Today, coconuts can be bought at almost any store that sells fruit. But they still rarely buy them, most often because they don’t know how to open them. In fact, there is nothing difficult in this.

Coconut - a gift from heaven

We used to call a coconut a nut. But this is not a nut, but a drupe, and its relatives are, for example, peach, cherry, plum, viburnum, and even raspberries and cloudberries.

What else is good about coconut - it is absolutely waste-free, that is, all its parts are used - coconut water is drunk, milk, butter and shavings are made from white pulp, and the shell is used for various crafts.

This is interesting! The true homeland of the coconut is not known for certain, since its seeds, carried by ocean currents, spread independently, eventually filling all the coasts of the tropical zone.

Fresh coconut is a storehouse of nutrients. It is rich in many minerals, including potassium, calcium, zinc, sodium, iron, copper, selenium, iodine, and vitamins - C, K, E, group B.

Ocean currents carried the fruits of the coconut, allowing them to spread along the coasts of the entire tropical belt.

Coconut water is considered an excellent electrolyte replenisher (by the way, this property makes it an excellent hangover remedy), and is also close in composition to human blood plasma (it can even be used for transfusion). The use of coconut in general can improve blood quality, increase the elasticity of blood vessels and lower cholesterol levels, which, in turn, significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis.

All products derived from coconuts strengthen the immune system. The pulp of the fruit is successfully used to treat diarrhea, poisoning, the local population even used it in the treatment of cholera. Drops from ear diseases are also made from the pulp. If you burn the shell, then the resulting ash can be used to dry and disinfect wounds, including purulent ones. Coconut is generally an excellent antiseptic.

By the way! Aborigines call coconut a gift from heaven, but in Latin its name sounds like “monkey”. Apparently, because the locals made practically everything that was needed for life from the fruits of coconut palms, ranging from a variety of food products to furniture and clothing, and did not work hard, Catholic preachers disliked these plants and waged a merciless fight with them, cutting down whole coconut groves.

The local population calls coconuts a gift from heaven and makes them almost everything that is needed for life.

Coconuts, especially coconut water, help to improve the functioning of the excretory system, have a diuretic effect, and also help dissolve kidney stones. Eating coconut pulp normalizes digestion and cleanses the intestines. It is also an excellent remedy for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Attention! Patients with diabetes can fearlessly drink coconut water, besides, it perfectly stabilizes the level of glucose in the blood, but it is better for them to refuse the use of pulp and its derivatives (milk, butter), since the pulp contains more sugars.

Coconut water is a natural energy booster that can restore spent energy in a short time, which makes it an indispensable drink for athletes and people engaged in physical labor. It also prevents dehydration.

Coconut oil is very fond of cosmetologists, as it nourishes, moisturizes well, significantly reduces oiliness, slows down skin aging, and also restores hair.

Choosing and opening a coconut

To choose a good coconut, remember just four rules:

Coconut should be light. Dark - too old, overdried.

There should be no cracks or chips on the shell, and the villi should not be too wrinkled and broken off.

Coconut should be heavy and with liquid inside. Therefore, weigh the fruit in your hand, and then shake it over your ear - if it gurgles, then you can take it.

There are three indentations on the top of the coconut. Inspect them carefully - they should be intact, clean and free of mold.

A good coconut is light, with a whole shell and three clean indentations

If all these conditions are met, then you, with a high degree of probability, will get a good coconut. Now you need to open it.

It is quite simple to do this, but there are some nuances.

You will need:

A stable stand (this can be a small salad bowl or bowl, preferably metal so as not to break, a salad ring of the right size is ideal).

Something sharp (an awl, a screwdriver, a thick nail, some men generally prefer a drill and a saw blade for metal, especially if they later make something out of the shell).

Knife with a sharp tip.

Hammer (preferably small)

Container for draining coconut water.

Spoon.

To begin, poke into the three indentations on the top of the fruit with your sharp object. One of the holes is easily pierced. Expand it (this can be done with the sharp tip of a knife or even a teaspoon handle, you can also use a regular corkscrew).

A hammer and screwdriver are the best tools for opening a mature coconut.

