Re: making my own coconut products

[Guest guest]

I got a GREAT tip on the coconut-info list on how to remove the hard outer

shell:

Drain cocount as usual. Place in two plastic bags, go outside, and smash to

death on concrete or rock, for about 10 seconds. (hold plastic bag like a

club!) You will have nice little chunks of coconut, which you can then wipe

or rinse off a little. Saves about 20 minutes of " peeling " time and

prevents you from stabbing youself in the finger as you try to pry the

friggin meat out!!!

Ramit

_________________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Ramit wrote:

> Drain cocount as usual. Place in two plastic bags,

> go outside, and smash to death on concrete or rock,

> for about 10 seconds. (hold plastic bag like a

> club!) You will have nice little chunks of coconut,

> which you can then wipe or rinse off a little. Saves

> about 20 minutes of " peeling " time and prevents you

> from stabbing youself in the finger as you try to pry

> the friggin meat out!!!

This does work! I just did this a little over a week ago. I didn't swing

the bag like a club though, instead I set the bag on the floor and used a

hammer. I decided to save the club wielding for when I have some agressions

to work out. I've generally avoided buying coconuts because I hated trying

to get into them. After opening that one using this method, I went back to

the store and bought two more. I suspect I'll be eating a lot more fresh

coconut from now on.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonja,

I bought a couple of coconuts a month or so ago and did what you described.

It took me about three hours to process two coconuts. Even after baking the

whole coconut, the meat still likes it's cozy home in the shell. I got sore

thumbs peeling the brown skin off the meat. I did end up with a very nice

product, but that afternoon I checked my co-op and they had organic shredded

raw coconut for something like $2.00 a pound. I made both the cream and the

dried shredded coconut mixed with maple syrup al la NT. The amount of

coconut butter that rose to the top is like none I've ever seen.....very

nice, but maybe only a little more than a half cup or so. Anyway the whole

thing was quite labor intensive. I'm glad I did it to learn, but I won't be

doing it often unless someone tells me an easier way.

Carmen

[Guest guest]

Carmen wrote:

> Ya but, what about paring the brown skin off after

> you get the meat out? Don't you find it tedious? Seriously,

> my thumb pad was almost bleeding after two coconuts.

If you're just going to eat it or pulp it for cream, milk or oil, there's no

need to remove the brown skin. If you want to remove it for aesthetic

reasons (shredded coconut) one option (I'm sure there are others too) is to

use a grater or zester to rub it off.

[Guest guest]

> > from stabbing youself in the finger as you try to pry

> > the friggin meat out >>>>>

>

> Ya but, what about paring the brown skin off after you get the meat out?

>Don't you find it tedious?

I wouldn't know. I don't do it.

--

Quick

www.en.com/users/jaquick

" One of these days someone smarter and younger and more articulate

than I is going to get through to the American people just how really

messed up it has become. And when that happens, the American people are

going to rise up like that football crowd in Cleveland and run both

teams off the field. " --Sen. Zell

[Guest guest]

At 12:46 PM 3/13/2002 -0800, you wrote:

> Ya but, what about paring the brown skin off after you get the meat out?

>Don't you find it tedious? Seriously, my thumb pad was almost bleeding after

>two coconuts.

I use a hammer to open and crack the shell into considerably smaller pieces

(against a wooden plank I have) and save the milk into a stainless bowl

(and then a coffee filter to get the debris out of the milk). It is then

much easier to pry the meat away from the shell with a strong, dull knife

(like a butter knife) and rinse (optional). Then dice the meat - brown

skin and all - and put it through the GreenLife juicer for room temperature

coconut " cream " (about 1 cup per coconut). I get organic, light tan

coconuts with a short, pointed " beard " at one end. Takes me about 20

minutes for the entire process excluding cleanup of the juicer. And.... no

bruises or cuts ;->)

-=mark=-

[Guest guest]

Theta,

Just eat the whole thing, brown skin and all. I imagine that

most of the fiber in a coconut is concentrated in the brown skin.

I've been eating coconut meat without peeling for nearly a year now

with no adverse effects. Just be careful, sometimes a piece of shell

sneaks in and can hurt a tooth if you don't watch what you eat or

chew carefully.

> > Ya but, what about paring the brown skin off after you get the

meat out?

> >Don't you find it tedious? Seriously, my thumb pad was almost

bleeding after

> >two coconuts.

>

> I use a hammer to open and crack the shell into considerably

smaller pieces

> (against a wooden plank I have) and save the milk into a stainless

bowl

> (and then a coffee filter to get the debris out of the milk). It

is then

> much easier to pry the meat away from the shell with a strong, dull

knife

> (like a butter knife) and rinse (optional). Then dice the meat -

brown

> skin and all - and put it through the GreenLife juicer for room

temperature

> coconut " cream " (about 1 cup per coconut). I get organic, light

tan

> coconuts with a short, pointed " beard " at one end. Takes me about

20

> minutes for the entire process excluding cleanup of the juicer.

And.... no

> bruises or cuts ;->)

>

> -=mark=-

[Guest guest]

> from stabbing youself in the finger as you try to pry

> the friggin meat out >>>>>

Ya but, what about paring the brown skin off after you get the meat out?

Don't you find it tedious? Seriously, my thumb pad was almost bleeding after

two coconuts.

Carmen