I have a secret for opening coconuts... you'll never worry about it again!

1) Take a small knife and poke out the one eye that is very soft. Make the hole as big as possible.

2) Rest the coconut over a glass of water to let the water drain out.

3) Drink it! (test a small sip first to make sure it's good - it should be sweet and refreshing)

4) Put the coconut in a canvas bag (an old one) or wrap it in an old scrap shirt.

5) Go out to the driveway, and bang the coconut (in the bag) against the driveway with all your might (a great way to work out the stresses of the day). It will start breaking up, but keep going because you are loosening the coconut flesh from the shell.

6) In the sink give the coconut a quick rinse (you'll find a lot of it already broken off the shell).

7) For the remainder, start around the edge. You're got two `option`s, slip a small knife in behind the flesh, and slowly work your way around it. Before you've gone even a cm you'll find that the flesh releases and just pops out. The other `option` is to make a small cut near the edge and slightly twist the knife when you reach the bottom (maybe 1 cm); this usually causes the piece to pop out.

This is what we do, and we use about 4 mature coconuts a week. Easy as pie (raw pie of course).

You can also buy coconut shredders that take the flesh out of the shell for you. We've just bought one! I can't wait to try it!!

Cheers,
Sheryl