In principle, you can already pour out the coconut water, but it is better to make a second hole to speed up the process. Here you can't do without a hammer. Attach, for example, a screwdriver to the second recess and hit it with a hammer. You have a second hole.

Now drain the coconut water. It is not stored for a long time, so it is better to drink it immediately or put it in the refrigerator and use it within a day, for example, for culinary purposes.

This line is the best way to open a coconut.

Let's start breaking the coconut. Mentally divide it into three parts (as in the picture) and start tapping with a hammer along the indicated line, turning the coconut in a circle. Soon a crack will appear (sometimes after the first lap). If you do not have the patience, you can insert a screwdriver into this crack and hit it with a hammer - the fruit will crack.

Video: how to open a ripe coconut

But there is one trick here. You can make the white flesh separate from the shell itself. To do this, continue with jerky, but not very strong blows, tapping the coconut along the drawn line. It is better to hit with the sharp side of the hammer.

If everything is done correctly, then the coconut will not only split into two parts, but the flesh itself will separate from the shell. All you have to do is remove the thin brown layer with a sharp knife. If the pulp is not separated - it does not matter. With a sharp knife, cut it into segments right in the peel, and then scrape it out with a spoon.

If the coconut is broken correctly, then the flesh will separate from the shell itself.

How to Open Drinkable Coconut

Drinkable is a young immature fruit, in which there is a lot of coconut water. It is covered with a thick inedible intercarp. The stone in it has not yet completely hardened, so such a coconut can be easily opened with a sharp knife. Aborigines knock down the lid with one blow, but you should not try to repeat it. It takes a lot of practice to do this.

You can buy drinking coconuts in countries where they grow. This product is also found in some online stores. So, mature coconuts are still more accessible to us. But if you still have to face the greens, make a hole as best you can. Stripped coconuts open more easily.

Easier to open already stripped drinking coconuts

For example, you can:

Remove the pulp from only one side, dig a hole - and a straw there. This method is good if you have a not very sharp or small knife.
You can just dig a hole in a drinking coconut

Make a hole with a special corkscrew for coconuts.
You can open drinking coconut with a special corkscrew

With a pre-cut coconut, make an incision parallel to the bottom with a sharp knife.
You can carefully cut off the lid of a green coconut

Make four cuts and remove the resulting cap. If the coconut is very young, you can simply cut it with a sharp knife, if it is of medium maturity - with four blows of a cleaver (do not put your hands on it). From a coconut opened in this way, it is convenient to eat the pulp with a spoon.
Four cuts is the most popular way to open a drinking coconut

Drill a hole with a drill and insert a straw into it.
Green coconut can be drilled with a drill

What to do with coconut pulp

The white flesh of a coconut can be used to make milk, butter, and shavings.

Milk

The pulp must be crushed. This can be done in two ways: on a grater or in a blender.

Then the crushed pulp is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 1.5 or 1: 2. The more water, the less fat the milk will have. Water should be boiled and warm.

Then you can beat the mixture again in a blender and immediately strain through cheesecloth. Or pour water, insist for half an hour, and then strain. Either way, you'll have coconut milk ready to drink. I prefer to insist.

Strain the infused mixture of coconut flakes with water through cheesecloth

If you are going to make butter later, then you definitely need to take less water. If you want to use milk for baking, then take a ratio of one to two. If you prefer to make smoothies, then you can do this and that. It all depends on whether you like fatter or thinner. By the way, making a smoothie is very simple: pour the resulting milk into a blender (or use a submersible), add any fruits and berries (preferably seasonal) and beat. Of course, it is better to do it right away, as home-made coconut milk begins to lose its beneficial properties very quickly.

Oil

Coconut oil is made in the same way as milk. Crushed chips and warm boiled water are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1.5. We proceed in two ways:

We take the milk obtained according to the recipes described above, cool it and put it in the refrigerator. After a day or earlier, it will exfoliate, carefully remove the top layer, like cream from ordinary cow's milk. We transfer it to a jar, store it in the refrigerator and use it.

Grind the pulp, pour warm water, cool completely and send to the refrigerator. During the night, a layer of coconut oil forms on top, it should resemble lard in consistency. Also carefully remove it and melt it in a water bath. We do not warm up, only to become liquid. Strain through cheesecloth to remove shavings. Pour into a clean jar and put in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.

