Sunday, February 28, 2010

How To Open A Young Thai Coconut (video)

I'm frequently asked about the easiest way to open young Thai coconuts. I made a quick video showing you just how I do it. Enjoy!


Links to the equipment I used:
MAC Knife
Cleaver
Fruit Scooper


Here is a link to the organic coconut I'm going to buy. Has anyone tried them? UPDATE: Bummer... I placed an order and they emailed me the following information: The shipping method you chose is taking two days to Arizona. We have had trouble with 2 day deliveries in the past and can therefor only guarantee the product if shipped over night. Shipping the coconuts overnight would cost an additional $40. Please let me know if you would like to upgrade your shipping mode. An additional 40 bucks? Yikes, I think I'll pass. In the comments you'll see someone suggested another company from Florida. I think I'll try them.

25 comments:

  1. Another nice video, Kristen. Great idea to keep some young coconut juice on hand for your home birth in June.

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  2. Great video!! You look so adorable and glowy!! Lovin your belly!!

    My hubby usually opens mine.. he does it the bad ass way! LOL! :)

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  3. Thanks for the tip! I'm new to your blog, but I just wanted to say that I'm so glad to have found a "raw chef!" I'm sure I'll learn a ton from you and your blog. Thanks!

    Natural Parenting

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  4. This is seriously one of the most useful things I've ever found on a blog. I have hacked away at young coconuts, hit them against hard surfaces, and otherwise failed at opening them with finesse. Thanks a lot Kristen! May we both become young coconut badasses some day.

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  5. I haven't tried that company. Let me know what you think. Unfortunately, I'd have to pay considerably more for shipping since I don't live on the west coast.

    I did find an organic source for Hawaiian coconuts which I used once. Again, costly, and not exactly local for me. But still, I refuse to buy the young Thai coconuts sold in stores that were picked 6-8 weeks ago, dipped in fungicide and then shipped. Too scary and I've had way too many rotten ones (that lovely purple-colored flesh/water) for my liking.

    Pregnancy suits you! You look even more beautiful, if that's possible.

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  6. you're glowing and I love the orange-ish shirt on you....really pretty color for you!

    anyway, thx for the tutorial, I admit, I am a nervous nelly with coconuts, thank you for the video!
    xxoox

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  7. you're adorable!!! I remember you classes you used to have and I remember you showing us all how to open a coconut!! you're awesome!!! miss those classes ;) but thank goodness for YOUTUBE!!! ;)
    HUGS!!!

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  8. we got this cleaver from amazon for $9.95. works great. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001CNK7C/ref=oss_product

    matt monarch claims that the formaldahyde will not get into the hard shell at all. it is encased with a hard shell after all. i suppose it's akin to a nonorganic banana or pineapple in a way.

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  9. also wanted to tell you about this site with organic coconuts:
    http://www.florida-coconuts.com/index.php

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  10. Groovy, Bitt of Raw, thanks. I know there are a few sites offering organic young Thai coconuts. Have you tried this company?

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  11. Yeah, I've heard Matt Monarch say that, too - I'm not sure he's actually tested the inside to know for sure. I've heard others disagree with him. And, not to mention, they're not usually organic. So, your getting a product grown with pesticides, herbicides, etc. I'm opting to go organic in the future. :)

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  12. I know I was one of many who begged you for this. So, thank you. Also, if anyone is in NYC, you can find fabulous cleavers in chinatown for $10. Seriously!
    I just wish unadulterated coconuts were easier to come by.

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  13. Great info! Just yesterday, I almost bought a young Thai coconut for the first time, but then thought "Nah, I'll probably ruin it trying to open it." Now I can!

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  14. That's funny! I just bought 2 coconuts at the Asian market yesterday :)

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  15. Hey Kristen,
    I'm not sure if you would be interested in this or not, but the only coconut products I can get in central Illinois are dried coconut and cans of coconut water. I'm sure you would like getting whole coconuts so that you can keep the meat, but if you are looking for just coconut water, you could try http://www.edwardandsons.com/nfact_shop_coconutwater.itml
    I drink this stuff all the time and I love it!

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  16. great video kristen! you are too cute!=)

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  17. Good on you for choosing a home birth. I had two and they were amazing. Are you planning on doing attachment parenting etc. too?

    We did the whole co-sleeping, baby wearing, breastfeeding thing and we all got so much out of it. People kept telling us how "good" our baby was but in reality she just didn't need to cry etc. because we were in sync with her needs and knew how to read her little grunts. She never had to work herself into a tizzy.

    Slight question. Does a baby thai coconut have softer meat than a regular brown coconut?

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  18. Yes, it's softer. Sometimes it's almost jelly like.

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  19. Have you heard of Vitacoco? They contacted me on my blog and are supposed to send me some coconut water. But it has been weeks and nothing. I emailed them and said it should be coming soon...Anyway- I didn't know you could freeze the water. Maybe I'll do that next time I get a thai coconut.

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  20. Hi Capt'n,
    Yes, I've seen those at Whole Foods, right? I'm not crazy about buying packaged coconut water because it usually means that it's been pasteurized or something to give it a shelf life. I'm not sure about that company specifically though. I will buy in traveling, when I'm in a pinch, if I want coconut water, but ordinarily I pass on it. Plus, it's not organic, and as you know, I limit my consumption of coconuts unless I can get them organic.

    Also... the packaging... I'm inclined to believe it probably has BPA in it? The lining perhaps? I try to limit my exposure to that as well and packaged coconut water doesn't mean enough to me to warrant having that extra toxin.

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  21. I'm really afraid to buy coconuts because I feel like I always waste so much meat and invariably cut myself at some point, thanks for this video, I feel much more confidents now!

    Also, I wish you had a cooking show. I would watch the heck out of it!

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  22. Cool video SS! I actually worked out how to do this YOUR WAY AFTER I filmed my silly one of me hacking at my coconut on my blog haha. Oh well, I just had to get me some coconut water. And I love the fruit scoops too after you got me onto them.

    Off topic though, how gorgeous do you look!!! You are positively glowing and pregnancy agrees with you :)

    Love ya xx

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  23. I'm late on the viewing and commenting but I love this video! You're so energetic and fun to watch! Thanks for the info!

    I just have to know... what's that on the drying racks behind you? It looks like a science lab filled with mason jars!!

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