Cracking Open a Coconut
Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Approximately 2 cups of coconut flesh per nut, plus 1/3 to 1/2 cup of juice
Tools For Cracking:
- A cleaver or a sturdy knife with a thick steel blade
- A clean cutting board
- A bowl to collect the juice
For Extracting Juice, Peeling, and Shredding:
- A hammer
- A screwdriver
- A fine mesh strainer
- A small baking dish
- A vegetable peeler
- A cheese grater
Ingredients:
- One coconut (or as many as you’d like)
Instructions:
- Use a screwdriver and hammer to punch holes in two of the three “eyes” of the coconut. Drain the juice into a bowl. (You can skip this step if you’re okay with some brown coconut bits in your juice.)
- Use the back of the knife to crack open the coconut.
- Place the coconut in the oven for 10 minutes to help the flesh shrink and make it easier to remove.
- Peel off the outer skin and shred the coconut.
Step 1: Go for the Eyes
First, preheat your oven to 375°F.
I like to extract every last drop of juice to make the most of fresh coconuts. This involves taking extra time to poke small holes in two of the coconut’s “eyes” to drain the juice. When you’re dealing with multiple coconuts, this effort pays off. I collect about 1/3 to 1/2 cups of juice per coconut.
If you’re eager to move on to cracking the coconut, you can skip this step.
Start by washing your screwdriver in hot, soapy water—there is no need to sanitize the hammer since it won’t be in contact with the coconut. If you don’t have a hammer, you can push the screwdriver in by hand, as the eyes are softer than the rest of the shell.
Position the screwdriver’s tip on one of the eyes, push it in about 2 inches, and then pull it out cleanly.
Repeat the process with the second eye. Creating two holes instead of one allows air to flow in, making it easier to drain the juice.
Pour the juice through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. My filter wasn’t available when I was working on this, but using one will help filter out any bits of coconut shell.
Step 2: Crack It in Half
Ensure your coconut is stable before you begin. Placing a damp paper towel under your cutting board can help prevent it from slipping. If you’re concerned about the coconut moving, twist a tea towel into a circle and nestle the coconut in the center to keep it secure.
Firmly tap around the coconut’s circumference using the back of a cleaver or a sturdy knife. Focus on the broadest part, working against the grain of the shell. It might take a couple of passes, but it should eventually crack cleanly in half.
Step 3: Extract the Meat!
The fastest way to remove the coconut meat is to place the coconut halves in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes. This isn’t about cooking the coconut but rather causing the meat to contract slightly away from the shell, which makes it much easier to remove in one whole piece.
Put the coconut halves into the preheated oven and check them after 10 minutes. You should start seeing a gap between the meat and the shell. Take them out and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Then, pop out the smooth, white dome of delicious coconut goodness. Tada!
Step 4: Time to Get Fancy
Now that you’ve freshly shelled your coconut, it’s time to prepare it for use.
Peeling is optional, but I think the brown edge adds a nice contrast against the ribbons of pearly white coconut. A simple vegetable peeler works best for this.
You can then use the vegetable peeler to create long ribbons of coconut from the longest side of each piece. If you’re feeling creative, you can even make fancy coconut roses. Here’s a video—though it uses a tomato, the technique works similarly. Worth trying! Alternatively, you can shred the coconut into medium or fine flakes with a cheese grater.
Use the minor holes on your grater to create coconut dust for an even finer texture.
From here, you can enjoy it as is, toast it, or dry it in a 100°F oven for about 2 hours until it’s nicely desiccated.
To make coconut milk:
- Take your peeled coconut meat and blend it until smooth and pourable.
- Pour it into cheesecloth or a clean tea towel set over a bowl and tie it tightly.
- Hang it a couple of inches above the bottom of the bowl and let it drip overnight.
By morning, you’ll have coconut pulp inside the cloth (which is entirely edible) and fresh coconut milk in the bowl.
Summary:
To crack open a coconut and extract its meat and juice, preheat the oven to 375°F. Use a hammer and screwdriver to punch holes in two of the coconut’s “eyes” and drain the juice. Then, crack the coconut in half using the back of a sturdy knife or cleaver. Place the coconut halves in the oven for 10-12 minutes to help the meat shrink away from the shell. Once cooled, the meat can be easily removed and either shredded or peeled into ribbons. You can use the coconut as is, toast it, or dry it for later use. To make coconut milk, blend the peeled coconut meat, strain it through cheesecloth, and let it drip overnight.