Closeup of removing husk from coconut using shovels

This post's video shows a closeup of how to remove the husk from a mature coconut using two spade shovels. This shows how to stick them into the coconut, back to back, then pry the husk apart by bringing the shovel handles together. After you have pried most of the husk away I show you how to use the blade of the shovel to scrape away more of the husk so you can then easily pull the coconut away from the remaining husk. See my prior posts on how to split the coconut nut into two even halves. Another post shows how to use this coconut grater available from Amazon to quickly shred the coconut right in the shell. You no longer have to pry the meat out of the shell first. Use the shredded coconut to make coconut milk, coconut macaroons and other goodies as I will show you in future posts.

How To Open a Coconut with Husk

In this post's video I will show you how to remove the coconut from the husk. This is for a mature brown coconut. This uses commonly available tools; two spade shovels. I learned this method in the Florida Keys where there are a lot of coconuts. My own coconut palm tree is producing a lot of coconuts so I use method all the time. It is so much faster than trying to chop open a coconut with a machete - not to mention safer. After removing the husk you can see my prior posts on the quick and safe way to remove the water and crack the coconut into two nice even halves. I then use an inexpensive hand crank coconut grater to shred the coconut right in the shell. This is another big time saver. I use the shredded coconut to make coconut macaroons, coconut milk, coconut butter and even coconut ice cream. Check out some of these on my prior posts, and subscribe to see future fresh coconut recipes.

How To Make Coconut Macaroons

You can make these yummy Coconut Macaroons from either unsweetened coconut or fresh shredded coconut. These are gluten free and vegetarian so all my friends can enjoy them.

You can see my previous post on how to easily shred a coconut in the shell if you want to start with fresh coconut. I used 2 coconuts and got over 4 1/2 cups of dried coconut, which I used for 1 1/2 batches of macaroons. Shred your coconuts and spread the fresh shredded coconut on baking pans and put it in the oven at 180F for about 2 hours to dry it out.

Below is the rest of the recipe if using unsweetened coconut, or you have dried your own coconut:

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• 3 cups shredded coconut
• 1/3 Cup Honey

Directions:

1. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl
2. Stir in the Honey and Coconut and mix well
3. Use a small scoop or round measuring spoon to scoop out batter out and plop it onto parchment covered baking pan. Try to make them a rounded mound shape.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350F, or until you are seeing some browning at the tops.

I have a coconut tree so I enjoy making treats from fresh coconut meat. I hope you enjoy these. Stay tuned for more recipes from healthy fresh coconut. Below is a picture of 1 1/2 batches of my coconut macaroons.

Tips on using the Coconut Grater

This post's video shows a close-up view of grating coconut in the shell with the Odiris coconut grater/shredder, along with some tips. In my previous posts I showed how to remove the water and  easily split a coconut into two halves for use with the coconut grater. Also I showed the basic use of this tool to shred the coconut meat right in the shell to save you time. This video shows a close-up of how to hold and rotate the coconut as you are grinding out the coconut meat. It also shows how fast the odiris coconut grater can remove all the meat from the shell. If I am grinding a few coconuts I like to enjoy some of the coconut water poured over some ice - its natures sports drink! Order this time saving Odiris Coconut Shredder from Amazon today and start enjoying fresh shredded coconut the easy way. Stay tuned for more posts on coconut recipes, how to make coconut milk and butter from shredded coconut, and more.

How to Shred Coconut in the Shell

This post shows you how to shred coconut right in the shell using the Odiris Coconut Grater. Now you don't have to remove the coconut meat from the shell, then grate the coconut pieces. Instead you use this hand crank tool to grate the coconut right out of the shell in one step. This saves lots of time and also prevents your fingers getting scraped up! The video below shows how to setup and use the Coconut Grater and how fast it works to remove coconut meat from the shell.
 This Odiris Coconut Grater is available on Amazon.com. It is very heavy duty - all steel body and stainless steel blades. This is made in Sri Lanka where they have been making these since the 1950's. This is built to last many years. I have grated over 80 coconuts with mine so far and it is still as sharp as when I bought it.
 It will clamp onto a table or counter that is up to 1 3/4 inches thick. It has a smooth clamping surface so that it will not scratch up your kitchen counter.
 I evaluated many different coconut grater tools before buying this one. Many of the other ones have a plastic base and a suction cup to fasten it to your counter. I found there were many users dissatisfied with these because the suction cup would come loose after a few cranks. You do quite a bit of pressure on the grater when you are pressing the coconut while cranking the handle, so I can see why a suction cup just is not going to work well. The clamp on the Odiris Coconut Grater has a 3/8 inch diameter shaft on the steel clamp. The only complaint that I have is the arm on the clamp is a little short, so it is hard to tighten it down very firmly by hand. What I do is give it a few more turns with a pair of pliers, then it is on there sturdy for some fast grating. I would highly recommend the Odiris Coconut Grater for your home use. You can start enjoying the health benefits of fresh coconut, and use shredded coconut to make coconut milk or use it in all kind of recipes. I will share some of my favorites in upcoming posts.

How To Open a Coconut

In this post I will show you how to open a coconut. This is for the mature kind of coconut that has all the husk removed, not the young coconuts. The video shows you how to split it open into two nice halves. This is important if you want to shred the coconut meat right in the shell using the Odiris Coconut Grater. This saves tons of time and I will show you how to do that in the next post. Shredded coconut can then be used many ways. You can eat it fresh, as a topping, make coconut milk, bake coconut squares, make coconut butter and lots of other goodies. Coconut is a super-food that contains healthy fat that has a lot health benefits and does not contribute to your cholesterol, so eat up!