Use your usual method to husk a coconut.I had a pickaxe handy so I used that. I wanted to leave the sprout in one piece for photos, so I used the chisel end of the pickaxe.The fibers run lengthwise. Jam the chisel between them.Jam the nut onto the chisel as shown and pry. Rotate and repeat until it's easy to pull the husk off.
It's a big surprise to me, but although there are three holes in the "monkey's face", the sprout only comes out of one of them. The root and the shoot kind of tee off the side of one hole. The roots first grow down into the fibers of the husk, which act like a big sponge to soak up fresh water. After the roots are drinking well from the husk, they poke out the bottom and start looking for soil to grow in.
Open the shell in the usual way.That means tap it around the equator with a rock, light hammer, or the back of a machete. Don't hit it too hard. You don't want to break through and mash the food. When a crack starts it will grow toward the place you're tapping.When it breaks in half you can use the same process to break the shell into smaller pieces.The stem stayed with the other half of the nut.
And there it is!There's nothing bad about a coconut tree or any part of it. You can eat any part that appeals to you.
The spongy part is rich, sweet, and delicious like cake. It's probably really good for you.The remaining coconut meat around the edge isn't my favorite part. Time to get some chickens or maybe a baby wild pig to share it with.
I opened this coconut at a much earlier stage. It was just starting to sprout. That little nubbin formed inside with the stem coming out of it. It starts to absorb the meat around the stem. The coconut at this point is mostly full of water, which I drank. The meat of a coconut at this stage tastes much better to me than a regular coconut.
Question & Answer
Question: Select the incoherent image in the following sequence of images.