How To Open A Young Thai Coconut (With Video & Pictures) + Info on Coconuts

Update 29/1/12: I originally posted this in 2009, but I’ve since updated the information and I’ve made a video! So I hope you enjoy this post!

Why would you want to open a young thai coconut? Because then you can get to the coconut water and coconut meat! Coconut water from a fresh coconut is so much nicer than any bottled coconut water. So I enourage you to try opening a young thai coconut for yourself, but of course be careful!

Some information on Coconut Water and Coconut Meat:

Coconut water is the liquid inside the coconut. You can drink the coconut water and use the coconut meat in smoothies or even add to
a fruit salad or curries. You can also blend together water and coconut meat to make your own coconut milk!

If you fancy yourself a fermentation fetishist try having a go at making Coconut Water Kefir (pronounced Ke-feer) using water kefir grains.

Coconut Nutrition:

According to Simonne (2004) young coconut water contains a high amount of calcium. Mature coconuts also have a high Iron content.
It also has high amounts of magnesium, potassium and phosphorous (USDA, 2004). Coconuts have a high amount of saturated fat. The type of saturated fat in Coconuts are actually medium chain fatty acids (MCFA).

HealthFoodLover.com Video: How To Open A Young Thai Coconut

Tutorial: How To Open A Young Thai Coconut

How to Open a Thai Young Coconut

1.  

2.

3.   

4.

5.    

6.

You will need:

• 1 young thai coconut
• A damp tea towel
• A sharp knife (or a sharp potato peeler)
• A chopping board (plastic or wooden)
• A jugg or glass jar
• A bowl and a spoon to dig out the coconut water

1. Get your equipment ready. Place the damp tea towel under the wooden board (it helps board from moving).  
2. Put the coconut on the side and shave, peel or slice the outside of the coconut husk until you get close to
   the hard brown part of the coconut under the husk.
3. Now balance the coconut upright . With the corner of the knife carefully hit the coconut towards the top of the coconut and make four hits around the coconut.
4. With the four holes now just made, svivel the knife around till it makes a circle and you are able to take the circle
   off as if its a lid. (Be very careful!).
5. Drain the coconut water into a glass or jar.
6. Scoop out the coconut meat and use however you like.

References:

• Discuss Cooking, 2007, Uses for coconut meat, http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/uses-for-coconut-meat-38748.html, viewed 3/8/2009.
• Shilhavy, B, http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil_healthy.htm
• Simonne, A, Bobroff, LB, Cooper, A, Poirier, S, Murphy, M, Oswald, MJ, Procise, C, 2004, ‘FCS 8525 South Florida Tropicals: Coconut’, University of Florida, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE618, viewed 3/8/2009.
• USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1, 2004, Nutritional Facts-Coconut, http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/nutrition.pdf viewed 3/8/2009.
• Yong J, Ge L, Ng Y, Tan S, 2009, ‘The Chemical Composition and Biological Properties of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Water’, Review, Molecules, 14, 5144-5164, (click to download: coconut water composition )

Have fun (but be careful!) and enjoy your fresh coconut water and coconut meat!

Michelle

© Copyright: 2009-2012 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com. See the disclaimer here. Have a look at the recipe index for more health food lovin’ recipes. Join the Facebook page & follow Health Food Lover on twitter.

Michelle

Health Food Lover is Michelle Robson-Garth. Michelle is a degree-qualified Naturopath (BHSc) and Massage Therapist. She is also a passionate writer, recipe-creator and all-round foodie from Melbourne, Australia. © Copyright: 2009-2012 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com. Read the disclaimer here. Have a look at the recipe index for more health food lovin’ recipes. Join the Facebook page & follow Health Food Lover on twitter.

More Posts by Michelle →

Tagged as: 2 and 5, Australian bloggers, coconut how to, coconut water, eat for health, eat for health recipes, eat to live, eat well, free healthy recipes, good food, good health information, health eating guide, health food, health food lover, health food lover blog, healthy eating recipes, healthy eating tips, healthy food, healthy food blog, healthy food blogs, Healthy Recipes, homemade coconut water, information coconuts, live well, Melbourne bloggers, Naturopath, Naturopath recipes, Naturopathic recipes, nourishing recipes, nutritious recipes, open young coconut, recipes, recipes by a naturopath, the health food lover blog, young thai coconut