It doesn’t matter why a coconut appeared in your house - whether it’s a gift from fate or your own whim, but something needs to be done with it. Despite its rather harsh appearance, opening a nut is not such a difficult task if you know which side to approach it from.

How to crack a coconut

Of course, this nut is an exotic fruit and not familiar to everyone. But that doesn't mean we can't deal with it.

The fruit of the coconut tree is more correctly called a drupe rather than a nut.

To cut a coconut into a nut, we must stock up on the necessary tools and follow a certain sequence of actions.

Preparing inventory

We will need:

• hammer;
• nail or screwdriver;
• large knife or hatchet;
• cup;
• towel.

Don't be intimidated by the abundance of items listed. Some of them are interchangeable and are indicated in case another item is not at hand. Which tool you use depends on how you open the nut.

Drain the juice

There are three dark spots on one of the “poles” of the nut. It will be easier to make a hole in these places.

Coconut water is often mistakenly called "milk". In fact, coconut water (juice) and coconut milk are two different things. Water is what is inside the nut, and the so-called coconut milk is obtained from crushed pulp with the addition of water.

You need to choose the softest spot and make a hole in it with a nail or screwdriver

1. Place the coconut on a towel to prevent it from sliding on the table.
2. Place a nail on one of the marks and hit it with a hammer. Calculate the force of the blow! If you overdo it, you'll end up with a hammered nail rather than a hole.
3. Make two holes to make it easier for the coconut water to pour out, and tip the nut over the glass.

Do not count on a full glass of juice; there is not much of it in a ripe (brown) nut.

Breaking a nut with your bare hands

It’s hard to imagine a Papuan walking under the palm trees with a carpenter’s kit. Coconuts have been used as food since time immemorial, which means that there are some “primitive” ways of presenting the sweet flesh to the world.

The easiest way to open a nut if you have nothing but your own hands is to hit it hard on a hard surface. For example, against a concrete wall. The “right hook” will have the desired effect if you aim: hold the nut so that the blow falls on the most convex part of the “equator” of the nut. As a rule, one decent blow is enough for a crack to appear. The disadvantage of this method is that if the gap is too small, you will not be able to simply break the nut into two halves with your hands and will have to repeat the maneuver. And if you are so strong that you simply smash a coconut against the wall, then you will not be able to enjoy the coconut juice - it will leak out.

How to open a coconut with a knife

If you have at least a knife, then this greatly simplifies the matter. It is advisable that it be a solid tool that inspires respect, for example, a cleaver knife, a hunting knife or a “chef’s knife.” With its help, you can cut a coconut in at least two ways.

Opening through a hole

If you have already made two holes in the shell and drained the juice, feel free to start cutting using the existing holes.

1. We insert the knife into one of the holes with the tip.
2. We hit the handle several times. This can be done with a hammer, or just with a fist.

This method guarantees that the nut will crack, but does not guarantee the symmetry of the resulting parts.

Video: cutting with a knife through a hole

Using a knife on the edge of a coconut

This method is used to open “full” nuts with juice inside. First of all, evaluate the “exterior” of the knife and determine what is heavier, the blade or the handle. The sharpness does not matter, because we will be tapping the nut, not cutting it. If the knife blade is heavier, use the dull side. If the handle is heavier, then grab the knife by the blade.

1. Find a natural break line approximately halfway down the nut. As you remember, this is the very place where the shell cracks the fastest.
2. Act accurately and carefully: with one hand, hold the nut suspended and constantly rotate it around its axis, and with the other hand, tap along this line with the blunt side of the knife.
3. As soon as a crack appears, insert a knife blade into it and slightly push the shell apart.
4. Pour the juice into a glass.
5. Now unseal the nut using the knife more decisively.

Video: how to split a shell into two equal halves

How to open a green drinking coconut

Green fruits are unripe nuts that have not yet had time to “ripen.” In terms of the thickness of the peel, they are somewhat reminiscent of a pumpkin, which means that the green nut can be easily handled with a kitchen knife. Simply cut off one of the coconut poles like a “lid” and enjoy!

Green coconut juice reduces appetite, normalizes digestion, blood glucose levels, thyroid function and metabolism

Coconut water is low in calories, quenches thirst, helps get rid of bladder infections and restores physical strength after intense exercise.