Homemade in texture Coconut oil resembles lard

Freshly made coconut oil can keep for about a week, so don't make too much at once.

By the way! For cooking oil, it is better to choose old coconuts. The older the coconut, the more oil you can get from it. Plus, it will be thicker.

Coconut oil is an excellent cosmetic and medicine. They can remove make-up from the area around the eyes, mix with sunscreen(or even use instead), apply as a cream to eliminate skin flaking, for example, on the elbows. As a medicine, it can be used to heal household burns or cuts, against cracked heels.

Of course, home-made coconut milk and butter cannot be stored for a long time. But in my opinion, they are much more pleasant and useful than industrial products stuffed with preservatives and other chemicals. You just need to make them in small portions in order to have time to use.

Shavings

Squeezed coconut is the easiest to freeze and use as needed - add to the dough or make the filling for the Bounty cake. But if you need shavings for sprinkling, they will have to be dried. This can be done in several ways. Here are the simplest ones:

Line a baking sheet with parchment, spread the chips over it and leave to dry naturally.

Just put it on a baking sheet and put it in a preheated (one hundred degrees is enough) oven to the very top. Turn off the oven immediately, close the door and leave the chips there for a couple of days until completely dry.

Dry in the oven at one hundred degrees with the door open until cooked.

Coconut flakes are best dried on a baking sheet covered with parchment.

Dried shavings can be stored for a long time in dry, hermetically sealed containers.

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

Although this way takes some time, it is not complicated at all, since only a couple of tools will have to be used. 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 further crack it.

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.

* Can be used instead of a towel plastic bag.

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 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 making desserts various salads, baking 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 is a fruit that is eaten with little to no waste. People are thrilled by fragrant pastries with coconut filling, shavings. Ladies enjoy using cosmetic oils based on coconut pulp. Entertainers even find use for the coconut shell, making crafts out of it. But when a coconut falls into the hands, then everyone finally thinks: how to open it?

Choosing a coconut

In order not to miscalculate with the maturity of the fruit, choose the heaviest coconut. When the nut is fully ripe, it will fall to the ground due to its weight. The thickness of the peel is always the same on all coconuts, so if it is heavy, then there is a lot of pulp inside. Look at the shell:

• without cracks;
• no mold;
• without dark, strange spots, especially in the area of ​​three small depressions;
• even villi on the surface of the peel, without fractures, bald spots, dents;
• light brown shade, too dark coconut - overripe, dry;
• the place of attachment to the tree is solid, do not fall through when pressed, otherwise the nut may be rotten.

Shake the coconut. A lot of liquid inside - a green nut. The riper the coconut, the less milk it contains. Water during ripening turns into pulp. After opening, separate the pulp from the shell. In a ripe coconut, the filling is airy, tender, well removed. In green - it holds firmly, it is difficult to pick it off.

Is the coconut spoiled?

Finding out the truth from the seller about the freshness of the delivery is a difficult question. Therefore, feel free to choose a coconut, buy and be sure to keep the receipt. Checking the freshness of a coconut is easy before and after opening:

• milk should not smell sharply, badly;
• the white mass is hard to move away from the shell;
• three “eyes” of a coconut - attachments to a palm tree, should not be soft, otherwise the fruit has already begun to rot.

How to open a coconut easily at home

At home, eating coconut is easy. Many farms have:

• table-knife;
• hacksaw;
• screwdriver;
• file;
• drill;
• hammer.

Having chosen the appropriate tool, we prepare a place for splitting:

1. Any surface will do. But it is better to cover it with a cloth so that the nut does not slip, rolls from side to side.
2. Rinse the fruit thoroughly with a brush under running water. When opening the particles of dirt, the fibers of the peel will fall into the milk, on the pulp.
3. Be carefull. During opening, the object may slip, injuring hands and other parts of the body.

How to open a coconut

The liquid inside the nut is no less a delicacy than the pulp. First, open the coconut without spilling the milk:

• Arm yourself with a drill, an awl, a corkscrew, a nail, a hammer.
• Find three marks on the surface - these are the places where the coconut attaches to the palm tree, feeds through them.
• Use a handy tool to make holes.
• When the coconut pops open, you will hear a sound like opening a soda bottle.
• After the sizzle is over, pour the juice into a container. Just stick a straw in a nut, enjoy delicious milk.

