How to peel coconut: 5 easy methods
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How to choose a quality coconut
In order to bring really high-quality and ripe fruit from the supermarket, it is important to follow some rules when choosing:
- Examine carefully. The shell should be free of dents, holes, cracks and rotten areas. If there are any, it will be quite easy to recognize them - “milk” will flow out of the coconut.
- Shake lightly. The liquid does not occupy the entire volume of the coconut, so its presence will be clearly audible. If there is no sound, the coconut is most likely dry inside.
- Smell. Even through a thick layer of shell, a light fresh aroma will be felt. If there is an unpleasant smell mixed with rot, it is better to refrain from buying.
- Examine the "eyes". The three characteristic dents on the side of the coconut should be clean, free of mold, rotten areas. Attention should also be paid to the color of this place - the shell here, as a rule, is slightly darker.
Video "How to properly and quickly peel a coconut"
This video will show you how to peel a coconut at home.
How to peel a coconut
Proper peeling of a coconut is essential for its continued use in food. After all, if the fruit is carelessly split into two parts, the so-called coconut milk may spill, which for many is considered the main delicacy.
The easy way to clean the shell
If at home there were absolutely no tools at hand, and you want to eat tropical fruit, you can resort to the simplest cleaning method. To do this, you need to find the "seams". Carefully, but with effort, they must be applied to any corner (table, pedestal) and slightly pressed. Such manipulations should be carried out until the fetus itself splits.
Cleaning with a knife
For this method, you need to prepare the largest knife. The coconut should be placed in a deep container as juice will flow out of the fruit. So, on the coconut, you need to find the place where the two halves meet and set the edge of the knife there. The knife should be slowly but strongly pressed into the "seam" and tapped, and the fruit should be carefully scrolled in the hands. This procedure must be continued until the fruit cracks. This method is quite traumatic.
Using a corkscrew, hammer and hand saw
To properly and quickly peel a coconut, you can use a tool that can be found in every home, such as a corkscrew, hammer, saw.
So, first you need to drain the "milk" contained in the fetus. This requires a corkscrew. It should be screwed slowly and carefully into the shell. Pour the contents of the coconut from the hole into a prepared container.
Next, you need to chop the coconut. An ordinary hammer will help with this. They need to tap lightly over the entire surface of the fruit. Particular attention should be paid to the place where the corkscrew is screwed in, because this is where it will be easier to make a crack.After its appearance, it will not be difficult to divide the fetus into two halves.
If just peeling the coconut is not enough, but you also need to keep it presentable, you can resort to using a hand saw. It should be applied to the junction of the two halves, slightly press down and slowly begin to saw the shell in two. In this process, the main thing is not to rush so that the cutting line is straight.
When using the listed tools, all necessary safety precautions must be followed.
During the procedure, there should be no children nearby, because the coconut shell during the cleaning process can bounce off, injuring the child.
Methods for heating and freezing walnuts
To peel a coconut, you do not need to use any items at hand. You can refer to the heating and freezing method. Before carrying out this procedure, it is important to make a hole in the coconut through which the liquid must be drained. If this step is neglected, the fruit can simply explode.
The method consists in a sharp change in temperature, which will inevitably lead to the appearance of cracks in the shell. To begin with, the fruit must be sent to a hot oven for 20 minutes, and then to the freezer for the same time. Then tap the coconut lightly. As a rule, very soon cracks will begin to form on its surface.
How to split a young fruit
The shell of a young coconut is much softer and more pliable. Therefore, peeling a freshly ripe tropical nut will not be difficult.
First you need to make a small hole through which you need to pour the coconut milk. Next, on the shell, you should find the so-called eyes, from which you need to measure 2-3 fingers. This place is considered the most vulnerable, so it is in this area that you need to strike a good blow. The blunt side of the knife is perfect for this. The same blow should be applied from the opposite side. Thus, you get an even and neat cut.
Terms and conditions of storage
When buying coconut in a supermarket, it is important to understand that its shelf life depends not only on the conditions in the apartment. Much depends on the conditions under which it was transported, how long it lay on the counter. The degree of its ripeness is also important. Overripe or spoiled coconut will definitely not last long at home.
The cut product can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. In this case, the temperature must be at least 4 ° C. Low temperatures negatively affect the nutritional quality of the fruit, therefore, prolonged exposure to the cold will destroy the specific taste. Too high temperatures, in turn, will provoke decay processes.
Touching upon the issue of storing tropical fruits, it is worth touching on the topic of commodity neighborhood. Placing a coconut next to bananas or apples will significantly speed up the spoilage of the coconut, because these fruits are considered to be a kind of catalysts in the process of fruit ripening.
To properly store a peeled coconut, pour cold water over it. This will maximize the preservation of the unique taste and color of the pulp.
Coconut is a pretty tricky fruit, because in order to enjoy the fresh pulp, you will have to work hard to clean the hard shell. However, knowing the listed methods, you can spend a minimum of time peeling a tropical fruit.