How to Eat a Raw Coconut

I suppose my title is slightly misleading in that it’s actually incredibly easy to eat a raw coconut… it’s getting the flesh out of the coconut that’s the problem. Once it’s out, it’s actually hard not to eat the coconut – it’s absolutely delicious! But you definitely have to work for it.

One of my future cooking classes is going to be about raw foods and it just so happens that whole, raw coconuts make for some excellent raw sauces. BUT, it takes hard work and practice to use a raw coconut. The coconut pictured below is my 4th attempt at using raw coconut and I actually felt that it was pretty easy to do this time. Coconuts will now officially be part of my every diet and can be part of your’s too if you follow these simple instructions.

1. Locate the 3 holes on the coconut (think “bowling ball”). Place the coconut on a hard surface with the 3 holes facing up. Wrap a towel around the base of the coconut so that it remains upright even when you let it go. Place a flathead screwdriver on one of the holes and hammer it through the flesh (hold the screwdriver in place with one hand and hit the end of the handle of the screwdriver with a hammer). Repeat for all 3 holes. 

2. Once you’ve made holes in your coconut, turn the coconut upside down over a clean glass and drain all of the coconut water from inside the coconut. The water will be slight dirty but I let it sit while I work on the rest of the coconut and much of the husk fiber falls to the bottom of the glass. I then carefully pour the water though a fine mesh strainer, leaving the fiber in the bottom of the glass. Reserve the water for sauces, smoothies or for just drinking!

3. Now that the liquid has been removed, place your coconut on a hard surface (I bring mine outside to use the stone patio) and bash your coconut open with a hammer. Hit it a few good times till you’re left with 5 – 10 pieces.

4. The coconut flesh must now be separated from the husk. This can be accomplished in one of two ways (I needed both, actually). For larger pieces, wedge the flathead screwdriver between the husk and the flesh and slowly work the coconut away from the husk. The flesh will pop out in large chunks. If you’re unable to get the screwdriver started, use a butter knife to cut down into the flesh till you hit the husk and then twist the knife and the coconut will pop off of the husk. Using the butter knife “method” you have to work the coconut away from the husk in small pieces (1″ x 1″ or so). 

5. Once the coconut has been removed from the husk, you’ll need to peel the coconut. For larger pieces, use a vegetable peeler. For smaller pieces, carefully cut the peel away with a sharp knife. 

6. Rinse your coconut and thoroughly enjoy! You earned it!