7 Ways to Open a Coconut

Hammer with a nail

The simplest and most affordable way is to open it with a hammer and a nail. Take a small hammer, and a nail with a diameter no larger than the places where the nut is attached to the tree. The nail is easily replaced with a drill of the same size. The process consists of the following steps:

1. Lay the coconut on a non-slip surface with three “eyes” facing you.
2. Attach a nail to one of them.
3. Hit the nail with a hammer with one clear blow. The blows are made alternately, with small time intervals. It's not worth it to be angry.
4. Gradually, the nail will enter the hole, then retract it.
5. Make holes on the other "eyes".
6. Do not twist the fruit too sharply so that a transparent treat does not spill out.
7. Carefully pour the liquid into the prepared container.
8. Draw an imaginary line between the holes and the bottom of the fruit.
9. With the flat side of the hammer, strike in a circle in an imaginary strip.
10. After a few laps, the coconut will crack easily.

Option with or without towel

This method is only suitable after the coconut milk has already been drained. The nut is wrapped in a thick towel. Holding the tail of the towel with one hand, strike with a hammer. After we unfold the towel, we collect parts of the shell with pulp. Instead of a towel, someone got the hang of using a bag. It is easier to collect pieces of coconut from an ordinary plastic bag than from a towel.

They beat with a hammer and without a towel. It is enough to apply one powerful point blow to the fetus to form a crack. Then, along the course of the crack, we easily push the peel apart.

We arm ourselves with a knife

One of the simple options for quickly opening a coconut at home:

1. Place the nut in your hand, as you like.
2. Take the knife in your other hand.
3. Just like with a hammer, a nail, mentally draw a strip across the fruit, resembling the equator.
4. Start methodically tapping this strip with the back of your knife, slowly rotating the coconut in your hand.
5. When the first crack appears, insert a knife blade into it and split the shell.

Open the coconut in half

Often various crafts are made from the walnut shell. Therefore, it is important to open the coconut correctly, evenly, without chips, cracks, bumps. Suitable for this:

• drill;
• brace;
• file;
• hacksaw.

Stages of opening a coconut:

1. Drain the milk in a convenient way.
2. Use a marker to draw the desired split line.
3. Arm yourself with the tools you have.
4. When choosing a saw, keep in mind that you need a vice. Pinch the coconut. Cut straight along the line. In the absence of a vise, clamp the nut in any convenient way.
5. The choice fell on a drill? Then make holes along the drawn strip.
6. The distance between the holes is not more than 1 mm.
7. Tap the coconut on a hard surface. It will easily split exactly along the strip.
8. The more holes you drill, the smoother the split will be.

Oven

An ordinary oven will help open a coconut:

• Remove fluid from fetus.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• Put the coconut on a baking sheet, send it to the oven.
• After a quarter of an hour, the peel will crack (no cracks - keep longer).
• After the appearance of a split, pull out, cool.
• Tap something on the coconut, it will quickly open.

It is important to remember that a fruit with milk inside cannot be put in the oven. When heated, the liquid will boil, and the nut will simply explode from the vapors. The result is a spoiled fruit, an oven, a kitchen, and sometimes health.

Opening a coconut is only at first glance difficult. With some tips and tricks on hand, it's easy to split a coconut at home.

Delicate, slightly sweet coconut taste is highly valued, refreshing, it exudes a tropical aroma. And sometimes you want to enjoy the true coconut taste or transform festive table exotic presentation. However, the tropical fruit is extremely strong and not easy to open. Of course, you do not need to take a drill or a circular saw. But you will have to make some effort, especially if you want to save the nut for a refined presentation.

Splitting a Coconut with an Oven

This is the classic and most famous way. It will allow you to keep a good appearance of the shell for subsequent serving as a decor or decoration. The method is quite simple, it requires an oven and a sharp knife or housekeeper.

