How to properly crack a coconut. How to open a coconut at home. What to do with the pulp

Many people don't buy fresh coconut fruit just because they don't know how to open it. In fact, there is nothing difficult about this, but you still have to put in a little effort. Previously, people generally broke coconuts using only a couple of hands, and at best a stone, but now in our homes we have a whole arsenal of various objects with which we can do this as efficiently as possible. Read the most popular methods for cracking coconut at home in this article.

How to open a coconut at home

When wondering how to break a coconut at home, you should know that the fruit consists of three parts: an outer fibrous layer called coir; coconut (shell), on the inside of which white pulp (copra) is attached; and a cavity that is filled with liquid (coconut water).

All parts of the fruit, even coir, are widely used, but for most people, the pulp of the fruit and coconut water are of particular interest.
Usually, coconuts with the coir already separated appear on store shelves, but it may happen that you first have to peel the fruit from the outer layer. In exotic countries, local residents have many cleaning methods, but the most common and commonplace of them is to separate the fibrous part with their hands. In ripe fruits, the outer layer is easily separated from the shell. However, even when the coconut fibers have been removed, the nut still contains an outer layer that must be removed to expose the fruit.

How to peel a coconut often depends on the type of fruit and its degree of ripening. For green fruits, to open the top layer, simply cut off with a knife to get to the nut and cavity, but with brown ones it is more difficult. Here you will need some kind of opening device, such as a knife. Some people recommend draining the coconut water first, but this is not necessary. You need to tap the surface of the coconut well with the blunt side of a knife until cracks appear. Then, using the same knife or your fingers, separate the top layer from the shell at the cracks. Once you have removed the remaining coir, proceed to opening the fruit.
Thus, it turns out that eating this fruit consists of four stages:

• Remove fibers from the fruit.
• Pour out the liquid.
• Crack open the shell.
• Separate the pulp.

Opening a coconut at home with a hammer

Every owner at home has a hammer, with which you can both remove the top layer from the fruit and open the nut.
Before properly cracking a coconut, you need to drain the coconut water. This is done using a sharp object such as a knife or Phillips screwdriver. On the surface of the fruit there are three round spots, or as they are also called “eyes”. It is best to make a hole for draining liquid in them. You can make two or three holes to make emptying the fruit faster and easier. After this, hold the nut firmly in your hand and gently tap its surface with a hammer, turn the fruit without ceasing to tap around the circumference. With proper effort, the nut will soon split into two halves. Moreover, if you stick to a clear line, you may be able to open the fruit by dividing the shell into two equal parts.

How to crack a coconut with a knife

There are two options for how to properly open a coconut using a knife. With the first method, the nut can be opened into two symmetrical halves, but with the second, the coconut may split unevenly.
To open a coconut into two symmetrical parts, you need to use a sharp knife, preferably with a wide blade.

1. Approximately in the center of the shell, make several notches in one plane.
2. Then cut the fruit around the circumference, connecting the notches. Since the nut shell is hard, it will take some time to open.
3. You should cut the coconut carefully, holding it firmly in your hand and resting it on a hard surface, such as a wooden cutting board.
4. It is important to drain the liquid from the coconut before cutting it. If you have cut through the shell enough, but the nut has not cracked, you need to lightly tap it on a hard, preferably wooden, surface to open it.

After correctly following all the instructions, you will get two uniform hemispheres of the fruit, which will become an original decoration for the holiday table. Please note that with this method you will be able to open the coconut without a hammer.

Using holes

As was written above, there are three spots on the surface of the fruit, through which it is most convenient to pour the liquid contained in the fruit, having previously made holes in them. These holes also allow you to quickly open hard fruit using just a knife.
Insert the knife, tip first, into the holes formed, and then hit the handle of the knife several times so that it sinks into the core of the nut. You can use a hammer to strike, but sometimes a fist is enough to open a strong fruit. After the blade has sunk deep enough and cracks have appeared on the surface of the shell, open the nut with a knife by loosening and turning it.
The disadvantage of this method is that the fruit may open unevenly, but in this case, you can quickly crack the coconut at home.

