Fresh coconut meat and coconut water are so delicious, not to mention healthy and full of prana or vitality. Fresh coconut water can be strained and drunk as is or added to juice or a smoothie. Fresh coconut meat is really fantastic in fruit salads, Indian style chutneys or sprinkled onto kitchari, Ayurveda’s cleansing meal.

In this video, Vijaya Selvaraju shares the easiest way to crack open a coconut. This method is her family secret. Her mom has a south Indian catering company and they open hundreds of coconuts on a weekly basis.

How To Open A Coconut

Here’s what you’ll need.

• Water
• Heavy knife, like a cleaver
• Curved knife from a hardware store or a paring knife
• Bowl to capture the coconut water in
• Coconut
• Gloves to protect your hand

The first step is to wet the coconut. This makes the shell fragile so it’s easier to break.

Next, put your gloves on to protect your hand. Notice the lines going across the coconut. You’ll want to tap those lines with your cleaver. Use the blunt end (not the sharp end) of your cleaver and simply tap each of the lines in the center of the coconut. With each tap, you’ll slowly break into the coconut.

Once you’ve broken in, let the water fall out into the empty bowl. Remove the flesh with your curved knife or paring knife by just cutting the coconut away. That’s it! You don’t need to use a hammer, bake it in the oven or smash it on the ground.

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