Initially, it is necessary to drain the juice from the fruit. If this is not done, then it will boil inside the coconut and literally explode the fruit. The mass of pulp, the shell will be lost, and the oven will have to be thoroughly washed. Draining coconut juice is very easy. It is necessary to turn the fruit to the side where there are several small depressions, usually this is the top. It was through them that the coconut was fed from the palm tree. Now you should carefully determine the softest place with a sharp knife. It is in it that you need to decisively go deep, turning the knife to a depth of 1.5 cm. You can make the task somewhat easier using a clean screwdriver.

Now you need to quickly turn the coconut over a glass or cup and see if the liquid comes out. If the juice began to drip, then the deepening is sufficient, and you just have to wait a little. Depending on the fetus, it may take from several to ten minutes. The volume of juice from one coconut is 120–160 ml. By the way, here you can determine how fresh and suitable the fruit is. If the juice is clear and sweet, then it is top grade. A slight turbidity is still allowed. If the juice has an oily consistency, then the coconut is already spoiled, and it is not recommended to eat it.

Opening a coconut is best maximum temperature. The higher it is, the better and faster the fruit will crack. The nut must be placed on the grate, so it will not bake and burn, but will heat up evenly around the entire circumference. Usually 10 minutes is enough. Then you need to pull it out and inspect it closely. It is necessary to find a large crack or several small ones in the shell. If they are not, then you should continue heating further.

Wrap a cracked coconut in a thin towel or plastic bag and hit the already damaged side on the table several times. The initial crack will weak point so the shell will crack. Now it is enough to pry it with a knife and open the fetus with swinging movements. The flesh should be cleaned to whiteness with a sharp knife or housekeeper. A whole, undamaged nut is ready to serve. Also, usually the shell is split into 2-3 parts, and it can be used in the design of a dish or table.

Peeling a Coconut with a Microwave

The technique is as similar as possible to the method with the oven, but there are certain differences. The main thing is the very quality of removing coconut juice. It is necessary to drain the maximum amount of moisture, while it is recommended to shake the nut several times. This will take about 10 minutes.

Even with good dejuicing, the coconut can still explode in the microwave. Therefore, you should put the fetus inside for 2 minutes at maximum power, quickly pull it out and look. If there are no large cracks, then put it on for another 40 seconds. And so continue until sufficient damage appears on the shell.

Then wrap the fruit in a bag or a thin cloth and apply several blows on the table with exactly the side where the crack occurred. The fracture is easily pryed with a knife, so the nut opens with the help of swinging movements. After that, it remains only to clean the pulp. The method takes less time compared to the oven, however, the special effect of the microwave oven bakes the pulp a little, which slightly changes the taste and aroma of fresh coconut.

Break a coconut with a hammer

This is the most brutal, but pretty effective method. You do not need to drain the coconut water, just wrap the fruit with a paper towel and a rag. Wrapping should be carried out carefully, it is desirable to cover everything so that the fetus is firmly fixed. The wrapped coconut should be placed horizontally on a table or hard surface.

With the left hand, it is necessary to firmly hold the end of the fetus, and with the right hand, apply sharp blows with a hammer. It is better to hit the center of the coconut. You can also gently turn the fruit after each blow, so a circular crack will appear, and the shell will split into two beautiful parts. They can be used to decorate the table or serve dishes. If you hit at one point, the nut can break through without cracking.

When, under the blows, the fruit cracks or falls apart into two or three parts, you should unfold the towels, move everything under the bowl and open the shell. About 150 ml of liquid will pour out. Now you need to free the pulp from the remnants of the shell. Small pieces can be simply pry off with a sharp knife. If there are halves or tips, then you should put them on the edge and apply a few more blows with a hammer, but not very strong.

When splitting with your hand, you should tightly hold the tip of the coconut, and with a hammer strike at one point, you can at the pointed end. Then the pulp that has fallen into pieces can be easily removed with a knife.

When knocking out, it is necessary to inflict many light blows over the entire area. The task is to peel off the pulp from the shell, after which it can be picked out with a knife or a spoon entirely. The flesh still has a thin outer skin and should be peeled with a housekeeper or a sharp knife. In general, the method is very fast, an experienced chef does this procedure in a little over a minute. However, it requires skill, experience and some physical strength.

Breaking a coconut with a kitchen mallet

In addition to building, you can use a regular kitchen hammer for chops. And for some, this method is the easiest and fastest to learn. The whole technique is identical to the usual splitting. The only caveat is that it is better to drain the juice, as the pulp will break through, and the liquid will splatter all over the kitchen.

