Coconut can quench thirst and cool down, and is one of the necessary fruits for summer. For friends in the south, they may be very familiar with the method of opening a coconut, but for friends in the north, the coconuts we buy are usually peeled old coconuts. How can you open a whole coconut? That’s really not an easy thing. In fact, there are many methods to open a coconut, as long as you master the skill, it is easy to open. Below are the various methods of opening a coconut collected for everyone for reference. Maybe it can solve the little embarrassment when you eat coconut for the first time. Let’s learn together below.

In the sweltering summer, the scorching sun burns the heart. Coconut is a necessary fruit for people to keep cool in the summer, and its juice is a cooling agent for summer heat. However, how to open a coconut? If you buy a whole unopened coconut, the first time you open it may not be very smooth, especially for those peeled old coconuts. But once you master the skill, you will find it is not that difficult.

How to open a coconut: Methods to open a coconut to drink the juice

1. Drink the juice without opening the coconut

(1) Place the coconut on a sturdy flat surface to ensure it does not easily break. A home cutting board is suitable for this.

(2) Find a soft eye on the coconut to ensure that an iron rod or screwdriver can be easily inserted. If there is no soft eye, you can use a nail and hammer to drill a hole in the rough area. Note: Make sure the coconut does not slip around, otherwise you may hurt yourself.

(3) Then, divert the juice inside the coconut to the bowl. This method can be used to drink directly or for cooking. Alternatively, you can also drink directly by inserting a straw into the hole drilled into the coconut.

2. Knock with a knife

(1) Place the coconut in the palm of your hand, and place a basin or large bowl underneath. When the coconut is opened, the bowl is used to collect the dripping coconut milk.

(2) Find the gap between the two soft eyes on the coconut. Locate the central line of the coconut along this gap. Then, while turning the coconut with your palm, use a heavier blade (such as a chef’s knife, meat cutting knife, or axe) to knock the coconut open along the central line. Be sure to pay attention when using the knife. Sometimes, using too much force may hurt your hand. If you are not confident in using a knife, try not to use it.

(3) Continue to rotate the coconut while striking until it splits into two halves. If the method is correct, it usually only takes a few rotations, and the coconut can generally be split into two.

3. Strike the coconut

Note: One end of the coconut has three soft eyes, two of which are near prominent folds that look like eyebrows.

(1) Hold the coconut with one hand, placing the tips of your index and middle fingers on the two ‘eyebrows’.

(1) Then hit the ‘chin’ of the coconut hard on concrete steps or other hard objects.

(3) The coconut will crack into two halves when it is subjected to force. This method can be used before or after the coconut juice is released.

tips: When you are striking the coconut, be careful to protect your eyes. Some splashed debris may injure your eyes.

4. Break the coconut with a hard edge

(1) If you don’t have a heavier knife, this is an optional method. Hold the coconut tightly and strike it hard along the center line of the coconut on a solid edge, such as the edge of a rock or brick wall.

(2) Continue to tap and rotate the coconut while doing so until it splits into two halves.

5. Screwdriver, plastic bag coconut cracking method

(1) Use a screwdriver to drill the soft eyes of the coconut, placing a glass cup or a large bowl underneath to collect the coconut juice.

(2) After the coconut juice runs out, put the coconut in a plastic bag and place it on the concrete ground. Then use a hammer to crack it open.

(3) Then take it out of the bag.

6. Electric drill and heavy hitting method

(1) First, drill two soft eyes with an electric drill to guide the coconut juice into a bowl.

(2) Choose where you like to open the coconut. Coconuts usually crack naturally along their circumference line (the line connecting the soft eye end and the other end).

(3) Draw a white line along this circumference line just to make it easier for you to find the position. For those who are skilled, this line is not needed.

(4) Then hold the coconut in your hand, with the white line facing you for easy observation. Use a slightly heavier stone, or the end of an iron pipe, or a heavier blade edge along that white line to strike the coconut. Use moderate force, otherwise, the coconut shell may break immediately if too heavy, or it may take a long time to open if too light. Always remember not to strike the coconut with the blade edge, as this could easily injure your hand. Therefore, if you are inexperienced, it is best not to use a knife.

(5) Gradually rotate the coconut to ensure a denser tapping. It usually takes about two rotations, with about 7 taps per rotation. When you hear the cracking sound, it means the coconut is about to split.

(6) After seeing cracks, reduce the force and gently tap along the cracks continuously. Gradually rotate the coconut until it splits into two halves. If the coconut does not crack, apply a little more force and try a few more times.