How To Clean A Coconut Without Breaking It

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Whether you're cracking open a coconut for the juice, to make a yummy recipe, or even to use the shell for a craft, hollowing out a coconut is a simple process. Drain the coconut water out into a cup before gently hitting the circumference of the coconut to crack it open. After that, all that's left is removing the coconut meat from the shell. With the use of a few simple tools like a knife and hammer, you'll have a hollowed-out coconut in no time!

1
Find the soft eye of the coconut. Similar to a bowling ball, the coconut will have three "eyes" located at one end. Use a knife to test each eye, pointing the tip of the knife into an eye to try to create a hole. Two of the eyes will be hard, while the third will be soft and let you poke through to the meat.^[1]
- These eyes are also known as the coconut's germination pores.
2
Use a sharp tool to make a hole in the soft eye. This can be done using a knife, drill bit, screwdriver, or a pointed kitchen tool. Create a hole roughly the size of your pinky, poking through the shell until you get to the white meat of the coconut.^[2]
- A meat thermometer is another useful tool.
- Tap your screwdriver or drill bit gently using a hammer, if necessary.
- This hole allows the water to drain from the coconut.
3
Drain the water into a bowl, jar, or cup. Hold the coconut upside down over a cup and gently shake the coconut up and down. Let the coconut drain completely before trying to crack it open.^[3]
- Save the coconut water for later, if desired—coconut water is great for smoothies, marinades, cocktails, and salad dressings.

1

Locate the coconut's equator. This is a thin line along the middle of the coconut, also known as its natural center point. This is where it will be easiest to break the coconut cleanly in half. Find this line before you begin tapping.^[4]
2
Tap along the equator gently until the coconut cracks in half. Using a hammer or mallet, go around the circumference of the coconut gently hitting the shell. Rotate the coconut as you tap, ensuring you hit each part of the coconut's equator. Keep going in this manner until you hear a cracking sound. Once it starts cracking, use less and less force to keep it in two large pieces.^[5]
- Be careful not to hit the coconut too hard, or it will come apart in pieces instead of in natural halves.
- Avoid using a sharp blade or knife to hit the coconut—this can be dangerous.
- Don't worry if your coconut takes some time to crack open—some coconuts are simply easier to split than others.
3
Pry open the coconut if it doesn't separate naturally. If your coconut cracks but doesn't split open, pry open the coconut gently by placing a dull knife in the crack and applying leverage. Situate the knife into the largest crack to help ensure a nice split.^[6]
- Aim for cracks all the way around the coconut before prying it open to make the process easier.

1
Hold a coconut section in one hand with your cutting knife in the other. It's best if you hold the coconut in your non-dominant hand to leave your dominant hand for removing the meat. Choose a knife with a curved edge instead of a pointed tip to make the process easier.^[7]
- A paring knife or steak knife works well.
2
Make a cut into the coconut, pressing down until you reach the shell. Use your knife to form a perpendicular line from the coconut's cracked edge. Cut deep enough into the flesh of the coconut so that you feel the hard inner shell.^[8]
- The length of this cut is up to you and your knife, though the longer the cut the more flesh you'll likely be able to pry out at once.
3
Angle your next cut against the previous cut to form an upside-down V. Once your first cut is finished, form another cut angled out from the original one. This will create a triangular shape, or an upside-down V.^[9]
- Make sure you press deep enough into this cut to touch the shell, just as you did with the first cut.
4

Pry the meat from this cut section using a dull knife. Situate your knife under the flesh in the center of your two cuts. Gently pry the meat from this cut section of the coconut, twisting your knife if necessary.^[10]
5
Cut the rest of the sections to remove all of the meat. Continue making upside-down V shapes with the meat, cutting deeply until you reach the shell before prying the meat out.^[11]
- This may take some time, so use caution and be patient!
- Use this process to remove the meat from the other half of the coconut as well.

Add New Question

Question

When scraping, how is the meat different before and after baking?

It's harder to pull out when uncooked. Some small pieces will be left, but after cooking, not as much is left.
Question

Is there any easier way to get the meat out of the coconut?

Smashing a whole coconut on hard concrete ground into pieces, then using a hammer to break any large pieces, makes it easier to pop out coconut meat. If the coconut looks dark brown when you buy it, it is an older one and the meat is hard to remove and not tasty. A younger ripe coconut will have a light brown husky exterior. This meat is sweeter and easier to pop out.Therefore, selection of coconut is important.
Question

Why does my coconut meat have brown shell on it when I try to scoop it out? Can I remove the meat without this?

The thin brown skin on coconut meat is edible and provides good fiber. In some cases you can peel it off or scrape it off if you only want the pure white meat. However, shredding this thin woody casing only adds fiber to your diet and does not affect the taste of the coconut.
Question

My coconut cup soaked up the liquids inside. How do I deal with that?

You could out a clear, safe coating on it. There are coatings/varnish that are safe to use for utensils, plates and cups.
Question

Why did my coconut taste soapy?

Some people think that the natural taste of unprocessed coconut is soapy, so it might just be that you don't enjoy the taste.
Question

My coconut had a big soft blob inside. What is it?

It was likely a young piece of coconut. The young coconut's meat is soft and jelly-like, while the shell is somewhat greenish in color.
Question

I followed the instructions for opening the coconut and draining it, and the "milk" was clear and it was bitter and had a rotting scent. Should the liquid be clear?

Coconut water should be as clear was water. If it smells or tastes bad, it's spoiled.
Question

Is the coconut safe to eat if it is white?

Yes, a coconut's flesh is white and it is the most safe when it is white.
Question

Can I clean out a coconut shell without cracking it open, to save the rounded sphere? What tools can I used to fish out the meat from a hole?

No, not exactly, What you can do is try to crack it open on 2 pieces then, get the meat out. After that use a strong glue like gorilla glue and glue the shell back together.

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You can also try scooping the meat of the coconut out with a spoon.
Put your coconut in a plastic bag before hitting it with a hammer if you're worried about making a mess.
Put the coconut in the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for 15 minutes to shrink the meat from the coconut's shell.^[12] If you do this process with a whole coconut, the breaks will likely be irregular, and it must be drained beforehand so that steam does not cause it to explode.
Freeze the coconut overnight before cracking it open to make the meat easily fall out.^[13]
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown part off of the meat, if desired.^[14]

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Exercise caution when using sharp instruments, such as knives.

Things You'll Need

Knife
Cup or bowl
Hammer or mallet
Paring knife
Vegetable peeler (optional)
Screwdriver or drill bit (optional)

About This Article

Article SummaryX

Before you can hollow out your coconut, you'll need to drain it and cut it in half. The easiest way to half your coconut is to tap around its equator line with a hammer or mallet until it cracks. After it's halved, hold one half in your non-dominant hand, and use a small knife to make cuts in the flesh in the shape of an upside down V. Once your cuts are complete, use a dull knife to pry the flesh away from the shell. Continue working in this way until you've removed the coconut flesh from both halves. For tips on how to drain the liquid from your coconut, read on!

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