Fresh Shredded Coconut Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Use a metal skewer or ice pick to pierce two of the soft spots at the top, where the "eyes" are.
• Drain the liquid and save to use in other recipes.
• Place the coconut on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool until it can be handled (about 5 minutes).
• If it is not already cracked open, place the coconut on a hard surface and tap with a hammer until the shell breaks.
• Remove the white flesh with a spoon or table knife. Peel off the thin, brown inner skin with a vegetable peeler.
• Grate the coconut pieces on the fine side of a manual grater or cut into coarse pieces and grind in a food processor.
• Use the grated coconut to make coconut milk, as a garnish for fruit salad or ice cream, or in other recipes.
• Keep refrigerated.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pierce softest eye of coconut with a metal skewer or screwdriver and drain liquid into a bowl to sample (see note, above). Bake coconut in oven 15 minutes.
• With a hammer or back of a heavy cleaver break shell and with point of a strong knife remove flesh, levering it out carefully. Remove brown membrane with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler. Fresh coconut keeps, chilled, in an airtight container 1 week.
• Grate coconut as needed on small teardrop-shaped holes of a 4-sided grater or finely chop in a food processor. Freshly grated coconut keeps, frozen, in an airtight container 3 months.