Preheat the oven to 140F/60C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

To open the nuts, use a hammer and hit firmly along the middle of the nut, twisting it as you hit. Crack the nuts open over a large bowl or a sink, as some coconut water might gush out.

Use a spoon or a knife to remove some pieces of the coconut meat from the shell – once you remove a piece, the rest will come out easily.

Refrigerating the whole nuts overnight might ease the prying out of the coconut meat.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown skin from the pulp, then rinse to remove any brown leftovers, pat dry, and transfer into a bowl.

According to your preferences, use the larger or smaller side of a grater to grate the coconut meat. Alternatively, you can chop the meat into small chunks, place it in a food processor, and pulse it until it reaches the desired size.

Place the coconut onto the baking sheet and arrange it in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, toss and arrange back into a single layer, then bake for 10 to 30 more minutes until dried (the smaller grated coconut will dry easier than the larger one).

Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Transfer into an airtight jar and keep at room temperature for up to six months.