Opening a coconut in the oven

Coconut can be opened in other unusual ways, for example, using a regular oven.

1. Preheat oven to high, 150 to 190°C.
2. Then place the fruit, previously emptied of water, into the chamber.
3. Wait ten minutes until cracks appear on the shell. Sometimes cracks may take longer to appear.
4. Remove the cracked fruit from the oven and wait until it cools down.
5. Then wrap it in a towel and tap it well on a hard surface.

This method is quite labor-intensive and does not guarantee symmetrical opening of the nut. But as you may have noticed, the use of a knife in it is reduced to a minimum, or even completely eliminated, if you make drain holes with a screwdriver or a nail. In addition, heating the coconut in the oven will make it easier for you to further work on separating the pulp from the shell.

Making a glass from a coconut

You can open an exotic fruit so that the shell turns into an original glass for drinks. To do this, you need to do the same procedure as when opening a coconut with a knife around the circumference, but this time choose a cut location closer to the “pole” of the nut. Also in this case, it is necessary to completely clean the shell from coconut fibers (coir), or rinse it thoroughly under running water. This should be done in order to avoid the possibility of bugs that periodically settle in coconut fibers getting into the dish. Read above for methods of cleaning fruit from coir.
The resulting exotic glass is suitable for any drinks, and with decorative decorations, such a container will be the perfect addition to any tropical party.

How to extract meat from a coconut

Of greatest interest are coconut water and pulp. And if no problems arise with extracting the liquid, then you will have to work hard to separate the copra from the shell when opening the fruit.
The easiest way is to cut off pieces of pulp from the shell using a small paring knife or simply scoop it out with a spoon. This is a labor-intensive process and some of the pulp will still remain on the inner walls of the shell. But in order to separate the edible inside as efficiently as possible, you need to heat the empty and cut nut in the oven at a temperature of about 190 ᵒC. High temperature helps separate the copra from the shell without damaging it. Warm the fruit for up to five minutes, then let the fruit cool. Next, insert a knife or flathead screwdriver into the place where the pulp is attached to the shell and, using a loosening motion, separate the copra. Tap the surface of the nut first to help the copra separate better. The layer of pulp that was attached to the shell is best cut off with a potato peeling knife.

The resulting copra can be eaten fresh, or grated and made into coconut milk. You can dry the pulp and get coconut flakes. In addition, coconut flour is made from the white inside and very healthy coconut oil is extracted.

But sometimes, a pair of hands and a hard surface are enough to enjoy the contents of the fruit, although it is not the best option to open a coconut at home against the wall. It is better to apply the tips on how to cut a coconut at home described in this article.

Coconut is quite tasty and exotic. And how easily and simply it splits into two even halves in the old but very famous Bounty advertisement, exposing its snow-white flesh. And whenever there is a desire to enjoy the incredible taste of this pulp, the question arises, how to properly open a coconut.

In contact with

You can twirl the coconut endlessly, hit it vigorously with something sharp, and as a result, fragments of the shell will fly in different directions, the nut itself will awkwardly fall to the floor, and the milk will simply spill out.

This picture is far from the grace that the commercial shows us. Let's figure out how to open a coconut at home.

How to crack a nut?

Many people wonder how to open a coconut and at the same time save their nerves. To do this, you should stock up on several tools, which will be discussed in this section.

Coconut pulp

Hammer and nail

This tip will help those who do not know how to open a coconut easily. In addition to a hammer (kitchen or carpenter's), you should take an ordinary nail (it can also be replaced with a drill, the diameter of which should not exceed the size of the dark inclusions on the nut itself).

