Coconut milk is the white cloudy liquid extracted from the coconut meat. Many people around the world confuse coconut milk with coconut water drained out of a brown coconut, this is in fact mature coconut water.
Coconut milk is known for its high levels of saturated fat, the main saturated fat found is lauric acid which is also found in mother’s milk. Lauric acid has been known to have a positive effect on the circulatory system its also known to help to support bone and brain development. Coconut milk contains vitamins, minerals and electrolytes for example calcium, chloride, potassium, etc.
In many tropical countries where coconuts grow like Brazil, India, Malaysia, Thailand etc, coconut milk is used in many different ways including drinking it raw and used in cooking for example curries, sea food, stews and even desserts. Vegetarians and vegans often use coconut milk instead of dairy products (Cow’s Milk) in ice cream and yogurt, etc. During spring and summer, sweetened coconut milk is served on its own as a drink in Taiwan and southern China. This is made by adding sugar and milk when extracting the coconut milk from the meat. Traditionally coconut milk is used in cooking but it has many other uses such as in skin and hair products. It can be used in bath soaps, hair care products and moisturising creams which help to soothe dry skin.
If you would like to make coconut milk at home. Follow the instructions below.
If you have access to fresh coconut:
Choose a fresh coconut by shaking and choosing one with lots of water sloshing around. Open it without any major accidents, be very careful since its a risky affair if you are not experienced. Grate the flesh. Blend in a blender with a little water. Squeeze through a cheese cloth. A thick almost creamy milk will be obtained on the first squeeze, this step could be repeated up to 3 times to assure all the coconut milk has been collected. After this process if the coconut milk is left to settle the milk would gather at the bottom and a thick creamy layer would form on top, which is called coconut cream.
If you want to make milk from desiccated coconut:
If you have access to fresh coconut:
Choose a fresh coconut by shaking and choosing one with lots of water sloshing around. Open it without any major accidents, be very careful since its a risky affair if you are not experienced. Grate the flesh. Blend in a blender with a little water. Squeeze through a cheese cloth. A thick almost creamy milk will be obtained on the first squeeze, this step could be repeated up to 3 times to assure all the coconut milk has been collected. After this process if the coconut milk is left to settle the milk would gather at the bottom and a thick creamy layer would form on top, which is called coconut cream.
If you want to make milk from desiccated coconut:
Purchase a good quality desiccated/dry grated coconut. Ensure that it smells sweet and has not off aromas. Soak in hot water (just enough to cover the grated coconut not too much), wait for it cool. Blend in a blender. Squeeze through a cheese cloth. A thick almost creamy milk will be obtained on the first squeeze, this step could be repeated up to 3 times to assure all the coconut milk has been collected. After this process if the coconut milk is left to settle the milk would gather at the bottom and a thick creamy layer would form on top, which is called coconut cream.
