How to open a coconut quickly and cleanly?

This exotic fruit grows on a palm tree, has a brown shell covered with lint, and delicate white flesh. From a botanical point of view, it is a drupe, the seed of a palm tree, although everyone is used to calling it a nut. But not everyone knows how to open a coconut, and especially this is practically a mystery for those who have never eaten it or even held it in their hands. This fruit is a healthy and tasty product, which is on the list of favorites for many who have tried it at least once.

How to choose a coconut?

How to choose a coconut?
Overseas delicacies sold in supermarkets in our country often turn out to be of poor quality. To purchase just such a product, consider these important tips for choosing it:

The presence of mold, dark spots, cracking - all this is a sign that the fruit has already undergone the process of rotting, as well as its pressing when pressed, softness;
Estimate the weight of the nut - the larger it is in relation to its size, the better. Only sufficiently heavy specimens fall from the tree on their own, and this indicates their maturity;
Before you open a coconut, you won't see what kind of flesh it has, but once you open it, you will appreciate it. It should be tender, but dense, have a white color, and not be covered with dark spots;
To check if there is liquid in the fruit, shake it. The more immature it is, the greater the amount it will contain. It is popularly called coconut milk or water, but during the ripening process it becomes pulp. If the nut is ripe, there may be a small amount of coconut water in it. By the way, coconut milk itself is the result of the process of processing the pulp of the fruit;
Listen to the sound of the liquid - the louder it is, the fresher the specimen in front of you. People who know a lot about this issue note that with a dull sound, the appearance of the fruit is not entirely attractive;
The nut pulp has a delicate consistency and comes away from the shell well. Otherwise, we can conclude that it was taken from the tree unripe.

How to open a coconut with a hammer?

For this purpose, many people, in particular those who try it for the first time, break it on the ground, wood, and other hard surfaces. This option is also possible, but the process in this case does not look aesthetically pleasing.

But there is a way to open a coconut at home using a hammer, and it goes like this:

Prepare a container into which you will pour the resulting liquid;
Place the fruit in a plastic bag, after wrapping the nut in a towel;
Hit it hard with a hammer. It is advisable to strike in a place located close to the eyes - here the shell is thinner, so it will break faster;
Drain the liquid into a container;
Divide the broken nut into parts, separate the pulp, which should come off well in a high-quality, ripe fruit.

It is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve the desired result with one blow. The process may take about 5 minutes. Listen to the sound produced by this - at first it will be ringing, and then it should become duller, which will indicate that the nut is about to crack. Another sign of this is a crack that appears and grows on it.

Cleaning the tough skin and extracting the pulp

Extraction of pulp will go faster if you take into account the following rule: the more shells, the easier it is to do. Therefore, if you do not use any “life hacks”, then the most difficult thing will be to pick copra from those very perfect hemispheres that were discussed above.

Insert the blade of a knife between the shell and the edible part and separate a piece

The most primitive way to extract the pulp is as follows: insert a knife blade between the shell and the edible part, and, shaking the knife, separate a piece. Then another one. And further. The main thing is not to rush anywhere.

This kind of meditation activity is not suitable for everyone. Things will go much faster if you use the following method:

Keep the whole nut in the oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
Before “cutting” the nut, lightly tap its entire surface: the pulp will separate from the shell already inside the nut.
Peel the thin brown skin from the pulp in the same way as potatoes, with a knife or vegetable peeler.
A vegetable peeler easily separates the coconut skin from the pulp.

How to open a coconut with a knife?

This is a very convenient method, because this device is found in every home. It should be used this way:

Before opening a coconut at home, find a hole in it;
Apply a strong blow to the handle of the knife using some heavy object - for example, you can use a hammer for this;
After hitting the fruit, it will split into two parts, and now you can extract the pulp from it.

There is another way to open the nut using a knife. Using a cutting motion, press down on the seam connecting the two halves so that the coconut breaks into two halves. Despite the fact that the process is quite labor-intensive and very time-consuming, after completing it, you will receive beautiful parts of the fruit. In this form, by the way, they can also be used as a cup - for example, by pouring a drink into the shell, placing ice cream or any other dessert in it after the pulp has been removed from it.

Using the shell

If it remains intact, then you can use it as a candlestick, a small pot for indoor plants, a place to store buttons and other small items. Half a coconut will look great in a cage with a hamster; it will serve as a kind of home for the animal.

Broken pieces of shell are useful as drainage for the bottom of flower pots.

How to open a coconut using a knife by draining the water first?