To know how to split a coconut, you will need to follow these steps:

1. The nut is placed on a hard surface, then turned so that the dark inclusions are clearly visible.
2. Since the spots are a fairly pliable part of the nut, in this case a nail or drill is applied to them.
3. Then you need to make a clear blow on the nail with a hammer. There is no point in stabbing with anger.
4. The tool easily passes inside the shell.
5. The nail is pulled out of the hole made.
6. Attention is focused on other spots. You should make two or three more holes in the same way.
7. The fruit must be rotated carefully so that the milk in it does not spill out.
8. When everything is done, the coconut liquid is drained from the holes. There's no need to rush.
9. Now you should find out how to open a coconut. First you need to mentally imagine a line passing between the perforated top and the bottom itself.
10. Moving in a circle, the coconut is beaten along this very imaginary line.
11. The nut will begin to give in and crack completely.

With a towel

There is another way to split a coconut at home. You can wrap the nut in a towel, place it on a hard surface and hit it with all your might with a hammer. The coconut will be broken.

No towel

How else can you properly split a coconut - of course, in the same way, only without a towel. To do this, you need to hit the coconut with a hammer, and then use a knife to push the cracks that have formed to the sides.

Plastic bag

Hit the nut wrapped in a plastic bag with a hammer. It will not look entirely aesthetically pleasing, even scary. But just having an idea of ​​how difficult it can be to open a coconut correctly, you can use any means.

Knife

This tip is suitable for those who are interested in how to open a coconut using a knife:

1. A line is outlined, the so-called “equator”. In this case, you should resort to the trick described in the first method.
2. The coconut is taken in the hand.
3. Holding the fruit suspended, you should tap the “equator” with a knife.
4. A crack should appear into which the knife blade is then placed.
5. Since cutting a cracked coconut with a knife will be easier, the nut will soon crack.

Saw

There is one good method on how to properly open a coconut at home using a saw:

1. The juice is drained in the same way as was described at the very beginning.
2. A towel is spread on the table. This is necessary to ensure that the fruit does not slip.
3. It is best to hold the coconut tightly in a vice. If there is no such tool, then you will have to do without it.
4. The “equator” stands out on the coconut. Mentally or with a marker.
5. The nut is sawn.

Screwdriver or electric drill

If you know how to open a coconut using a screwdriver, you can do it very smoothly and accurately:

1. Juice pours out.
2. The “equator” is being found.
3. Using an electric drill or a screwdriver, holes are drilled along the equatorial line. This should be done every two to three centimeters.
4. The nut should be hit on a hard surface, preferably concrete.
5. The fetus splits.

If there are few holes, then the shell will not open as smoothly as we would like, but rather into pieces. And many holes located too close to each other will cause the fruit to split while the drilling is still taking place.

How to break without a hammer?

It happens that there are no available means. Then doubts arise about how to open a coconut at home without a hammer. But there is always a way out.

Throw on the floor

I want to try a coconut, but not everyone knows how to open it while at home, without a hammer or drill. In this case, you can use a simple but barbaric method, more reminiscent of a cry of despair than calm and prudent cracking of a nut. Here's another way to break a coconut correctly: you should throw it on the floor.

The impact will cause the fruit to crack. Knowing how to break a coconut at home, it will not be superfluous to take care that liquid does not leak out of it.

It is better to drain the liquid from the coconut through the holes first.

Leaning against the wall

Here is another way to quickly open a coconut:

1. The coconut leans its “equator” against the wall. Ordinary brick or border are also suitable.
2. Then you need to press your own weight on the nut.
3. The fruit needs to be turned slightly during the process.

This method requires considerable patience, but if you really want to enjoy the incredible taste of this overseas delicacy, you should consider all the methods for breaking a coconut at home, especially without a hammer.

Oven

You can also use another, more hygienic and reasonable method, thanks to which everyone will learn how to open a coconut at home using the least force:

1. To begin with, holes are made in the inclusions and the juice is drained.
2. The oven is heated to 180-200 degrees.
3. A nut is placed in it.
4. After ten or fifteen minutes the first crack should appear. If this does not happen, you need to heat it longer.
5. When the result appears, the nut is removed from the oven.
6. Cool (even in the refrigerator) and wrap in a towel.
7. Now you need to figure out how to properly open a cooled coconut. You need to knock on the fruit until it completely cracks.

