John Myers
Coconuts remind us of summer, sun, and vacation! For that holiday feeling at home, we show you in our instructions with a video on how to open a coconut correctly. This is anything but a hard nut to crack.
The coconut has a hard shell. In order to get to the delicious pulp and the refreshing coconut water, you first have to penetrate them. In addition to its hard and fibrous shell, the coconut has 3 germ holes. Normally, the germ of the coconut sprout from one of these holes. We take advantage of this and use the germ holes when opening the coconut. To make the coconut shell a little softer and more fragile, you can soak it in a little water before opening it.
Already knew?
The coconut is not a real nut at all. Coconuts are stone fruits, such as cherries or mangoes.
Preparation
Before you start opening the coconut, you should prepare yourself accordingly. You need:
- Hammer and Nail
- glass or mug
- bowl of water
How to open a coconut
There is a simple trick to getting to the refreshing inside of the coconut. And this is how you open the coconut
Take out the coconut water
- Soak the coconut all over in the water
- Place a nail or other pointed object on one of the 3 “germ holes” at the end of the coconut
- Hit it with a hammer, making a hole in it
- Then punch in 1 more hole
- Pour out the coconut water
Tip: Soaking the coconut in water makes it a little more fragile.
Open coconut
- Place a bowl or plate under the coconut
- Use a hammer or the back of a knife to hit the coconut repeatedly at the same height against the fibers
- Be sure to hit the thicker lines separating the germ holes
- This creates a crack in the shell
- Keep beating until the crack is big enough
- Pull coconut halves apart
- Carefully break the flesh out of the coconut
Green or brown?
In our supermarkets, you can usually find brown coconuts. But more and more often you see the large green or yellow coconuts, which are often referred to as drinking coconuts. However, these are not different varieties, but one and the same coconut. Because there is only one species – the coconut of the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera.
The brown coconut is just the inner part of the coconut. Green coconuts are harvested at around 6 months, while brown coconuts are harvested at around 12 months. The older the coconut is, the thicker its pulp layer becomes. In young, green coconuts, this layer is still very jelly-like and is therefore also referred to as “coconut jelly”. Before they reach us on the shelves, the green skin is removed to save weight and space.
Identify ripe coconuts
Whether it’s a young or an older coconut, you can use a very simple trick to find out whether your coconut is ripe and still edible. All you have to do is shake them. If you can still hear liquid splashing in it, you are on the safe side. The more liquid there is in the coconut, the fresher it is. On the other hand, if the coconut is already dry and you can no longer hear any liquid inside, it is better not to enjoy it anymore. Because then it is tough and no longer tastes good.
Store coconut
You should store a brown coconut in a cool and dry place and use it up within the next few days. It is best to keep a young, green coconut in the fridge.
We explain all information about the shelf life of coconut milk again in our article. If you don’t want to use it up straight away, coconut milk is also great for freezing.
