cocktails are prepared from it, the energy value of which does not exceed 17 calories.
• 2. Various sauces, desserts, sweets, drinks and soups are prepared from coconut liquid.
• 3. Grated pulp is considered an ideal breading for meat and fish.
• 4. From the dried fruit, coconut flakes are produced, which are used for baking, making desserts, smoothies, puddings and other culinary dishes.
• 5. Aromatic coconut gives the dishes a fresh and non-standard taste, piquancy and a royal zest.

Quickly Peel a Coconut

To begin with, inspect it and find three recesses (holes), pierce them with any sharp tool (knife, screwdriver or tube). Drain the liquid into a container.

Find the junction of the two halves and, using a regular hammer, knife or mallet for beating meat, gently tap on the coconut (so as not to beat your hand, you can wrap the nut in a towel), constantly rotating it. The nut should split into two pieces.

Using a marker, draw a line around it, this mark will help orient the blow and carefully remove the pulp.

Start hitting the nut with a hammer and rotate it.

It should split into two parts. Be careful when striking!

Separate the flesh of the coconut using a microwave.

If the pulp is dried in the microwave oven, then the coconut can be easily peeled. Drain all the liquid as the coconut may explode when heated. You can place a whole nut in the microwave for 5 minutes or in an oven preheated to 200 for 16 minutes, and then immediately transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes. If the coconut is already divided into 2 parts, you can also use this method. It should be remembered that the temperature estimate can adversely affect the pulp, it will lose all useful properties. Be careful.

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

Popular ways

After buying an exotic nut, the question arises of how to properly open a coconut at home. The shell of the fetus is thick and very strong, without skill and working tools it is impossible to cope with it. Often people, having bought a coconut, have no idea what to do with it next - to break, saw, chop or try to cut it.

Before splitting the coconut, drain the milk juice. Coconut liquid can be drunk immediately or used in cooking. You should not 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 three spots. The dark dots are the pores leading to the seed. The peel in this place is more pliable, so it will not be difficult to pierce holes. To quickly release the liquid, two holes are enough: fresh milk will drain through one, and the nut will be filled with air through the second.

There are several ways to divide a 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 carve a coconut, you need a large and strong knife. For these purposes, a sharp cleaver for cutting bones or a machete is suitable. The division 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 blunt edge of the knife (not the blade) in the middle, turning the fruit in the palm of your hand.
4. Keep spinning and pounding until the coconut cracks.
5. If everything is done correctly, then the nut will split into two equal halves.
6. Now you can take the "hemispheres" and pick out the delicious pulp.

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

With holes

You can cut the fruit at the place of the existing holes. To open a coconut quickly you need:

1. Place the walnut on a hard surface. It's easier to cut on a cutting board.
2. Insert the knife into one of the pierced holes.
3. Hit the handle with force so that the blade goes in.
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 have to be careful not to pinch your fingers.

By means of 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. Lay it on a concrete floor.
3. Apply a strong blow with a hammer or other suitable object.
4. Take the drupe out of the package.

As a result of these actions, the peel will split into fragments of irregular shape.

With a hand saw

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

1. Mark the saw cut so that the saw does not slip off the surface.
2. Split the walnut in half.

Heat up in the oven

If you do not have the right tools, determination or sufficient physical strength at hand, then you can open a coconut due to exposure to temperatures. For this you need:

1. Heat oven to 180⁰.
2. Poke a hole 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 mold and put in the oven for 20 minutes.

After heat treatment, the coconut peel bursts. The pulp in this case is easily removed from the shell.

How to open green fruits

Such coconuts are young (immature). In terms of density, their peel is similar to a pumpkin, which means that you can open the nut with an ordinary kitchen knife. It is enough to cut one of the poles like a cover. That's all. Inside you can insert a straw and drink coconut juice with pleasure, which is very useful. If you regularly drink a cup of this drinkable drink, you can improve metabolism, thyroid function and increase immunity.

Pulp Extraction

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

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

1. Hold a 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 already inside the fruit. Elongated fruits need to be tapped longer.
3. Remove the thin brown skin in the same way as with potatoes. Any knife or vegetable peeler can handle this task.

Summing up

Opening a coconut is a problem that everyone who buys this fruit faces. Due to the tough skin, there is a risk of damage to the pulp. Butchering a coconut must be approached thoroughly, armed with a knife, hammer, screwdriver and patience. Step-by-step instructions and practical tips will help with this.