The last time we were in the market, my boys were very excited about a pile of fresh coconuts. They were so excited, we brought one home to have as a snack.

In addition to being delicious, coconuts have many health benefits. They are full of healthy fats, lots of fiber, and contain abundant vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. They can help stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, boost immunity, and assist a person in losing weight (Dansereau, 2012). The coconut has also been shown to have antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties (Coconut Research Center, 2004). The water is an excellent source of hydration and naturally occurring electrolytes, and can even be used as an emergency source of blood plasma (Collins, 2011).

While fresh coconuts can look a bit intimidating, they’re actually not that much trouble to prepare. I don’t have a bunch of coconut tools in my drawers. I don’t even have a large machete knife, which is what is traditionally used to cut open a coconut (though I do look at them with longing from time to time – I love good knives). Instead, I used things we have on hand: a small paring knife and a canvas bag.

First, I used a paring knife to puncture through one of the eyes of the coconut. Ideally, you would make a hole in two of the eyes, but I couldn’t manage to poke through a second eye (an awl and a hammer would have worked as an alternative here). So we opened one eye, which opened easily, and shook out the coconut water into a large measuring cup. You want to save the water, either to drink it immediately – as we did, or to use it as liquid in a smoothie, a curry recipe, or something else you think would taste good with a dash of coconut. Make sure your coconut is empty of water; otherwise, the next step could get rather messy.

Then, I placed the empty coconut into a clean canvas bag and took it outside. I then gave the coconut a very hard swing and crashed it into our cement patio. This broke the coconut shell and its attached meat into several pieces.

I brought the coconut back inside, poured glasses of coconut water for my boys to drink, and then using my paring knife to separate the coconut meat from the outer shell – you simply pry it off by inserting the knife between the meat and the shell.

It occurred to me after we finished that it may have been helpful if I would have taken pictures of the steps along the way, but I didn’t think about it at the time. Overall, it’s a pretty simple process, and the end result is delicious.

If you’re opening and eating a young coconut, THIS tool kit can be helpful.

Sources for health benefits of coconuts:

Coconut Research Center (2004). Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) The Tree of Life. Coconut Research Center.

Collins, Danica (2011). Coconut Health Benefits, Life Saving, and Antioxidant Properties. Underground Health Reporter.com.

Dansereau, Aimee (2012). The Numerous Health Benefits of Coconuts. Care2.com.