How to make raw coconut flakes/shreds

[papiyonmov]

Hi! So my husband accidentally bought mature coconuts instead of young and now I have 3 drained and ready for use. Does anyone recommend steps for how to make raw shredded (or grated coconut)? Meaning, do I scoop out the meat, dehydrate, and then run through the food processor? Or scoop, process into shreds, and then dehydrate? Is one way better than another? Anyone have an opinion about it?

[spicyfull]

You can just break it up and munch on it. You can also use a Mandoline and shread it up. You can use a Food Processor as you would for Cabbage/Cole Slaw, the Grater part and grate it up. I would dehydrate it only if I were going to Store it. I think they are MUCH Better with some Moisture in them.

[klomasius]

I make coconut milk with the recipe below and then dehydrate the resulting coconut flakes. They make great additions to cookies, breakfast crumbles, crackers etc. You can freeze the coconut till you have time to dehydrate it. :)

Coconut Milk

Ingredients/equipment:

Meat from one mature brown coconut

1 cup of water, or enough to just cover the coconut meat in the blender

Large piece of cotton/muslin cloth or a cotton pillowslip

Method:

Slice brown skin off the coconut meat and chop into manageable pieces for your blender. Place the coconut meat into the blender.

Pour the water until it just covers the coconut. Blend until all the coconut pieces have been reduced to pulp.

Place the cloth or pillowslip into a jug, with the excess cloth smoothed over the rim in order to leave a cloth well.

Pour the coconut pulp into the cloth, lift the edges and strain the milk from the pulp into the jug.

You now have fresh creamy coconut milk! Store the coconut milk in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Sweetener can be added at the blending stage if desired.

Fresh coconut milk can be used in smoothies, on cereal, in ice creams or milky icy poles and in savoury dishes such as salad dressings or sauces.

The leftover pulp can be used in cakes, breads and biscuits or dried and used in any way that desiccated coconut is. The wet pulp can also be frozen until required.

[papiyonmov]

Thanks for the tips! Since I didn't see a reply on Saturday, I went ahead and winged it by partially dehydrating first and then grating it. Mistake! It was too hard for the food processor and while it did eventually grate it, it was difficult and ended up with some big chunks. Next time I'll definitely make coconut milk first -- that way seems SO much easier, and I love coconut milk. For the sake of experimenting, I might even try rehydrating some it now and see if I can still blend it -- to get coconut milk along with even smaller pieces.