How to Open a Coconut & Remove the Meat (No Hammer/Screwdriver Needed)

Opening a coconut seems daunting enough, and once you do, the flesh of the coconut almost appears to be superglued to the shell! Well this video has you covered in both areas and more. Check out my technique on how to extract the water from a coconut, open it up and perfectly remove the flesh, without any hammers or screwdrivers!

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On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

The Flavor Bible

The Professional Chef

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Baking and Pastry by the CIA

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[KhalilOmar]

You can skip the oven technique and use a spoon or butter knife to pop the flesh out. You can also steam the halves to help the flesh release from the coconut.

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[slpification]

Good idea!
Alternate is to ziplock store the coconut halves with the shells in the freezer overnight. Next morning as it thaws the meat will seperate from the shell and also the dark coat automatically. You won't have to peel it and lose so much meat-oil-nutrition.
Also try roll the coconut over flame to burn-remove the remnant coir fibres and wash it before cracking, helps minimise the mess/fibres getting in the coconut water as you drain into the glass.
One more tip, there will always be 3 ridges on the coconut shell, find the widest section between the three and hit it hard with a rolling pin/heavy knife/sickle. It will crack open at once, with just one hit (expertise).
Although we rely on traditional grating tool to grate it fresh holding the shell itself, that way the dark coat doesn't get in the food too much. Namaste from Mangalore, Southern India🙏

[sivaschumi]

Iam from South India a coconut farmer. We use fresh coconut daily in all dishes we make. We just break with a heavy knife open drain the water grate the coconut and use it. Coconut is very healthy food

[joescoggins]

Hint: If youo open two holes, one will let air in and the other will let coconut water out in a stream. I grew up in Miami with a coconut tree in our front yard, one whose trunk was curved in such a way as to make it easy to climb. We didn't have knives, so we used the curb by the road and used basically the same technique. We ate lots of fresh coconut. Good video!

[pffbedw]

One of the more useful video's I've seen. Someone that gets to business and show the actual 'how to' instead of just liking the sound of their own voice.

[mona]

(for people who do not have an oven or don't want to use it)just break the coconut into two halves and throw them into the freezer for like an hour or so. Take them out after a while and let them defrost. Pry them with a knife and the meat falls right out. You can take my word because am a South Indian and we eat coconut three times a day and sometimes more. :p

[JimiBLong]

"No Tools Needed"...except for a corkscrew, two different knives, an oven and a vegetable peeler.

[mluckynikko]

I’m a home cook for the last 42 years and have never seen that coconut trick before! I will use it soon! Thanks for the info!

[maryanncyr]

I love this way of opening a coconut. I've been opening coconuts with hammer for years. So difficult. Thank you. Smile you look great on video.

[paulbanerjee]

You are right to locate the hole that is softer than the other two, and enlarge it to pour out the water. However, here's a tip that will make the coconut water flow freely every time. Pierce one of the "other two" holes (doesn't have to be very large). Now, proceed with putting the corkscrew on the larger hole. When you pour the water, you will see that the water flows very freely from the large hole because air enters the smaller hole, preventing a vacuum from forming inside the coconut. Happy coconutting! 😁 😁 😁

[zanleekain]

If you make two holes instead of one, so that you have an air vent, the water pours out in a quick steady stream, instead of that slow little dribble. Love that you mentioned lots of uses, it's such a multi use nut. Love from the Caribbean. 🥰🏝🇧🇿

[imagiro]

There is a tool for eating grapefruits. It's a flexible knife, mine is from plastic. After opening the coconut, drive this between the pulp and the shell, and wiggle your way around. It's safer than a normal knife, and more flexible. Works perfect!

[dominicriti]

I already use the same method, with one difference though, I soak the coconut in water for 20/30 minutes, makes it even easier to crack open. Thanks for the video.

[lindan]

I lived in Hawaii as a child. We had a coconut tree in our front yard. My dad would occasionally get a coconut from it and use a hammer & nail to open it outside. He thought it was hilarious that I stood by with a cup to catch the coconut water he would otherwise just let run out onto the ground. I thought it was one of the best parts of a fresh coconut. Glad to see I'm no longer considered an oddball for loving it. I might have to dip those big toasted flakes in some chocolate, yum! 😋

[MezzoKat]

Great tutorial! I love coconut, but have always been intimidated by the problem of how to open one.Thank you!

[jvphilip]

As a South Indian, we use coconuts a lot in our cooking. I grate, slice or dice or flake them and freeze them in ziplock bags. I found your method damn cool. Especially using a corkscrew to drain the water and bake them to get them out. Using a peeler to flake them was cool too. I usually use a knife and cut them into thin slices.

[howardjohnson]

I've been opening and eating fresh coconut since I was at least 4 years old and that's a long time ago. I eat the brown rind too when I get it out of the shell. I did find the baking the open coconut in the oven of interest and help. Thank you

[shruthidevaraju]

Im from Karnataka in South India. In almost every homes, we use coconut everyday in our dishes and also as a offering to God during Pooja in temple. We just wet the coconut and smash it to the hard surface or ground, it cracks exactly in the middle, u can take the water from it. Again on hitting once more it cracks and breaks into 2 halves, then we grate it and use it.

[Neptunecloud]

In South India, we use only fresh coconut that we break open, grate in a coconut scrapper.Packaged grated coconut is not easily available as nobody prefers frozen ones

[hami]

One of the most talented and useful chefs out there on YouTube. Out of millions and millions of chefs. Glad found out the channel