In general, the procedure is similar to those described above, but with a slight difference:

Each fruit has germination holes located on the shell. To extract the coconut liquid, they need to be pierced with a knife or screwdriver, which will have to be driven into the nut, because even in these places it is quite dense. You can then insert tubes into the resulting holes or simply drain the liquid through them into a previously prepared container. In the process of opening a coconut, this is an important step, because if the water is not drained in advance, when opening the delicacy it will leak out or simply splash;
Next, follow the procedure already described - cut the fruit with a knife along the seam or split it with the same kitchen utensil or hammer, striking it hard;
Remove the pulp from the cracked nut.

What you need

Different methods require their own tools, and if you look in your closets, you’ll definitely find at least one of them at home:

screwdriver;
knife;
hammer;
hacksaw.

Dear girls, don't worry! Despite the purely male devices, you won’t have to use a “strong hand” if everything is done correctly.

In addition to the above, prepare a container for coconut liquid (a glass or bowl) and a spoon for extracting the pulp.

If it is important for you to preserve the shell for future use, choose the third method. Otherwise, any of the ones described below will do.

How to open a coconut using an oven?

This method is also very common. Here's how to open a coconut without a hammer, knife, and using an oven:

Heat it to a temperature of 190 degrees C, place the nut in it;
After 10-15 minutes. its shell will crack;
Disassemble the fruit, drain the liquid from it, remove the pulp.

Those who are interested in how to open a coconut with your hands need to understand that it is almost impossible to do this because it will require enormous physical strength, given how dense and hard the shell is. Most likely, it will not be possible to do without any tools. For example, in addition to the listed devices, you can use stones. For this:

Place the fruit on the ground or floor, securing it with heavy stones. The pointed part of it should be at the top, because it will be easier to break it than the other sections;
Take a large stone, throw it, using as much force as possible and throwing it from as high a height as possible;
There should be cracks along the shell, along which it will break into pieces, and you can now open the coconut with your own hands, taking it apart into pieces.

Using this method, how to open a coconut, the instructions will be followed correctly if you still apply considerable physical strength. Its disadvantage is that there is a risk of injury (for example, getting hit by a stone on the leg), and the milk may spill if it is not drained first. But by being careful, these consequences can be avoided.

There is another way to easily open a coconut, for which you will need a hacksaw and a screwdriver:

Place the nut on a table or other flat surface;
Using a hacksaw, saw through its shell until a crack forms along the seam;
Now you need to use a screwdriver, inserting it into the hole made before;
Applying force, press on the tool, simultaneously pressing it down and swinging it slightly to the sides;
Thanks to these actions, it will be possible to split the fruit into two halves.

Another way to open a coconut at home, without using a hammer or other tools, involves exposing it to temperature changes:

Be sure to drain it, as this method may cause it to explode, spraying liquid;
Preheat the oven to a temperature of 180-200 degrees C. You can also use a microwave, selecting the highest power;
Place the coconut in the device for a quarter of an hour;
Remove it from the heat and immediately place it in the freezer for the same amount of time;
Temperature changes will cause the shell to crack, after which it will be easy to open. To do this, additionally apply a series of blows to it, so that you can then simply peel the fruit, like a boiled egg. If there are any pieces of brown skin left on the pulp, they can be removed with a potato peeler or knife.

Method four: erotic.

This means stripping the coconut, but without using violence, namely slowly and gently: we should get a kind of brown egg, whole and unharmed. How to do it? In order for the coconut flesh to separate itself from the inner walls of the shell, it is necessary to tap the entire surface of the nut. Hold the nut suspended and gently tap it with a blunt object: a light hammer, the handle of a screwdriver or a knife. How do you know when enough is enough? Intuitively. When you think that knocking is enough, do a “control on the head”, that is, knock harder once. Not so desperate that the egg would fall and break, but still enough that the shell would break. Now pry it open with a knife

If your intuition did not let you down, and you really tapped the coconut perfectly, then the first and all subsequent shells will separate without effort, and, most importantly, without damaging the kernel of the nut

As you can see, opening a coconut is not at all difficult. Wishing you pioneering enthusiasm and heavenly pleasure!

Composition of coconut

While getting to know what a coconut is and how to open it, it’s worth getting acquainted with what beneficial substances it can saturate the human body with.

It contains the following nutritional components per 100 g of product:

Carbohydrates – 6.2 g;
Fats – 33.5 g;
Proteins – 3.3 g;
Water – 47 g;
Fiber – 10 g.

In addition, coconut contains antioxidants, natural oils, and amino acids.

But it is also rich in vitamins, including:

B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12);
Vitamin A;
Vitamin E;
Vitamin D;
Vitamin C;
Vitamin H;
Vitamin K

Coconut contains the following macroelements:

Phosphorus;
Magnesium;
Potassium;
Sulfur;
Chlorine;
Sodium;
Calcium.

