Buying and storing

A fresh coconut should feel heavy in the hand and when shaken you should be able to hear the sloshing of the juice inside. The fibrous shell should be dry with no dampness, particularly around the eyes at one end of the shell.

When opened, the flesh and the juice should smell and taste fresh and slightly sweet. Coconut should be kept in the refrigerator once it has been opened.

A coconut can be kept for about a month without being opened but once the shell has been cracked the coconut flesh should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and be eaten within two days.

Extreme temperature changes will cause the coconut to crack by itself.

Opening

Place a large bowl under on the bench top with a large fine strainer in it.

To open a coconut hold it over the bowl in the palm of your hand with the eyes of the coconut facing towards your fingers. With a hammer or heavy utensil firmly tap around the equator of the coconut while rotating it in your hand.

Continue this procedure until the coconut is cracked down the centre. Depending on how hard the shell it may break open after a couple of taps or may require several.

Once the shell has cracked sufficiently the coconut can be prised apart with your fingers.

To remove the meat slide a thin knife under the meat to lift it away from the shell.

Breaking the coconut halves into smaller pieces will make it easier to remove the coconut meat. To break the halves place them on a sturdy cutting board with the exposed meat facing downwards and tap the round top with a hammer to break into smaller pieces. This will also help to loosen the meat from the shell.

Easy Oven Method:

Pierce one of the eyes of the coconut and drain the liquid. (One eye is softer than the other and will pierce easily with a skewer.)

Place the coconut in a hot oven of 250ºC for approx. 20-30 minutes, until the outer shell cracks.  Remove and gently tap. Plunge the meat into a dish of cold water for a few minutes to prevent it from cooking.