Safety precautions when opening a nut

Despite the fact that it is not difficult to handle a coconut, still be careful when using sharp, piercing, or cutting objects. When using a hammer, try to protect your fingers. By the way, if, of all the ways to open a coconut, you just decide to hit it with a hammer wherever you have to, then before doing this, put it in a plastic bag so as not to later look for scattered pieces throughout the kitchen.

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 out 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:

We won't throw away the shells

If cutting a coconut was so impressive that you wanted to keep these exciting moments in your memory, make a souvenir from the shell. Most often, halves of nuts are used as a salt shaker, candlestick, plate for buttons, keys and other small items. If the shell is quite deep, then by turning it upside down, you will get an excellent eco-house for a hamster. Small and unsightly shards will serve as drainage for indoor flowers.

Photo gallery: decorative and household items made from coconut shells

Candlesticks made from coconut halves will decorate any occasion Coconut shell feeder is very environmentally friendly Box in the shape of an egg - almost Faberge Cacti in a coconut pot feel like home

Terms and methods of storing coconut

One nut, as a rule, is eaten right away, so the question of how to store it does not even arise. It’s another matter when, for some reason, you have, as they say, “stacks” of these coconuts. Whole nuts will keep in a cool place for up to three weeks. But if you don’t work in the very store where you happened to stock up on coconuts, then you have no way of knowing how long they had already been on the shelf before you were tempted by them.

Important! When buying a coconut, shake it near your ear: you will hear a noticeable splash of juice. If this sound is not present, there is a high probability of running into a stale, drying fruit.

Store the opened coconut in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, as long as it remains in the shell. It is not recommended to store coconut juice. Microbes multiply quickly in a sweetish liquid, so it would be wiser to drink it right away.

• Pour boiled water over the pulp so that it does not dry out. The lifespan of “soaked coconut” in the refrigerator is 2–3 days;
• Place the peeled coconut meat in the freezer. In this form, she can wait for her fate for several months;
• Grind and dry the coconut, put it in a bag and use the shavings throughout the year. Store in a dry place.

Not everyone can pick a nut from such a height

Interesting: in the south of Thailand, coconuts are collected with the help of trained monkeys. The animal climbs up, picks nuts, and when it comes down, it receives a treat from the worker.

The sweetness and aroma of fresh nuts is much brighter than processed ones. Buy the “symbol of heavenly life” immediately before eating and enjoy the fullest taste.

Despite the fact that coconut is a fairly popular attribute of the holiday table, not everyone manages to open it the first time. If you don't know which side to approach a store-bought nut, the following instructions will help you.

Based on the arsenal of tools that you have at home, you can choose the most suitable option for opening a coconut.

Break with a hammer

If you have knitting needles in the house, before opening the coconut, you need to dig them through the “eyes” of the nut to the very core. In the absence of knitting needles, you can use an awl or a knife with a thin tip to peel fruit. Then pour the “milk” through the resulting holes.

Once the coconut is completely empty, you need to place it on a wooden surface (preferably on a stool or chair), take a hammer and hit it with the sharp end, aiming for the very middle of the fruit. It is better to hit with moderate force, holding the coconut with your other hand.

If you didn’t succeed in breaking the coconut the first time, then the next blow should be applied a little harder. When the nut shell cracks when hit with a hammer, you need to take a sharp, medium-sized knife and carefully “saw” the nut with it.

If the coconut is not intended to be used in the future to decorate the table, then you don’t need to use a knife. It is enough to break it with a hammer into small pieces and then separate the pulp from the shell.

You will learn another way to easily open a coconut by watching the video.

Peel with a kitchen knife

At home, you can open a coconut with a regular knife with a heavy handle. To do this, you need to make deep notches along the “equator line” of the coconut with the tip of a knife, and then try to saw the shell along the already prepared marks.

If everything was done correctly, but the coconut still did not open, it should be carefully tossed so that the impact on a hard surface lands on the cut site. At the moment of impact, the nut should split into 2 parts.

After the coconut is opened, it is necessary to clean it of shell fibers, or even better, rinse it well with water. The thing is that coconut fibers often contain bugs, which, when cutting the coconut, can get on the edible pulp.

