How To Prepare Fresh Coconut Recipes

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• 1. Use a nail to punch holes in 2 of the 3 indentations at the end of the coconut.
• 2. Drain off the coconut milk and use it like milk in cooking or to cover grated coconut for freezing.
• 3. Heat the coconut in 350° oven for about 15 minutes ; then crack with a hammer , pry out chunks of the coconut meat ; peel off the brown skin.
• 4. Grate , shred or grind the coconut chunks.
• 5. To dry the coconut , mix it with a little bit of sugar and vanilla , then spread on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Set in warm place to dry ; stirring occasionally.

TO CRACK AND SHAVE FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pierce softest eye of coconut with a metal skewer or small screwdriver and drain liquid into a bowl to sample (if it tastes sweet, the coconut is fresh; if it tastes oily, the coconut is rancid and should be discarded). Bake coconut in oven 15 minutes.
• Break shell with a hammer or back of a heavy cleaver, then remove flesh with point of a strong knife, levering it out carefully. Remove brown skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
• Shave edges of coconut meat pieces with a vegetable peeler until you have about 3 1/2 cups shavings.

TO CRACK AND GRATE FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pierce softest eye of coconut with a metal skewer or screwdriver and drain liquid into a bowl to sample (see note, above). Bake coconut in oven 15 minutes.
• With a hammer or back of a heavy cleaver break shell and with point of a strong knife remove flesh, levering it out carefully. Remove brown membrane with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler. Fresh coconut keeps, chilled, in an airtight container 1 week.
• Grate coconut as needed on small teardrop-shaped holes of a 4-sided grater or finely chop in a food processor. Freshly grated coconut keeps, frozen, in an airtight container 3 months.