It contains the following microelements:

Fluorine;
Copper;
Iodine;
Iron;
Zinc;
Selenium;
Manganese.

How is coconut useful?

It is not only its delicate taste that makes it such a popular and desirable product. Coconut, which you will learn how to open in this article, has the following beneficial properties:

Coconut liquid is valued not only for its taste, but also for the fact that it can perfectly quench thirst;
Thanks to the nutritional value of the nut pulp, it helps restore the body’s strength and relieve muscle fatigue;
The vitamins and acids it contains play an important role for the normal functioning of the nervous system and immunity;
The elements that make up the fetus have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and endocrine systems;
Fatty acids and dietary fiber present in it have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora;
How to open a coconut correctly, and do it as quickly as possible, will interest women. It contains substances that help slow down the aging process, rejuvenate, and nourish the skin. They also have a beneficial effect on the condition of hair and nails;
The iron contained in the nut stimulates the normal production of red blood cells;
Palm seed has anti-inflammatory effects;
It helps the body get rid of “bad” cholesterol.

Use of coconut in medicine

Doctors do not deny its beneficial properties, therefore they recommend consuming the nut in the treatment of a number of diseases:

Pancreatitis. When this disease occurs in a chronic form, palm seed can be consumed to saturate the body with useful substances, but this must be done in moderation so as not to harm the pancreas;
Gastritis. Many people, including those with this pathology, are allergic to regular cow's milk. The liquid contained in coconut is an excellent alternative to this product. In addition, it will help normalize digestive processes and intestinal microflora;
Constipation. Problems with stool are a common problem, which this fruit will also help to cope with. In this case, you should learn how to open a coconut with milk, because it is an effective natural laxative. It will also help cope with problems such as bloating, flatulence, and impaired peristalsis;
Gout. With this disease, patients have to limit the consumption of many foods, since they can be harmful and aggravate the course of the disease. The nut contains fats of plant origin, which are very useful for people with this pathology. In addition, it has a powerful antioxidant effect and a lot of useful substances that saturate the body. The fruit is also useful for patients with gout because it helps normalize metabolism, and thus helps eliminate accumulated uric acid from the body.

Precautionary measures

Coconut has a strong shell that is quite difficult to open. The tools mainly used are those that are suitable for repair work. We offer some tips on how to make your work easier and avoid getting hurt when opening a coconut.

If we decide not to tap the coconut, but rather to break it with a hammer, we need to wrap it in a kitchen towel. This will soften the blow, and the hammer will not bounce sharply off the surface of the shell.
Instead of a towel, you can wrap the coconut in several layers of cling film and leave the tip to hold the wrapper.
By making holes in the “eyes”, it is better to secure the coconut. After all, if we punch holes with a screwdriver and a hammer, the nut can bounce off, and the screwdriver can injure our hand. We wrap the lower part of the coconut tightly with a towel and ask one of the adult inhabitants of the house to hold the fruit. In addition, you can hold the coconut tightly with your knees while sitting on a chair.
When sawing a nut with a hand saw, you need to be careful not to let your fingers get caught under the tool.
To prevent the saw from slipping off the surface, mark the cutting location. To do this, lightly press the blade several times and scratch the shell along the markings. A shallow groove is created, but the saw will not jump out of it and will stick to the edges.

The use of coconut in cosmetology

This fruit is also good for skin and hair. Coconut oil is often added to various body, face, and hair care products, but it is also used at home.

For example, you can use this anti-aging face mask:

Combine coconut milk with blue clay, taking these ingredients in equal quantities;
Add a few drops of orange essential oil to the mixture, stir the mixture well;
Apply it to your face for 15 minutes. on the skin of the face;
Rinse off the composition with cool water.

Regardless of the type of skin, the following product is used to regularly care for it at home:

Melt coconut oil;
Combine it with rice flour, maintaining a ratio of 1:4, respectively;
Add green tea to the mixture in such an amount that the consistency becomes like thick sour cream;
Apply the mask to your face for a third of an hour, and then rinse it off with warm water.

Palm seed milk is also used to wipe the area around the eyes to moisturize and prevent the appearance of wrinkles. It should be used this way before bedtime.

To improve the condition of hair, coconut oil is used, which is done in this way:

Melt a small amount of product in your palms;
Apply it to the strands, but do not touch the scalp to avoid irritation and rash;
Leave the oil on your hair for half an hour and then rinse with warm water.

Thanks to this mask, the strands will become moisturized, smooth, and silky. But if you have oily hair, this method of caring for it will not suit you - it will only make it worse.