The Safest Way To Crack A Coconut Open

The idea of eating fresh coconut, or drinking fresh coconut water, is synonymous with tropical islands and cocktails by the pool ... in other words, pure relaxation. Preparing a coconut for consumption, however, is about as far from a holiday as it gets, thanks to one seemingly insurmountable obstacle — the fruit's notoriously hard shell. Designed to protect the coconut when it falls, this thin, husk-covered coating measures around 3 ½ on the Mohs hardness scale (making it about as hard as a copper penny). As such, it has been used for purposes far beyond those of the culinary realm, including in homewares, instruments, and jewelry. It also means that it can be an absolute nightmare to deal with in the kitchen.

Over the years, countless methods have been devised in a bid to crack the coconut's tough exterior (some of which, if we're honest, seem more likely to result in an injury than actually getting to the fruit inside). Handsaws, knives, and even bashing the fruit in a bag against a wall are just some of the many techniques that people have experimented with. However, it turns out all you really need to crack open a coconut safely is a screwdriver, and a hammer — and you'll get to keep all of your fingers in the process.

Along with a screwdriver and a hammer, you'll need a couple of kitchen towels and a sturdy chopping board on hand. Place one towel underneath the cutting board, and another on top — this will stop the coconut from rolling around while you work. Next, take the screwdriver (a Phillips head works best) and insert it, all of the way, into each of the coconut's eyes (these are the three distinctive holes on the top of the shell). You may need the hammer to help you with this. Tip the coconut upside down over a bowl to release the water, and set it aside for later (check out this list of ideas for inspiration).

Next, take the hammer and bang, several times, at intervals along an imaginary line around the center of the coconut until it cracks open (holding it firmly and of course, being mindful of your fingers as you go). The white coconut meat or flesh can then be easily separated from the shell, using a spoon.

Now that you've cracked open your coconut, you can put the fruit to good use (but not before giving yourself a solid pat on the back!). Either eat it as is — you may want to use a peeler to remove the brown skin first — or grate or shred it into these coconut baked donuts, crispy coconut baked chicken breasts, and chewy coconut chocolate chip cookies.