If in this case the nut does not crack completely, then you should loosen the shell with a knife in the hole of the crack itself.

We must also remember that under no circumstances should you place a coconut filled with liquid. In this case, it will boil, and the shell will explode from the steam, and this threatens with disastrous consequences for the oven, for the kitchen as a whole, and first of all for the one who wants to enjoy the coconut.

How to clean easily?

Knowing little about how to break a coconut, you also need to separate the flesh from the shell. In fact, it should be properly called copra. Many people do not know how to properly peel a coconut, so they separate the copra using a spoon. However, this is quite tedious, since the pulp is quite tough and does not give in very easily.

To further have an idea of ​​how best to peel a coconut, you should follow this advice:

1. Take a knife.
2. Then use a knife to draw a line between the copra and the shell itself. This way you need to do it all around the perimeter.
3. Not everyone understands how to clean a coconut at home if it is split into pieces. In this case, it is necessary to make similar cuts with each piece separately.
4. Then knock half of the nut on the floor or something hard.
5. Copra peels off easily, and there is really nothing complicated about how to cut a coconut.

Some craftsmen peel coconuts like potatoes

How to drain the liquid correctly?

To ensure that the coconut water does not spill in vain at the moment when the fruit opens, it should be drained correctly. It's easy to do:

1. At the top of the nut, where the dark spots are, a depression is made using a sharp knife, metal pin, knitting needle or nail.
2. Any of these sharp objects is inserted inside the pliable inclusion.
3. A hole is made.
4. Take a glass.
5. The coconut is turned over so that the hole is above the glass.
6. The liquid flows independently into the prepared container.
7. To make sure that all the water has flowed out, shake the fruit.

How to cut the pulp?

Many people already have ideas about the best way to peel a coconut at home. The separated copra is now washed under water and cut with an ordinary knife. It’s most convenient to cut into slices. Since it is tough, you should use a sharper knife for this purpose, preferably for peeling vegetables. Some people want to know how to peel the coconut smoothly and beautifully. In this case, it is best to use a slicer. In this case, the copra will be cut very carefully.

It can be eaten raw or grated on a fine grater. Copra is also frozen. To do this, place the resulting slices in freezer bags. You must first remove the air from the bag so that the slices do not freeze later.

The benefits of coconut for the body are quite extensive. It contains the following beneficial microelements:

• vitamins B, E and C;
• mineral salts;
• sucrose;
• fructose.

Thanks to such a rich and healing composition, the nut helps improve vision, promotes restoration of strength, and also has healing properties. It is not for nothing that Asians have always considered the fruit a vital elixir, which not only nourishes the human body, but also helps restore water balance.

One hundred grams of coconut milk contains enough fats and proteins, the energy value is 395 kcal. Milk can slow down the process of skin aging. The juice is also good for digestion.

Also, the juice of this fruit is actively used in cosmetology, adding it to lotions and shampoos. It disinfects, soothes, tones and moisturizes the skin. There is even one legend according to which the Queen of Sheba performed ablutions exclusively with coconut milk, adding goat milk to it. Thus, she remained young and beautiful for a long time.

Milk is also indispensable for treating various rashes that may appear due to allergies.

Useful video

Open the coconut using a regular kitchen knife:

Conclusion

1. It's not that easy to crack a coconut if you don't know some secrets. As a rule, you cannot do this without the help of a hammer, knife or saw.
2. The main thing is not to hammer unreasonably and with anger, but to make clear and even strikes.
3. Surprisingly, you can divide the fruit into two halves without any improvised means, using the oven. But the pulp is best separated with a knife, not a spoon.

Coconut is a tasty and nutritious food that is especially good when eaten raw. You may shy away from buying a whole coconut, thinking that you need a drill, hacksaw and other special tools to open it. Luckily, you can open a coconut with items you likely already have around the house.

A simple wooden kitchen mallet or mason's hammer can help crack the coconut. Once you open it, you will need a knife and a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the flesh so that the coconut is ready to eat.

