• Crack open your coconuts. The easiest is to use a hammer and hit along the middle of the coconut, twisting it as you go until it cracks open. Open it over a bowl to drain the coconut water.

  Alternatively, you might want to use another method for opening a coconut (especially if you are going to keep the shells for making coconut bowls).
• Collect the fresh coconut meat. Use a spoon, a knife, or a specialized coconut tool to pry the meat away from the shell. Once the first few bits are free, the rest is easy to pull away.

  Alternatively, bake the coconut halves in the oven at 175ºF/80ºC for 10-15 minutes, and the meat will begin to separate from the shell. OR, freeze the whole coconut in the freezer overnight and then open it with a hammer—usually, the shell just chips right away from the meat.
• Peel the coconut meat (optional but recommended for white final product). Peel the brown soft brown skin from the white meat with a vegetable peeler. Rinse the white parts.
• Pulse or grate: Cut the coconut meat into a few pieces and pulse it in your blender or food processor until fine crumb consistency.

  Alternatively, grate with a box grater (cheese grater), using the smallest holes (the ones for spices).

  For a more shredded coconut texture, use the largest holes.
• Dehydrate the coconut until thoroughly dried and crumbly.

  In the oven: Dry them in a single layer on a baking sheet at 140ºF/60ºC for about an hour (the time can vary). After 40 minutes, check them, shake them, and then return them to the oven until crumbly and dry. 

  In a dehydrator: Dry at 105ºF40ºC for about 4-6 hours until crumbly and dry.
• Store the Desiccated Coconut: Transfer it to an airtight container or a glass jar and store it in a dark place like your cupboard or pantry. Enjoy!

For a sweetened version

• To sweeten coconut, use 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1/4 cup of water per 1 cup of coconut.

  In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the coconut and stir it well. Remove from the heat and occasionally stir while the desiccated coconut absorbs the liquid (this may take a few minutes).

  Spread on a baking sheet and either dry out in the oven or at room temperature before storing. For a toasted sweetened version, leave it longer in the oven until lightly browned. 

  You can also do this with unsweetened, dried coconut. Let the coconut sit in the syrup for 5-10 minutes to rehydrate and soak up all the liquid.