Using a screwdriver

Men who have a screwdriver at home can easily open a coconut without damaging the flesh of the fruit.

To do this, you need to drill holes in it at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other according to the following pattern:

• clearly along the “equator” line (if you ultimately want to get two equal halves of a coconut with smooth edges);
• along the “equator” in a checkerboard pattern (if, in accordance with the plan, the edges of the coconut should be sharp).

Once the required holes have been drilled, the next step is to crack the coconut shell. Next, you can finally open the coconut using a regular knife according to the previously proposed scheme.

How to make a cocktail glass from a coconut?

If you plan to use the coconut in the future as a cocktail glass, then when opening it you will need to cut off only the very top. You should first remove the coconut milk from the nut. This can be done easily through special “eyes” in the coconut, piercing them with any sharp object.

After the milk has been drained, visually determine where the cut line will be and carefully cut the shell along it with a knife (or make several holes with a nail and hammer). The last action will be a strong blow to the “intended” area of ​​the nut with the butt of a hammer. After which, the top will have to separate from the base of the coconut.

Before pouring the cocktail into the resulting container, you should clean the coconut from fibers under running water. Before serving, place a straw in the finished cocktail and decorate it with an umbrella or a toothpick with fruit slices - the exotic drink is ready!

How to make a smoothie in a whole coconut?

If you plan to use coconut milk as one of the components of the cocktail, then you don’t have to break the coconut or cut off the top, but mix the necessary liquids inside it using a culinary syringe.

To do this, you need to make a hole in one of the “eyes” of the coconut with a sharp object in such a way that a tube will eventually fit into it.
This method of preparing a cocktail allows you to maximally protect the internal contents of the nut from the ingress of shell fibers.

Coconut is a delicious, aromatic, unusual tropical fruit. At times it seems that he is completely unavailable. The problem is in the peel - a rounded drupe, which is very difficult to split. In fact, it is enough to have a few auxiliary tools and know a couple of simple tricks to make the process of opening a coconut easy.

Start by preparing your tools and material. For comfortable work we will need: a hammer, a nail, a glass and the coconut itself. Having collected everything on the list, proceed to examine the fetus. On one side there are three eyes - specific spots. Two of them are tightly closed, the third is less durable. Place the nail on the weaker eye and tap with a hammer. The partition will give way easily. After twisting the nail several times in the hole, carefully remove it. Place the coconut on the glass with the hole facing down. While the coconut water (just water, not juice) is flowing out, prepare a hammer with a narrow end.


After removing the fragrant water, take the coconut in your hand with the eyes facing up. Divide it visually into three levels. Under the top third, mentally imagine a circular rim and tap it with the narrow end of a hammer.


After 5-10 minutes of circular tapping, a small crack will form. Continue the process until it becomes solid. Next, you can divide the fruit into two halves at the splitting point.

Now nothing will stop you from enjoying the juicy pulp, preparing extraordinary desserts or extracting coconut milk. We will continue to talk about it in the following tips.

Opening a coconut at home is easy. It is necessary to pour out the milk and crack the shell.

• Coconut is considered a fatty nut. Even scientists until recently doubted its benefits - they were sure that it had a detrimental effect on blood vessels, clogging them with cholesterol
• But a lot of research has been carried out, and now the whole world knows that coconut successfully fights cholesterol plaques in blood vessels. It is useful due to plant fiber and the content of large amounts of vitamins and microelements
• Many people try not to buy coconuts, despite their benefits for the body. All this is due to the fact that it is difficult to open it at home. If you know how to open a nut correctly, then doing it yourself is not at all difficult.

So you bought a coconut from the supermarket, what next?

How to open a coconut correctly at home?

A ripe and tasty coconut will be large in size. Its shell is hard and durable. How to open a coconut correctly at home so that you can get truly heavenly pleasure from its taste?

Follow these steps:

• Rinse the nut well under running water
• Examine it: the top end of the coconut has three indentations or three large dark spots
• Take an ice pick or screwdriver and push one of the holes
• Now you can insert a straw for cocktail drinks and drink coke milk, or you can pour it into a mug

Important: If you can’t make a hole, then tap the knife inserted into the recess with a hammer.

