How to Make Coconut Milk

Learn how to make your very own homemade coconut milk from scratch. Add to smoothies, hot drinks, stews and curries. Why buy coconut milk when you can make it within 30 minutes from the beginning to the end.

If you are a fan of all things coconut then stick around for this homemade coconut milk tutorial. It's so simple, quick and relatively easy might I add.

All you need is coconut (fresh, preferably but dried works too) and some water, that's it!!

Coconut plays a very crucial role in Caribbean cuisines. It is a dietary staple and one that I am very keen on using, I don't think there is a week that goes by without me using coconut for something.

Whether it's to use in my rice and peas or shrimp appetizer or a rum cake it's definitely used for something.

It's not just Caribbean people that use it either, it's just as popular in African, Asian and Polynesian cultures too.

Over the past decade coconut milk has found it's way into America and Europe due to lifestyle choices i.e paleo or simply because a lot of people are choosing lactose free alternatives as well going vegan/dairy free.

Regardless, most people around the world are more readily exposed to coconut milk or is familiar with that taste. If you are like me I love to make my own version of nut milks, granted, the stuff you get in the shops is convenient.

The vast majority of what is available contains additives, filters or just unnecessary ingredients which dilutes all that nutritional value so with that being said let's go back to basics and make it from scratch.

Reasons to make your own plant based milk

• It's cheaper to make your own from scratch
• You can rotate between using a fresh coconut or shredded.
• You can make it to suit i.e more concentrated and creamy or watered down.
• Tap into your creative juices by making your own
• It's fun to make your own milk
• It's vegan and free from lactose
• You won't run out and always have to hand especially if you use shredded coconut

The old school Caribbean way

I just want to acknowledge in this section here the old fashioned way of making coconut milk. Back in my grandmothers day there were none of these fancy gadgets. She would make coconut milk by hand using a grater, some people still make it using the method that I am about to disclose.

Some continue this practice to hold onto their cultural roots while others may not have access to a blender etc...

• What they would do is crack open the coconut usually on a rock or something
• Prize the coconut meat away from the shell.
• Use a grater to grate the pieces of the coconut meat
• Pour water into the "coconut trash" and use hands to extract the milk.

I personally don't make mine this way, well I do but tweak the method to suit these current times by using a blender and cheese cloth or sieve to separate the milk from the coconut.

How to pick a coconut at the store or market

• Shake the coconut - I don't care if you look like a crazy lady/guy by doing so. DO IT! When shaking your coconut you want it to make a lot of sloshing sounds because that is a good indication that it's very fresh and it should be more on the heavier side due to the water content. If the coconut doesn't feel heavy nor make much noise when shaken, don't buy it, it's probably old and/or leaky and those leaks can inhabit mold.
• Inspect the eyes of the coconut - this area is susceptible to carrying mold so definitely check out these three dots that you see.
• Look for any cracks, mould or wet areas, this might not even be just the eye area. Check all over, for any signs or cracks which in turn may create wet patches.

How to make fresh coconut milk

• First of all, you will want to remove the water before cracking it open. You can do this by using a sharp knife to pierce the eye(one should be soft) using a turning motion.
•  Flip the coconut upside down to drain the water, depending on how many holes you make will determine how quickly or slowly the water comes out.
• Hold the coconut in your hand (hold it lengthways) and use a hammer/chefs knife or cleaver to hit the centre of the coconut and turn it as you repeat the process until you create a fracture line.
• The coconut should crack in half where you created the line
• If you don't feel confident with doing this method some people wrap the coconut in a towel/bag and hit it with a rolling pin or throw it on the ground - you choose!!
• Use a sharp knife or end of a spoon to pry the coconut from the shell (break the coconut into small pieces if it helps)

• Peel or scrape off the brown skin with a vegetable peeler or knife. This is optional, only do this if you are using the excess flesh for something else once the milk is made)
• Chop the coconut up into small pieces if necessary and then wash it off
• Add it to your blender/food processor along with the water.
• Pulse until the mixture is somewhat smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a muslin/cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve and squeeze out the excess liquid
• Store in a jug/mason jar and refrigerate

Dried coconut milk version

If you don't have a fresh coconut to hand then use dried shredded coconut (unsweetened). Use 1 cup of dried along with 2 cups of water. Add this to the blender, strain it off and use accordingly.

What to do with any leftover coconut 

You can do a number of things with the leftover coconut and here are a few examples

• Make coconut flour
• Cookies
• Coconut Energy Balls
• Coconut Macaroons
• Add to smoothies i.e Mango Banana Pineapple Smoothie
• Freeze it down
• Add your stews/curries

The strength of your milk

The strength on your coconut milk is going to depend on two variables

• Water temperature
• The ratio of water to coconut

As a general rule of thumb, I used 1  fresh coconut along with 2 cups of warm water. I don't use hot unless I'm using shredded coconut. I also don't use a large amount of water per coconut because I want a strong, creamy coconut milk.

If you want weak/diluted coconut milk then use more water then what I have recommended. I also find hot water makes the lifespan shorter, it's something I've observed so tend to use lukewarm water.

Notes and tips

• If you are using dried coconut, use unsweetened 1 cup of coconut to 2 cups of hot water.
• I used my Vitamix to make this milk which is very powerful. You will need to use a blender that is sturdy or make your coconut milk in batches.
• Like most homemade plant based milks, coconut milk has a short life span of up to 4 days. You will want to keep the coconut milk refrigerated at all times in a glass jug/pitcher or mason jars.
• Freeze the milk for up to 2 months
• There is no emulsifier in the milk so it may separate, this is normal, just stir before using it.
• Use the leftover coconut to make cookies, flour, cakes or smoothies etc...
• Use warm water NOT hot when using fresh coconut. This helps to keep the nutritional content in tact and the water is warm enough to yield a creamy result.
• This recipe yields 4 ½ cups of milk in total to use.

Recipes that use coconut for you to try

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