Coconut

In Singapore, I never had to open a coconut and shred it myself. It is much easier to get fresh shredded coconut from the store or market. There is a store, next to my block in Singapore that has the coconut shredder machine to shred the coconut meat in seconds. He would have some already open, just waiting to be shredded.. and when ever I'm getting fresh shredded coconut, he would always asked me, " Mau ada kulit atau tak da kulit?" (want with or without the skin) and I would say "Tak mau kulit" (without the skin). In Tennessee, I do not have an "apek" store next block so I have to do it all by myself. So how to open a coconut???? The first time, it took me so many hours to open using the hammer and knife and then still have to shred. Lol!!! After learning the steps of opening a coconut from the web, it  is so easy and took me shorter time than before.. hehe...

To open the the coconut, you'll need towel, hammer, large nail and screwdriver. Be sure to have the hammer, nail and screwdriver clean before using on the coconut.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using the hammer and nail to poke a hole in all the eyes of the coconut. Use the screwdriver to enlarge the holes. Drain out the coconut water in bowl. Place it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until you hear a pop sound (that means it had cracked).

Using a pot holder to remove the coconut from the oven (be careful because the coconut is hot). Hit it with a hammer until it splits. Do not knock the coconut on the counter top, please use the hard floor. Tap the shell with the hammer until the meat falls away from the shell. Pry the white coconut meat from the inner husk by using a small knife.

After rinsing in clean water, the pieces of coconut can then be shredded using a  shredder. Shred the pieces of coconut slowly and patiently. I still do get small cuts from shredding the coconut meats.. so be careful when handling the knife and shredder. You can also use the the food processor to grate the coconut meat; use pulse to your desired texture.

Once you taste freshly shredded coconut, you will never want to buy the dry dessicated coconut flakes from the store again.. and you'll be able to enjoy fresh coconut anytime.

My relatives in Malaysia had made nice little astray from the coconut husk. It look really nice so I took one as a souvenir and bring it to the US for decoration.






Notes:

• Make sure the coconut water smells and taste sweet. If the coconut water does not taste sweet, then the coconut is inedible.
• Do not throw the coconut water away, you can drink it immediately or use it to mix with the grated coconut to make the coconut milk/cream.
• It is best to use right away when it's at its freshest. 
• Fresh coconut meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six days and kept in the freezer for one to two months.