When I saw fresh coconuts on sale at the grocery store, I was inspired to make pina coladas from scratch.  I must admit that removing the white coconut flesh from the brown shell was labour intensive, but it was a fun challenge.

When choosing a young and fresh coconut, you want a large and heavy coconut that makes sloshing sounds when you shake it.  This means that there is a lot of water on the inside, which is what you want.  Don’t buy a coconut if it has mold in or around the black spots (called eyes) that can be found on one end of the coconut.

To open a fresh coconut, place the coconut on its side on your cutting board so that the stem and the eyes are pointing to the left and right, respectively.  Hold one end of the coconut in place with one hand and very carefully, use a machete or cleaver to cut off the other end of the coconut using a few swift downward chops at a 45 degree angle to the coconut.  You want to try to shave off layers of the end of the coconut until you can easily pierce a hole into the exposed flesh using the corner of you knife.  Then pour the coconut water into a large measuring cup.  To crack open the coconut, you could try using the back (blunt end) of a heavy cleaver and whack the middle of the coconut until it cracks in half.  (Note that there are many different ways to drain and open a coconut, so if you are uncomfortable with this method, do a google search for other methods.)  Use a spoon or a sharp paring knife to separate the white coconut flesh from the brown shell.

Pina Colada Recipe

white flesh and water from 1 large, young coconut

1 1/2 cups of fresh pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings

granulated white sugar to taste (I used 1/3 cup)

rum to taste

ice cubes

Place the coconut water in a measuring cup and top it up to 1 1/2 cups with water and place into a blender.  Add the coconut flesh, pineapples, and sugar and puree everything together until very smooth.  Squeeze the mixture through at least 3 layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher.  Chill through in the refrigerator.  Then blend in ice cubes if desired, add sugar and rum to taste and serve.