Fresh Coconut 101

Choose a brown, hairy coconut that feels heavy and sounds like it’s full of juice when you shake it. If possible, have someone help you, since this task calls for an abundance of hands-on work.

Set out a hammer and a large bowl or a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. If you are right-handed, hold the coconut in your left hand, directly over the bowl or pan, with the three “eyes” toward you and the pe