Drainage of coconut water is standard. You need to pierce the softest of the three recesses with a thin knife or screwdriver, and then turn it over into a glass or bowl. Usually about 150 ml of sweet and fragrant water flows down.

Now you can break the fruit. To do this, you need to fix the coconut with one hand and hit it with a chop hammer, the side with large spikes. Most efficient technology: imagine the waist and draw a line from the top to the tip. With sharp, moderately strong blows, tap all this waist, moving and turning the coconut. Gradually, it will crack evenly and exactly in this place. Another method is to strike hard in one area. This can lead to cracking or breaking of the shell and pulp. Extra pieces should be removed and the breaking should continue, destroying neighboring areas.

Removing the pulp from the inner layer of the shell is carried out with a sharp knife, it is ideal to use a special one - loin. It is thin and bends well, so coconut flesh can be easily cut even from large chips without further breaking them.

Splitting a coconut with a screwdriver

This is a fairly simple method that will allow you to get a fairly presentable nutshell. A flat wide screwdriver or chisel is required. Even a knife or a kitchen ax will do, the main thing is that the product is bendable. An ordinary kitchen knife can simply break, even injuring your hand.

It is necessary to drain the juice by punching a hole in the region of three recesses and placing the fruit in a bowl or glass for 5 minutes to make the water glass. You can cleave directly from the same eye. Drive a screwdriver there at a slight angle and loosen, increasing the hole. Next, you need to turn the hole nearby, a crack should form. On it you can split the whole fruit. If you do not rush, then you can achieve almost perfect splitting into two parts.

Another way: feel for the seam in the area with three recesses and drive a screwdriver there, loosening the shell at the place of fusion. The best option collect the pulp from such pieces - put the already chopped coconut in the microwave for 1 minute. Then, with a knife or a specially sharpened strong dessert spoon, pry off the pulp and turn it out. You can make the task somewhat easier if you cut it into smaller pieces to the shell with a knife (this will require much less effort).

Sawing - saving the shell for serving

Almost all of the above methods involve uncontrolled or conditionally controlled destruction of the shell. However, sometimes it is necessary to keep it intact for table decoration. In this case, different techniques for sawing the fruit are used.

Any hand saw will do. Circular saws and angle grinders are not recommended, as they are difficult to control when working with coconut, and they also heavily contaminate the pulp. The best solution would be to use a manual jigsaw or a metal saw. The smaller the teeth, the better and smoother the cut will be.

You can cut along or across, the main thing is to fix the nut well. You can wrap the unaffected part with a rag for better fixation. There are several techniques:

1. Through cut. In this case, the fruit is sawn completely.
2. Circular cut of the shell. Only the shell is sawn around the entire circumference. After that, having fixed one part of the fruit, the sawn off piece should simply be turned with a twisting movement and separated from the pulp.

However, the most difficult is ahead, because if it is necessary to preserve the shell, then the pulp will not be easy to get. It is best to stock up on a special French spoon, thin and sharp. It is it that is used in restaurants to scrape the pulp from various fruits. You can still sharpen one edge of an ordinary dessert. The area close to the cut can be separated with a knife, simply by inserting it between the pulp and the shell and cutting in a circle. You will have to extract the pulp deeper with a spoon, taking it gradually, in layers, so as not to damage the shell at the very end. This can take time, especially when cutting a third of the nut crosswise. But the result is the perfect decoration or decor element for the festive table.

Some simplification of the extraction of pulp can bring a temperature difference. This will not work for splitting the nut, but for peeling the pulp from the shell due to the different speed of size change. Already cut coconut should be covered with a plate and placed in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, then in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. The pulp will very easily move away from the shell, almost on its own. However, this treatment will dull the coconut flavor somewhat, which must be taken into account.

Conclusion
Despite the apparent complexity, there are many methods to quickly and efficiently open the shell. And enough of the inventory that is already in the kitchen. Of course, you should not throw a juicy fruit on the floor. This, although it will lead to desired result, but will splatter the room with juice and pulp. It is enough to have an oven or microwave, an ordinary knife, a screwdriver and a spoon. Delicious tropical coconut meat can be obtained quickly and safely with this kit.