Drain the liquid from the coconut

1. Find the correct hole at the top of the coconut.

There are three eyes or indentations at the top of the coconut. One of them is usually the weakest, so use a sharp knife or chopsticks to test each one. When you find the easiest eye, insert a stick into it to create a hole.

You can also use a metal pin or screwdriver to make a hole in the top of the coconut.

2. Place the coconut with the hole facing down over the glass.

To collect water from a coconut, you will need a glass. Place the coconut upside down so that the hole you punched is directly above the glass.

You can also place the coconut in a bowl to collect the water. However, when using a glass, you don't have to waste time holding the glass, you simply place the coconut on top of the glass and wait for it to drip.

A measuring cup is also good for collecting liquid.

3. Allow the coconut to drain completely.

After you place the coconut upside down on top of the glass, give it a few minutes until all the liquid has drained out. You may need to shake the coconut a few times to extract the last drop of water.

You should get approximately ½ to ¾ cup (118 to 177 ml) of water from one coconut.

The liquid from fresh young coconut should be sweet. If the liquid has an oily consistency, the coconut is probably not very good and you should discard it.

Crack the coconut with a hammer

1. Wrap the coconut in a towel and hold it.

Once you have dried the coconut well, wrap the folded towel so that it covers one side of the coconut. Hold the wrapped towel containing the coconut with your dominant hand so that the part of the coconut not covered by the towel is in front of you.

If desired, you can mount the coconut on a table or countertop. You will have to adjust so that you can hit the entire circumference of the coconut with a kitchen hammer.

2. Use a hammer.

While turning the coconut, hit it with a wooden mallet (mallet) until it cracks.

Holding the coconut together with the towel, use a wooden mallet to hit it firmly. By turning the coconut clearly in a circle and making many blows, you can achieve an even crack along the entire circumference. Do this until it starts to crack in half.

Using a metal mallet allows you to crack the coconut better and faster.

If you don't have a kitchen mallet, you can use a regular mason's hammer, which is also great for cracking coconut.

3. Make sure that a crack forms around the entire circumference of the coconut.

When the coconut is split on all sides, try to grab it with your fingers on both sides and split it into two pieces. Place the coconut on the table or countertop, split side down.

If suddenly your coconut does not split, repeat the previous step, tapping the outside with a hammer. There may be small areas where the coconut has not cracked completely.

4. Hit the coconut with a hammer to get to the flesh.

With half of the coconut facing down, use a hammer, tapping the entire surface. This will help loosen the pulp from the shells so you can easily separate them from each other.

Be sure to tap the entire half of the coconut with the mallet to release the flesh.

It is normal for the coconut halves to suddenly split into smaller pieces when you hit it with a hammer. This can speed up and facilitate the process of separating the pulp from the shell.

Stick it between the shell and the flesh to separate them.

After using the hammer to loosen the pulp from the shell, insert a butter knife between the pulp and the shell. Use a knife to carefully remove the flesh from the shell until it is completely separated. Repeat this with all parts of the coconut.

Be sure to use a butter knife. With it, you don't have to worry about cutting yourself while working.

Once you separate the flesh from the shell, there will still be a thin brown stringy skin on the outside.

Use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove the husk until only the coconut meat remains.

Once the coconut meat is separated from the husk, you can eat it or prepare a variety of dishes.

Many of us remember advertisements for sweets in which a ripe coconut falls onto hot sand and breaks into pieces, revealing snow-white flesh and splashing fragrant milk. Does this really happen? Is the process of cracking a coconut really that simple? And is it worth using this method, allowing the milk to fly everywhere? Or do you still need to learn more about how to split a coconut in order to keep its precious pulp and juice safe and sound? Let's try to understand all the intricacies of this difficult matter.

