Coconut water has been all the rage and for good reason. It provides healthy nutrients and antioxidants and is packed with electrolytes so is a great source to quench your thirst after exercise. But there’s more to the coconut than just its water. The flesh is rich in fiber and makes for a great snack for in between meals. But how do you get to the flesh? If you’ve put off eating fresh coconut because the idea of swinging a hammer seems just too difficult, fear not. We’ll show you how to cut a coconut open so you get to enjoy all of it.
- Fresh coconut
- Knife or screwdriver
- Bowl or glass
- Rock or hard object
- Blunt knife
Before we discuss how to open a coconut, keep in mind that a coconut should be drained as otherwise things will get messy quickly. To drain a coconut all you need is a clean screwdriver. Check which stem end of the coconut is softer and then pierce it. Empty the water over a bowl until you’re confident that there’s nothing left. You can also use a knife for this purpose.
To open a coconut with a clean hammer, hold it in your hand. Check where the mid-line of the coconut is. This should look like a thin line that runs around its middle. Take your hammer and whack the coconut along this line. But make sure you don’t accidentally hurt your hands in the process. Turn the coconut as you keep whacking along this line. Once it feels loose you can pull apart the two halves.
If you want to know how to cut open a coconut without a hammer, the steps are slightly different but it still involves some blunt force. The trick is to find the three dark spots on the coconut. From there, mark a line halfway down your coconut. It’s this spot where you want to hit the coconut against a sharp or hard object. You can use a rock or the blunt end of a knife for this purpose. Once you whack it, the coconut should jump open.
Now that you’ve learned how to open your coconut, there are various ways to remove the flesh from the inside. One way is to loosen the meat by tapping on the outer shell of the coconut. This may result in the coconut breaking apart. Don’t worry about it. You can pry the flesh away from the shell using a blunt knife.
If that sounds like too much for a workout, you can wrap the coconut halves in foil and put them in the oven for 60 minutes at 400°F. Wait for them to cool before you remove the flesh with a knife. It should come off really easily.
Now that you’ve opened your coconut, enjoy the pieces as a tasty treat or shred to dry and use as sprinkles for bakes and oatmeal. Want some more great tips for opening fruit? Check out our advice on how to cut a pineapple and even how to cut a mango. You’ll have the most delicious fruit salad in town!