Recently I found a plastic wrapped white cylinder with a cone on top. The famed young coconut in so many raw recipes. These are different from the more commonly found old brown hairy coconuts with the rancid milk inside.
After discovering just how tough this gentle looking white “shell” was (think very fibrous woody thick), we put our biggest knife away which was hardly making a dent. We managed to poke out the milk from the bottom, I think a nail punch and hammer or electric drill would be better than what we had at the time. Then it was a hammer, a towel, and a garage floor…The exciting discovery was you get to easily spoon out wet gelatinous usable, delicious coconut pulp and drink the delicious (a bit sweet) milk.
Here is a site with instructions/photos for people with a butcher knife or machete handily sitting around: Living Foods.com. I also saw an excellent video on G Living.com, with yet another way to machete one.
I can never find my machete, countless times when I am out pushing through the wilderness on the way to work I say darn it where is my machete. So unless anyone has any bright ideas for me…maybe I will buy a hatchet? I hear it is pretty bad on any knife you have, so I am not excited about buying a knife to destroy…Any ideas?
If you cut off the white pulp around the top of the coconut you should be able to find a thin spot in the shell. A few inches down from the top go around the perimeter by tapping a small strong knife with a hammer until you find a soft spot, once the knife goes in you should be able to easily slice off a lid. Any sized knife will hold up as long as it is forged (blade and handle all one piece)
Thank you so much for the tip! So the top is less thick, that is great to hear. I will have a new way to experiment.
Here’s how I take care of my young coconut. I have two cases sitting in my fridge right now! YUM!
http://www.reallyrawfood.com/how-to-kill-a-young-coconut/
That is the BEST photo collection and description I have found! Thank you Tommie. Hooray there is hope…still a little scary. I almost thing I would have more confidence with an electric power tool of some kind…and I don’t have a butcher knife or anything like it.
Something like a Reciprocating Saw????http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/4390D/
I love an excuse to buy power tools…but I am not sure it will work.