Choosing a coconut

First, you need to decide on the choice of exotic nut. After all, we don’t eat it that often, which means we don’t know all the secrets. In order not to become a victim of an unscrupulous seller, before cracking a coconut at home, we will study all the subtleties necessary when purchasing it. Firstly, the fruit should not have any unpleasant odors. If there is even the slightest suspicion of staleness, it is better not to risk it. Secondly, a good, ripe nut has a fairly hard surface and relatively heavy weight. Thirdly, there should be no damage to its shaggy skin.

Preparatory work

Before splitting the coconut, it should be cleaned of mechanical impurities and washed thoroughly under running water. Many people argue that it is not necessary to do this, but not everyone agrees with this statement, because the dirt on the surface of the coconut peel can get inside when split. Therefore, it is not worth the risk. It is better to rinse the exotic nut and let it dry a little.

Required Tools

Those who do not yet know how to crack a coconut sometimes try to use completely unexpected tools and even power tools. In fact, you won’t need a grinder, a drill, or even an ax. Before splitting a coconut at home, we need to prepare only three items: a massive knife, a hammer, and a large nail.

What to do with milk?

We will definitely save the aforementioned delicious and healthy coconut milk from spilling. To do this, make a hole in the shell and pour all the liquid into the prepared container. This must be done before splitting the coconut. Does everyone have a big nail at home? That is great. And if not, don’t be upset; you can use an awl or a flat-head screwdriver instead.

We rest the nail against one of the three dark spots located on the end of the nut. Using a hammer, the nail will easily penetrate, making a hole large enough to drain the juice.

Coconut milk can be used in completely different ways, such as adding it to dough and fruit desserts. But there is an even more delicious and healthy way - pour it into a glass and just drink!

Secret line

So, before splitting the coconut, drain all the liquid. So what now? And then we proceed directly to the process itself. You should not torment a harmless fruit and try to break it, as in advertising. It’s better to use a secret method that is widespread in the homeland of coconuts. To do this, let's carefully examine the shell and find a weak spot on it. Yes, yes, even such a tough nut as coconut has a “favorite peeve”. It's easy to calculate. To do this, we divide the height of the fruit into three parts and mark one third, starting from the spots already known to us. At this level lies the strip we were looking for. We mentally draw it around the entire circumference, and it will definitely tell us how to properly split the coconut.

Now we need a hammer. Let's get down to the most important thing - the actual split. We begin to gently tap the shell with a hammer. Some particularly lucky enthusiasts manage to break the integrity of the strong shell after the first blow. But everyone else will have to sweat a little, not stopping knocking until a crack appears. If the fruit does not break into two halves on its own, you can insert a knife into this crevice and turn it slightly, separating the broken nut in half. That's it, ready! Not so difficult, right? But you should not knock on the knife, especially if it is made of ceramics or low-quality metal. Not every kitchen knife can survive a battle with a coconut shell. It can simply fly apart in half, without even causing any significant injury to the nut.

They split... And what next?

Well, we already understand how to crack a coconut. What to do next? After all, everyone who at least once in their life managed to get to the treasured pulp remembers their perplexity...

The thing is that coconut flesh is also quite hard. It cannot be separated with a dessert spoon. How then should we use it? And again we turn to those who have been eating coconuts for a long time and regularly. Experience shows that the nut halves should be placed in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or, conversely, heated in the oven. This temperature difference destroys the layer connecting the peel to the pulp. After thermal exposure, the snow-white filling can be easily separated with an ordinary kitchen knife. It can be used in different ways.

Many housewives, even before quickly splitting a coconut, already have a rough idea of ​​what they will do with its insides. Some people prefer to grind the hard pulp. Coconut shavings are used both fresh and dried to make desserts. If you plan to feed coconuts to children, then it is quite possible to combine the exotic sweetness with healthy, but not very favorite food: cottage cheese, rice porridge, cheesecakes, casseroles... This delicacy goes well with homemade baked goods, and not only improves its taste, but and decorating the appearance.

