I'm happy to report the coconut cracking technique employed by the folks at America's Test Kitchen has proved to be a winner. Unfortunately, it took me two coconuts to find that out. The first attempt was inflicted upon a less-than fresh nut - suspect my early attempts to break the shell caused undetectable hairline crack that allowed air in and the ripening/rotting process to begin. As a result, a sniff of the coconut water was less than promising and a very small sip didn't entice me to gulp the rest. Worse, the revealed coconut meat was covered in a light coating of slime that had festered into an odiferous green patch on one side. A few areas on the rest of the off-white flesh exhibited a strange pinkish hue. Out of respect for the medical professionals who have worked so hard to keep me alive and healthy, I tossed the entire shell and contents without further thought.
Today's effort was much more rewarding. Rather than cloudy, the coconut water was clear and sweet in both smell and taste. The shell took less effort to crack after its time in the oven, and the meat was easily removed from the shell. The coconut water will be incorporated into a cold mango/ginger soup. If I stop eating the fresh succulent flesh, there might be enough left to mix into a cake or some cookies. Yup, more than worth the effort. And little effort it was using this method.
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