quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: If you put the coconut in a hot oven and bake it for a bit, the shell will crack, giving you an in to start wedging/prising it open.
But that would damage the delicate coconut interior!
I got spoilt - I visited my brother last year when he was on GAP in Vanuatu. I had coconuts fresh from the tree cracked open by the kids with their bush knives (very like chinese cleavers, just longer - and everyone from 4 years old up carries them) - so good.
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Wow, I thought this would be a mayfly (althought, I didn't plan on deleting it). I didn't think it would be a two pager.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
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No, no, no. No ovens or hammers for cracking open coconuts. Take a big heavy knife, and with the blunt side of it, wack the coconut around the equator until it cracks open. My mother in law takes two or three wacks. I'm now down to a half dozen.
As for the cheapo no-name Chinese cleaver... I had one. Back in Canada. I don't have one now. I miss it. We can only get cheap crappo local knives here...
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Don't forget to FIRST open holes through two of the eyes, and drain the milk. A nailset and hammer are good for this. Drink the milk, if you like, or use it in a recipe. This will make the cracking of the husk less... messy.
On-Topic: I am obsessively infatuated with good kitchen knives. And I love the Chinese cleaver, too.
QS wrote: My mother in law takes two or three wacks. I'm now down to a half dozen.
A half dozen mothers in law?
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posted
The liquid that comes out of a coconut isn't milk, but coconut water. Coconut milk is made by squeezing the meat of the fruit.
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quote:Originally posted by imogen: Welcome to the big leagues, son.
Now, can I interest you in a knife set?
*giggle*
quote:Originally posted by John Van Pelt: Don't forget to FIRST open holes through two of the eyes, and drain the milk. A nailset and hammer are good for this.
Which is why the hammer is doubly efficient. (Dags is right about milk/water though.)
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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You know, we don't bother with nails through the eyes to drain the water. It's easy enough to hear the suddenly hollow sound and hold the coconut over a bowl, then take one more wack, pry it open a bit, and let it drain. It's a lot easier, in my mind, than using a hammer on a coconut.
And I'm glad y'all were so amused.
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So, I went with Calphalon. It seemed like a good starter knife. I drooled over the Henckels, but just could not spend the money on that. This will be a good starter knife for me and let me practice my knifework. I did get the 7" Santoku. I came home and immediately took out an onion. WOW! I have never sliced an onion that thin.
My next question, how long do I have before I need to get a sharpening steel? Can someone point me to a webpage or video that would show how to use one? I would hate to mess up my new knife.
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Where do you get a knife professionally sharpened? I've had a Henckels 7" Santoku for a couple of years and I love it. Use it daily, but now I can't get an edge on it with the steel. It is a good knife so I'd rather get it sharpen than buy a new one, but I don't have a clue where to get it done.
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Apparently I saw this a bit too late, but I also have the Wusthof santoku. After my crappy chef knife broke, a friend of mine lent me her extra (yes, you read that correctly) Wusthof santoku.
I fell in love. I didn't know that was possible with a knife.
Eventually, I found a really good sale and picked up one of my own. Reason being, I just couldn't bear to use a crappy knife ever again.
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quote:Originally posted by SC Carver: Where do you get a knife professionally sharpened? I've had a Henckels 7" Santoku for a couple of years and I love it. Use it daily, but now I can't get an edge on it with the steel. It is a good knife so I'd rather get it sharpen than buy a new one, but I don't have a clue where to get it done.
posted
I just found an old "Oster" electric sharpener (from the 1960's I'd guess). It has two motorized grind wheels placed around a slot for the knife.
Good, bad, or unknown to use.
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quote:Remember, despite the name, the steel doesn't sharpen; it hones
I'll reiterate: Honing is a grinding process that removes metal. It is not limited to sharpening, automotive cylinders are also honed (for example). A steel does not hone.
BTW, you should never use a steel on a blade immediately after using it. The edge of the blade is distorted through use, and the edge can actually curl over at the microscopic level. Using a steel in that condition will rip off the edge of the blade.
Instead, allow the edge to rest for a day before you use a steel on it. This allows the metal to return most the of way to its original shape (what they call "memory"), and the steel just positions it the last little bit. Straight razors used to come in sets of 7 so that you could use one razor each day and only strop your razor once a week. That goes for using the steel every time you use your knife. Don't overdo it.
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quote:BTW, you should never use a steel on a blade immediately after using it. The edge of the blade is distorted through use, and the edge can actually curl over at the microscopic level. Using a steel in that condition will rip off the edge of the blade.
That's why you should do it before using it.
quote:I'll reiterate: Honing is a grinding process that removes metal. It is not limited to sharpening, automotive cylinders are also honed (for example). A steel does not hone.
Whatever the technical use outside the context of knives, what is done with a sharpening steel by a cook immediately before using a knife is commonly referred to as "honing." If you use "honing" in this context, people will know what you mean.
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