Summarizing the above, let's summarize: using coconut pulp and milk is a creative endeavor. The main thing is to figure out how to split a coconut without harming its healthy filling. This matter is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

And those who have already mastered this simple technique and started buying coconuts regularly without any fears often use even shaggy shells. They are quite unusual, so they often take part in the creation of handmade items. They can also be used as pots for small indoor plants.

Coconut is famous for its absorbent properties, it removes toxins from the body, therefore it is used in the treatment of many diseases. Coconut shells are denser than other nuts. It cannot be cracked with a foot or a door; the coconut does not fit into the nut cracker, which makes the task much more difficult. To free the fruit and enjoy the great taste, you have to resort to some tricks, which we will talk about today.

How to crack a coconut

In everyday life, people crack a coconut with a hammer, placing the fruit on the floor. The method was mastered in ancient times; over time, craftsmen came up with more effective methods that would preserve milk and enjoy its taste.

1. For the "scientific" method, you will need a Phillips screwdriver. Take the nut in your hand and press on all three spots on top of the fruit. Press first on the middle, then on the edges of the spot, carefully testing the soil. You need to find the “weak link” that is pushed through better than others. As a rule, the circle closest to the pole can be pressed. The fresher the fruit, the more difficult it is to open.
2. Prepare a container for draining coconut milk; the ideal option would be a mug or glass of a suitable diameter. Carefully turn the coconut over, do not shake it so that the remains of the shell do not fly into the container. Place the fruit on the edge of the glass and wait until the liquid has completely drained. Coconut juice is very viscous, so the process usually takes 2-3 minutes. To make sure there is no milk in the coconut cavity, shake it upside down. Liquid should not leak from the nut.
3. After removing the milk, you can safely take up a hammer and knife. There is no need to hit with force, so as not to damage the pulp along with the shell, act carefully. Place the nut on a wooden kitchen board, first placing a non-slip wet sponge under it. Turn the nut sideways, place the tip of the knife exactly in the middle, and then hit the handle several times with a hammer. Move to the side along the diameter of the coconut and do the same. When you have processed the entire circumference of the fruit, you can begin chopping the nut.
4. Make sure the board the coconut is on does not slip. Otherwise, you risk damaging your hands and spoiling the fruit. Place the nut on its side so that the cut made with a knife is clearly visible. Tap the middle of the line with a hammer once, turn the fruit a few centimeters to the side and repeat. Now fix the nut in place and start hitting the diameter vigorously, but not too hard. After several blows, the fruit will split in two.
5. Turn on the oven and heat it to 145-160 degrees. Place both halves of the nut on a baking sheet (not on the grill!), wait 3 to 5 minutes. This move must be made so that the coconut shrinks in size under the influence of temperature. This will separate the pulp from the shell without damaging the fruit. After the time has passed, remove the nut with a pot holder, turn the halves over and voila, the fruit has come away from the shell.
6. Before eating, peel the pulp from the thin peel with a knife and a potato peeler, cut the fruit into thin squares, and then treat it to your friends. If you want to use coconut for decoration, dry it in the oven, then grate it on a medium grater or grind it in a blender. After this, place the shavings on a baking sheet and leave to dry for a quarter of an hour.

1. If you can't poke holes with a screwdriver, use a thick nail and a hammer.
2. In cases where the coconut has small spots, the juice will flow out slowly. To speed up the process, hold one hole over the container and blow into the second.
3. Look carefully at the coconut; on its sharp side, two circles are located close together, and the third is located at a distance; it is the one that is most susceptible to influence.
4. To prevent the coconut from rolling around while making holes, place the bottom of the coconut in the kitchen sink drain.
5. If you need a nut for aesthetic reasons (preparing cocktails, an attribute for a photo shoot, a Hawaiian swimsuit, etc.), cut it with a thin saw, after draining the milk.

Before you start cracking the nut, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the important features of choosing a coconut. There should be no strange chips or black spots on the shell. Take the fruit in your hand, press your fingers on the three large points on top of the shell. If one of the points moves inward under pressure, the coconut has begun to rot. Give preference to nuts that have a hard, uniform surface.

Video: how to open a coconut at home