Operation Coconut

by Petra Moelker-Pronk

At the picturesque fruit and vegetable market (also known as the tamu) in front of the fish market in KB, a place of honor is reserved for the coconut man. Coconuts are split here at a rapid pace. He pops a straw in it, and you have a delicious cooling drink. This market vendor uses a cleaver as a chopping knife, but you can do it yourself in your own kitchen.

 

Drain the coconut water.

For Operation Coconut, place the fruit in the freezer or a preheated oven (100 C) for 15 minutes. Cooling or heating the shell ensures that the flesh comes off more easily. Place the coconut on a hard surface, such as a cutting board. Pierce one of the three soft black dots with a sharp object, such as a screwdriver, a nail or a small sharp knife. Make the hole as large as possible, and tilt the coconut to pour the coconut water into a glass. This is the first of the coconut’s treasures.

 

Open the coconut.

The second treasure is the white coconut flesh within. When it comes to breaking open a coconut, you probably have visions of an ax, chopping knife or saw. The real adventurer can try this, but the simple kitchen prince or princess can do it with ordinary tools—either with a knife or with a hammer.

 

To open the coconut with a knife, hold the coconut tightly in your hand. Hit the blunt side (not the sharp side!) of the blade of a large kitchen knife right in the middle of the coconut. Turn the fruit a little bit and keep hitting along an imaginary centre line. As a result, the shell bursts in two.

 

If the knife option seems too scary, you can wrap the coconut in a towel and smash it with a hammer. Because this method requires more power, do it on the floor rather than on the kitchen counter.

 

The flesh is now easy to pop out with a spoon. The thin brown skin around the flesh is edible, but you can also cut it off. Put the pieces of coconut in the food processor, and you will get grated coconut.

 

Recipe: Fresh Coconut Milk

(from Annemiek Sherestha-van der Krogt’s blog)

 

Despite what people often think, the coconut does not contain coconut milk but coconut water. Coconut milk is easy to make yourself. It is a healthy and lactose-free alternative to cow’s milk or soy milk.

 

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 cups coconut, grated

 

Preparation method:

1 Heat the water in a pan, but do not let it boil.

2 Put the grated coconut in the blender and add the water.

3 Mix the ingredients on high for a few minutes until the mixture becomes creamy.

4 Pour the mixture through a colander to filter out the grated coconut.

5 Place a tea towel over the bowl and pour the coconut milk through it. Squeeze well to remove all milk.

 

Optional: Coconut Flour

6 Spread the squeezed coconut mass onto a baking sheet and bake at 100° until it is dry. Put it in the food processor and grind it into coconut flour. Zero waste!

 

The coconut milk keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If the milk is stored in the refrigerator, a cream layer forms on top after a while. Take the milk out of the fridge, let it come to room temperature and stir it a little; the cream layer will disappear automatically.

 

Click here to read this article and more from the November 2019 Issue.