Because I sure do! A friend of mine brought over a few fresh coconuts for us to enjoy while watching the Olympics last week, hoping I could demonstrate how to open them. Of course, I was happy to oblige! Not that my method for opening coconuts is very professional… but it does get the job done.
I simply use a cleaver to whack around the middle until a “lid” is created, then open that lid using the cleaver as leverage. And I always, always keep my spare hand behind my back, to make sure I keep all of my fingers in tact! We lucked out with this batch of coconuts– all three were in good shape! Usually I buy at least two coconuts at a time, because you never know if one is going to be spoiled. Signs of spoilage include green edges around the white outer shell (though, this doesn’t always mean it will be bad inside), pink-tinted coconut meat, or sour-tasting coconut water. With all this delicious coconut meat to use up, I decided that pudding was in order. Creamy, dairy-free pudding that’s naturally sweetened and ready in minutes! And because I can’t make up my mind, I made two flavors–> starting with my old favorite, vanilla. — Creamy Vanilla Coconut Pudding serves 1-2 Ingredients: 1 cup fresh coconut meat, from one young Thai coconut 1/4 cup fresh coconut water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon raw honey, or 12 drops liquid stevia pinch of fine sea salt Directions: Add the coconut meat, coconut water, vanilla extract, salt and sweetener into a blender pitcher, and blend until very smooth and creamy. For best results, use a high-powered blender like the Vitamix or Blendtec. Adjust sweetness to taste, if necessary, then chill for an hour before serving. It will thicken up even more in the fridge! *For quicker chilling, add 4-5 ice cubes while blending, and serve immediately! Serve chilled, and enjoy! — If you prefer chocolate pudding, the following is for you. This chocolate variation reminded me of the childhood classic– but without the sugar or preservatives of the boxed stuff! –> Click here for the chocolate recipe. — Whichever flavor you choose, I hope you enjoy it! Reader Feedback: Do you like using young Thai coconuts? I hesitate to share recipes calling for them too often, since I know they can be intimidating to open or hard to find, but they really do make for some darn good creamy treats!
