Can you make your own coconut milk? And, what is meant by 'coconut milk'?!
But recently, I have seen recipes calling for canned coconut milk ~ not the coconut cream ~ and unsweetened coconut milk, too?
Can you make your own, or do you simply buy it?
Thank you so much
Answers: I have seen Indian recipes calling for coconut milk, but the directions called for an infusion you make yourself from fresh or dry coconut infused in hot milk / strained.
But recently, I have seen recipes calling for canned coconut milk ~ not the coconut cream ~ and unsweetened coconut milk, too?
Can you make your own, or do you simply buy it?
Thank you so much
Coconut milk/cream (gkati): Coconut milk is not the juice found inside a coconut, but the diluted cream pressed out from the thick, white flesh of a well-matured coconut.
To make coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is steeped in hot water until it is cool enough to handle. It is then squeezed until dry; the white fluid is strained to remove all the pulp. When allowed to sit for a while, the coconut cream (hua gkati) rises to the top. Commercially, coconut cream is obtained by pressing grated coconut flesh by itself without water, using a specialized, heavy piece of machinery.
More hot water is added to the pulp and the process is repeated to yield a lighter fluid, or coconut milk (nahm gkati). Frequently, a third pressing is done to obtain a light coconut milk (hahng gkati), which is used for stewing meats or for thinning coconut milk to make a coconut soup or a light curry. An average mature coconut yields about one cup of coconut cream and one to two cups of coconut milk depending on how light a milk is desired.
firstly this my first time of hearing this word coconut milk but to be honest think coconut milk maybe some likee they mix the water of coconut and lik then that is called coconut milk.
heh
extraction of the white part of the coconut.
it's like juicing out the white part with a cloth
Coconut milk vs Coconut cream
They are not the same, and actually, your question involves three separate products. Coconut milk, which is available canned, can be made at home by simmering one part water with one part shredded coconut until frothy, and then straining the liquid through a cheesecloth, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
Unsweetened coconut cream, which can be much harder to find canned, is made in the same manner, only the ratio is one part water to four parts coconut (milk may be used to obtain a richer product).
Finally sweetened cream of coconut, which is used mainly for desserts and beverages, is a sweetened commercially produced version of coconut cream.
The names coconut cream and cream of coconut are used interchangeably.
The "water" found inside is simply referred to as coconut water.
Personally, I buy the cans. I like the Thai brands like Chaokoh. Buying it so convenient & inexpensive.
you cannot make coconut milk artificially. the pure one from sqeezing grated coconut .it differs from coconut cream which got more fat content. canned coconut milk is available which is inferior quality comparing with fresh.
its coconut juice with soy milk. sure u can make ur own
Alton Brown on the food network show 'Good Eats' in his Coconut Cake episode makes his own coconut milk, coconut cream, and coconut extract... Don't know how 'authentic' they are, but they might work for you...