Opening those darned coconuts

[Mookie]

Have any of you ever tried opening a young cocnut with an electric knife?
(After removing the water of course)

I just can't seem to get them open without making a huge mess.
My cocnut jell always has extra fiber in it - if you know what I mean!

I love love love the coconut water... I hate to waste the rest... but it sure
is a pain to get to.

[Lay-Lay]

no, never used an electric knife, but I bet it would work.

[JEN]

I wish I could show you just how easy it really is to open one. You just have to figure out where the vein is. First lay it on its side and cut at diagonal around the top. Stand it up and using the heel of your knife (big butcher type) hit a few times until you hit a thinner spot and it cracks, insert the tip on the knife into the crack you just made and slice around the top of the coconut. It slices very easily. You dont have to drain the juice until youre done. There is a couple of pictures in this blog under the month of April.
http://mawintheraw.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_mawintheraw_archive.html
I had a hard time opening them at first too. Good luck and hope this helps.

[Pailani]

I rinse the coconut under water as I spoon it from the shell. That rinses away the pulpy wood.

I've been throwing my coconut on a cement slab a few times until it cracks open.

[mbf]

www.rawguru.com watch the video clip on opening a young coconut. It really is so easy once you get the hang of it!

Mara

[AJ Bodine]

It's really easy. I just use a large knife with some weight to it. I give it usually 3-4 whacks around the top a couple of inches from the point and once I have an opening, I put the knife in and pop it open. There's a weak spot and when you hit it, it opens very easily. I challenge myself on how few times I can hit the coconut before I can pop the lid off. My lowest is 3. :D

When I scrape the meat out, I flip the spoon over to so only the tip of the spoon gets under the meat. Instead of scooping, it actually lifts the meat off the shell.

[Sharon in Colorado]

The fiber falls into the coconut for me too. I think it just takes a lot of practice and a lot of coconuts. After my cleanse and 2 cases of coconuts, I really got the hang of it.

Maybe just throw it against the wall? :p Good stress reliever.

You have got to watch or rewatch Cast Away. He had a heck of a time with the coconut, and then it was an old one when he finally opens the thing.