Sitting head-to-head with a coconut can at times seem almost as hopeless as staring at a can without a can opener. The fuzzy brown shell can appear to be an impenetrable fortress. So how do you get in? Humans have managed to consume coconuts for centuries with the most basic of tools, and you can too with just a few household objects, a little strength and some patience. Most coconut-opening methods use hammers and nails, which is not as easy as it sounds. Using a cork screw is much easier and safer, and is a bit tidier than the hammer method.
Instructions
1. Using a corkscrew, drill three small holes into the soft nodules on one end of the coconut. You will know where these spots are as they are only found at one end of the coconut and they are slightly variant in color from the rest of the nut. It will take some time to get the hole all the way through, but once you can see white flesh poking through, use a knife to scrape out the fruit to make the opening wider.
2. Drain all of the water out of the coconut by inverting it over a glass or cup. You must drain all the water out or else you will have a messy explosion when you get to the cracking stage. If the water does not trickle out, use a knife to make the hole openings yet wider. You can either discard the water, drink it or use it for some later culinary purpose.
3. Wrap the drained coconut in a full-sized towel so that there is a long tail for you to hold on to for a handle. Above a hard floor surface, pull the encased coconut over your shoulder in a wood-chopping motion, and slam it into the ground with all your force. It should break upon the first or second whack; if not, keep trying until it is at least halved.
4. Peal away the flesh from the shell. Gather the broken pieces and use a knife as leverage to remove the flesh form the shell. It should come away fairly easily. Once you have removed the shell, you can begin snacking.
Tags: