Make Your Own: Coconut Milk
We go through coconut milk in this house probably more than we go through soy milk. We can't get enough of the rich, creamy stuff -- whether we use it to make curry sauces or smoothies, substitute for "regular" milk in baked goods, etc. And we may start using it more. I read an article the other day about soy . . . and no matter you opinion on how much is too much, I think the two of us are both consuming a bit over the limit. So, coconut milk it is!
A can of coconut milk costs about $3.50 at our grocery store. This coconut? $2.99. The yield was pretty much the same amount. The taste? Fresh coconut equals fresher milk. And the process is so incredibly easy, we just couldn't wait to share it with all of you.
Please note: The cats, as always, were of no use to us in this process. They didn't lift a paw or even feign interest.
STEP 1: Crack open the coconut. The instructions on the coconut (we purchased one from Amy's Organic, which was in the produce section at our local Wegmans) said to cut off the diamond-shaped tip. I'm not sure if that meant the entire top, but that's what we did. Stephen used a hammer to gently guide our knife and crack it. I suggest you place the coconut in a shallow bowl or other container because the coconut water will spill out at bit and you want to collect as much of it as possible.
STEP 2: Enjoy your accomplishment. That first step is the most difficult in the entire process. And I had never broken into a real coconut before. (As opposed to a FAKE one? I don't know what I'm talking about). But what's inside is, for lack of better words, cool! Enjoy it!
STEP 3: Scrape away. First make sure you collect all the coconut water in bowl. Then, take a regular spoon and scrape all that fatty white flesh that's inside. That's what you'll blend with the coconut water to create the milk. You'll notice some brown stuff sticking to the white . . . just gently peel that away. If you don't get all of it, no worries. We didn't either, but hardly noticed it in the end product.
STEP 4: Blend. Just combine all the coconut water and flesh in your blender and pulse on high until fully combined. The texture will be frothy. And the milk will taste fantastic.
Now you have coconut milk. Pretty amazing, right? Use it in your favorite recipes. We'll be giving you one later today for our favorite red curry tofu dish. Until then, tell us -- how do you use coconut milk? Have any tips on opening the thing without using a hammer? Leave us a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.
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16 comments:
How much milk did you actually get from one coconut?
It was just about the same amount as in a full can -- about 14 ounces, I'd say.
hmm interesting. Did you buy your coconut with all the brown stuff already removed or did you do that? If so, how?
The coconut came without all the brown stuff. It's the only kind I've seen available in our grocery store. Hmm.
I've bought coconuts before that still had all the brown flesh and hair (?) attached. It's pretty much the same process... no need to remove.
Thanks, Stacey. Good to know it isn't entirely different!
Very cool!! We love our coconut milk too. :)
Ohhh I'm going to try this right away. My favorite breakfast is creamy tropical oats, and I use coconut milk to soak the oats.
I'm a Floridian and only just recently had my first taste of "real" (fresh) coconut. We don't have to buy them around here. I *never* even thought about using it to make milk. I always thought you had to go super old school and use one of those coconut grinder things. I'm making the transition to dairy-free and suspect that I'll be using coconut milk more frequently. Dude, next time I find a young one, I'm making some coconut milk!
Sunshine
Hi, this is a great post. I will try the curry recipe.
I'm mexican and I love coconut, the way I always use to open it is: I peel the top, you will notice 3 soft spots, about the size of a dime... you can use a knife and push down, this way you can collect the coconut water without the risk of making a mess.
I think the way you used to open it is pretty good. The other way I have seen is people using machetes, but its hard to find one and you actually need some kind of skill to open the coco.lol
I love to eat the coconut meat with chilli powder and lime, I also love coconut rice (thai style).
In January I went to Isla Mujeres, Mx and they were selling coconuts on the way to the beach, the guy used a machete and seemed so easy to open, but I have tried and I akways fail :( I've always ended up using a hammer
Once in Barbados I was walking near to the beach, a guy asked me if I wanted a coconut and I said yes, to my surprise he runned to the nearest coconut tree and climbed up so fast, like a cat,(those palm trees are really tall) then he came back with the thing used a machete and opened up, It was so funny ,I was expecting to see him go to a store or fridge he was going to a store or his fridge or something. lol
I live in Canada, the only kind of coconut I have seen at the super market is the old kind, the one that is brown,without all the fiber arround it. but the inside is already hard, not as yummi as the young one that you have in your picture. oops long comment. sorry, loved the post.