If you need a professional serving or decoration on the table, you will need a hammer or saw. With such tools, you can already set the shape of the chips or simply cut the nut as you like. When following the instructions, there is no risk of spoiling the fruit, shell or injury. But it will be possible to serve an exotic dish, decorated as in a restaurant with Michelin stars.

« Important: All information on the site is provided for informational purposes only. Before applying any of the recommendations, consult with a specialist. Neither the editors nor the authors are responsible for any possible harm caused by materials."

Nuts that grow on coconut trees are called coconuts. This fruit has a strong shell, which is covered with brown fibers on the outside. There is pulp under the coconut shell white color, which has a delicate aroma and specific taste. In addition, inside the nut there is a kind of transparent consistency (coconut milk), it has a sweetish-salty taste.

Choosing a Quality Coconut

To try such a nut, it is not necessary to go to the places of its growth, since at present it can be purchased without any problems in the supermarket. But most people who decide to buy a coconut are asking the same questions, how to choose the right one and how to open it?

In order to purchase a good coconut, you need to use the following tips from experts:

1. First of all, what you need to pay attention to is the integrity of the nut. In this case, its shell should not have chips, scratches and cracks. If such damage is present, then rot or mold could already have formed inside the fruit, which adversely affect its taste. Therefore, if you come across just such a coconut, it is best to bypass it.
2. A ripe coconut is quite heavy in weight. In addition, its ripeness can be determined by shaking. If, after shaking the nut, you can hear the gurgling of the liquid, it means that it is juicy and ripe.
3. On one side of the coconut there are three round spots, which also play an important role in its selection. If these eyes are darker in color than the shell, then the fruit is ripe and does not have any internal or external damage.

It is quite difficult for an ordinary person who has never held such an exotic product in his hands to choose a quality fruit. Therefore, it is better to take two or three copies. Because, according to the theory of probability, at least one of several fruits will turn out to be truly tasty.

In the store, the quality of a sea nut can be determined solely by appearance. But when you come home, split and clean this fruit, you can already say with absolute certainty whether it is of high quality or not.

The following characteristics are characteristic of a quality walnut:

• the aroma of coconut milk, which should be pleasant and not harsh. Otherwise, this will mean that the process of decay has begun in the purchased product;
• pulp shade. A quality fruit will have a pure white color, while a spoiled one will have a pinkish color;
• amount and texture of pulp. She must be gentle and in enough in large numbers. In addition, there should be a small amount of liquid in a ripe coconut.

Coconut Opening Instructions

To open such an exotic fruit at home, you need to perform certain actions.

First of all, you need to drain the milk from it. For this you need:

Further, to open the fruit, you will need to knock on it with a hard object so that cracks form on the surface of the nut. For this action, a regular hammer is best suited. With the help of such a tool, the coconut is tapped from the eyes, since in this place its shell is more prone to deformation.

In this case, you need to hit hard. Also, at the same time, you need to turn the fruit to form a circumferential crack.

When a crack appears, you can begin to split it. For this, a sharp object is used, the tip of which is inserted into the resulting crack and rotated. With a successful outcome of events, the coconut should split into two halves.

The next and final step is the separation of the pulp from the shell, which can be done in the following ways:

1. With the help of an ordinary tablespoon, with which the pulp is hooked and cut off, thus separating it from the shell. It should be borne in mind that this method is effective if the coconut flesh is tender and soft, that is, in young fruits.
2. With a wine corkscrew or screwdriver. With this method, the tip must be driven between the shell and the pulp and carefully peel off the shell. This option is universal, as it can be used for young and old fruits.
3. With the help of a sharp knife, with which the pulp is cut into small pieces up to the peel, after which the edible part of the coconut is separated from the shell with your fingers or with the same knife. This method is most suitable for old nuts.

For a more convenient and high-quality opening of an overseas fetus, you must use the following recommendations:

1. To speed up the process of leakage of liquid from the nut, you should drill a hole of small diameter in the opposite direction from the spots with a drill.
2. The more fragile spot is the one that is at a greater distance from the other two.
3. When splitting a nut, it must first be fixed. This will help you avoid dangerous situations.