• After this, place the coconut on the table and tap it with a hammer on all sides - the nut will begin to split into pieces

Important: Be careful with the hammer to avoid damaging your hands and fingers!

• The pulp can be scooped out with a knife into small pieces

Tip: If the pulp is difficult to separate from the shell, then place the split halves in a preheated oven (200 degrees) for 15 minutes. You can use the microwave.

Important: After this, the tasty snow-white pulp will be easily separated even with a spoon.

If everything is done correctly, then there is nothing complicated in this process. Nowadays, almost everyone knows how to peel a coconut. You can buy this nut in any supermarket. Its price is low, and both adults and children like the taste - it is a tasty and satisfying nut.

Tips and reviews from other people will tell you about little tricks that will help you get the treat out of the hard shell quickly and easily.

Tip: If you want to surprise your guests with this dish, then remove the pulp from the nut in advance so as not to spoil the impression of the delicious dessert by cutting it.

Tip: Coconut shells can serve as a decorative addition to your interior. Its halves will look beautiful in an aquarium as decoration or as flower pots for small cacti. In this case, the nut should not be broken with a hammer, but cut in half with a hacksaw.

Important: Before cutting with a hacksaw, do not forget to drain the milk first. This method of cleaning requires a lot of effort and time, but the halves of the shell are perfectly used on the farm.

Tip: When scooping out the flesh with a knife, be careful not to cut your fingers!

Important: The pulp must be eaten within 24 hours. After 24 hours it starts to turn sour.

Feel like you're in heaven - try coconut! Bon appetit!

Video: How to open a coconut?

The video will help you clearly see how to open a coconut yourself.

Video: How to open a coconut at home?

This article is for those who want to know how to open a coconut, and also what this coconut can be used for, what to cook from it. In fact, opening a coconut at home can be very simple and quick. And it is not at all necessary to chase the long-suffering nut around the apartment with an ax, causing damage to the floor and furniture. Now, if you need coconut juice, coconut milk or oil, or coconut flakes for cooking, I’m sure it will be easier to open a coconut yourself than to look for these products in stores. In addition, it will turn out cheaper, tastier and healthier.

1. First, let's find out how to choose a coconut? You need to carefully examine it: there should be no cracks, damage or mold either on the shell or near the “eyes”. It’s good if the coconut is quite large and heavy, and if you shake it, liquid splashes inside. If you can’t hear the splashing of liquid, most likely the coconut was damaged during transportation, and coconut water (coconut juice) leaked out of it, and the nut itself is spoiled: such a coconut is not worth buying. By the way, the lighter the coconut, the younger it is. It will contain more coconut juice and the juice will taste better.
2. Now let's find out how to open a coconut? We find three small indentations on the coconut - “eyes”.
   
3. Using a knife, corkscrew or clean screwdriver, make a hole in one of the “eyes”. One of them is very thin and can be pierced easily; as a rule, it is located closer to the center than the others.
   
4. Then pour the liquid from the coconut into a bowl or glass. This is coconut juice (or coconut water). You can drink this juice immediately. If the coconut is good, then the coconut water should have a fresh, pleasant taste and aroma.
   
5. How to open the coconut itself? Method 1. Holding the coconut firmly in your hand, hit the middle of the coconut (equator) with the blunt side of a heavy knife or the sharp side of a hammer. or at a height of 1/3 from the top with “eyes”. Don't hit too hard, constantly turning the coconut in a circle.
   
6. After a few blows the nut will crack, you can open the coconut and split it into two halves.
   
7. Method 2. Preheat the oven to 200º. Drain the juice from the coconut and place it in a hot oven for 15 minutes. The coconut skin will crack on its own due to the temperature. When removing the nut from the oven, use oven mitts or a towel. Now the nut can be easily divided into pieces. If necessary, you can hit it lightly with a hammer - this will help separate the larger half of the shell into pieces.
   
8. Using a knife with a round end, we pry up the white flesh of the coconut and try to separate it from the hard shell. To do this, run a knife around the perimeter; the pulp should separate from the shell. Alternatively, the pulp right inside the shell can be cut into slices and removed.
   
9. You can use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the brown skin from the pulp.
   
10. The shelled coconut can be cut into smaller pieces. Coconut meat can be simply eaten or cooked from it.