How to Crack and Prepare a Coconut

A few years ago Kevin and my (then) 8-year-old brother decided it would be a fun adventure to buy a coconut, crack it open, and eat it.  It was a fun adventure, but it was also a disaster.  We didn’t drain the milk beforehand and our preferred method of coconut cracking was whacking it with a metal rod.  And then it took us about an hour to get the coconut meat free from the shell.  It worked, but needless to say it was a messy project.

Flash forward 6 years: We’ve found a more effective way to crack and prepare a coconut.  If you love coconut and want a fun challenge give this coconut-cracking method a try.

What You Need to Crack and Prepare a Coconut

• Whole coconut (obviously) – found at many grocery stores
• Electric drill or Phillips-head screwdriver
• Butter knife or spoon
• Vegetable peeler
• Hammer or heavy knife

Picking Out a Coconut

Have you ever tasted a bad coconut?  Trust me, if you had, you’d know.  While most coconuts are deliciously sweet, some can have a bit of a soapy aftertaste.  There’s no perfect rule for picking a coconut, but here are some general guidelines.

• You’ll want to pick a coconut without any cracks.
• Before you buy your coconut, shake it.  If it sounds like there is a lot of milk, that is a good sign.
• The coconut should be relatively heavy for its size.
• The eyes should not be too soft.  This means the coconut is over-ripe.

How to Crack and Prepare a Coconut

There are three circular indentations on a coconut.  These are called eyes.  Use your drill or screwdriver to puncture holes in at least one of the eyes.  There will be one eye that is easier to puncture than the others.  The rest of the eyes are optional.

Drain the coconut milk into a cup.  If you’d like to use the milk, strain it with a fine strainer.  You can drink the coconut milk or using it for baking.

Hold the coconut in one hand with the eyes and the “tail” (pointy part) of the coconut on either sides of your hand.

Take your hammer or the blunt end of a heavy knife and swiftly hit the center of the coconut, turning the coconut as you go.

The coconut will begin to split along the line that you’ve been hitting.  Some coconuts take more effort than others.  (Seriously, I had to wail on the one that I used for this tutorial.  I think our apartment neighbors probably thought I was doing some heavy-duty carpentry.)

Once the coconut splits, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Rinse the coconut and wipe dry with a paper towel.  Bake the coconut halves on a cookie sheet for 10-20 minutes to loosen the coconut meat from the shell.  The coconut is ready when the meat has slightly pulled away from the shell.

Place a butter knife or spoon in between the shell and the meat and pry the meat from the shell.  If it takes a significant amount of effort, try baking it a little longer.

Peel off the inner husk (the brown part) with a vegetable peeler.  (Hint: It seems to peel easier when the husk is damp.  Run the coconut under water or use a wet paper towel to moisten the husk.)

You can eat the meat as is or use a vegetable peeler to create shredded coconut.  If you want shredded coconut, run the vegetable peeler along the rim of the coconut to create shreds.

And there you have it.  Here’s hoping your first coconut-cracking experience is better than mine!