Bake the coconut in a 400 F oven for 15 - 20 minutes; a little more will not hurt. Remove coconut from the oven and give it several hard whackw with a hammer to break it open and into 4 or 5 pieces. The coconut water will drain away and is not used. Pry away the coconut meat from the shell; use a dull knife to eliminate the possibility of running the knife through one's fingers. Cut the meat into 1-inch-wide strips and then into horizontal thin slices. Put about 3 cups of the slices into a blender and pour in 4 cups of water (the less water, the richer the coconut milk). Process for about 1 minute, which will be enough time to cut up the coconut and release the milk. Pour the mixture through a metal sieve and squeeze out the coconut fragments. The liquid that remains is coconut milk. It can be stored in the referator for 3 days, or it can be frozen in plastic containers for future use.