cheers
Monica
Thanks so much for the advice, Monica! We made it again this weekend, and it splashed everywhere -- so I'll definitely give your method a try :) Have a lovely day! <3
Taste is most important, and you obviously like the concoction you made. But, just FYI, what you made isn't actually coconut milk. Real coconut milk - what you'd get in the cans and what people would make at home to make their curries in Thailand - is made like this:
1) get a fully grown coconut. That's the kind that you buy with the brown outside. You bought a young coconut, which is meant to be purchased for the purpose of drinking the water inside and then you can also eat the soft flesh with a spoon. A mature coconut (the kind with the dark brown husk showing) doesn't have water in it and has a thicker, firm white flesh part.
2) Cut the coconut in half. This is normally done with a machete. It can also be done by banging it on a rock or a strong counter corner.
3) Then you grate the white coconut meat. You can buy all sorts of graters. People in coconut-rich countries usually have bigger ones that sit on the ground, you straddle it, and you work your half coconut in a circle around something that looks a little like a whisk but it has little spikes/shredders on it. I bought mine in a Asian food store, and it clamps to the counter.
4) You take the pile of shredded, white coconut flesh and put it in cheesecloth. You then ring the cheesecloth, and the coconut milk drips out. This is real coconut milk, which is the lovely, white creamy stuff in the cans that you buy and in real Thai food. The watery mix you made is very different.
Thanks for your detailed comment, Anon! What we made is SO much like coconut milk, though. At least the light variety we buy. And it makes one heck of a curry. So, I'll have to try out your method sometime. But, until then -- this works. Guess it's the "soy milk" or the coconut milk world. But in all honestly, it really isn't too watery.
In Reply to Anonymous:
The method you explained may be how coconut milk is made in Thailand... but Ashley & Steven's method is how canned Coconut milk is made in North America, but canned coconut milk usually has other additives such as xanthum gum, sulphites, etc.
I applaude A&S for making their own.
definately a great way to make coconut milk for me.
I'm allergic to dairy & soy, so I use Coconut for everything.
It is important to note that the coconuts used in this recipe are Young Coconuts aka drinking cocnuts. The more common mature coconut which are dark brown with hard nutty flesh on the inside, are not appropriate for this recipe because the flesh is too hard, and there isn't enough water.
To make life easier when extracting the water, use the sharp angular base of the knife to strike a hole into the side of the coconut. Then pour the water over a strainer into a measuring glass to strain all the bits of shell out. You can then cut the top of the coconut off without worrying about wasting the water.
I process young coconuts en masse, and then freeze the flesh and water seperately for future use. They freeze/ thaw surprizingly well, and partly froze coconut flesh makes wonderfully refreshing smoothies.
If you use a little less coconut water when making the coconut milk, and add a bit of virgin coconut oil, you can use it as a base for vegan pudding, the texture is heavenly(vegan coconut-chocolate pudding= to die for.
One more delightful little nippit of information:
Coconut water is very high in electrolytes, it is natures own energy drink (think healthy/natural gatorade) it is refreshing,can relieve headaches... AND it is the ultimate hang-over cure.
Thanks for this post A&S... I get so excited about coconuts!
Thank you so much for the information and clarification, Lucy! We sincerely appreciate your tips :)
Hi, I am obsessed lately with coconuts and have been making my own milk as well, I have never had a young coconut but I want to try now!
I use the brown ones (there is water in them, I usually get about 8-10 oz. from one coconut) I find the soft hole, drain the water, then put in the oven for 10 minutes at 400, this seems to make them easier to crack. I tap around the center with a hammer or back of a large knife. I use a knife/spoon handle combo to get the flesh out, this is the hardest part. I get the knife in between the shell and flesh then slip the spoon handle in to pry out hunks of the flesh. I just discovered on my last attempt that if you put the knife in and pry super slowly and easily it come out in bigger chunks. Then I trim off the peel with a sharp knife and put in a blender or food processor with two cups of warm water, blend, then strain into a large bowl, put the coconut back into the blender and do the whole process again. I use it in my coffee, or drink with some agave. I want to try to make ice cream. I also bake with coconut flour and have tried the coconut sweetener made from the nectar of the coconut flowers which is awesome!
Thanks, I love your site!
Liz
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