How to Make Coconut Milk at Home
The exotic flavors in coconut milk can add a bold touch to many dishes such as soups, stews, curries and baked goods. It also works great in a smoothie or to sip on its own with a bit of cinnamon. But did you know you can easily prepare coconut milk at home with just two ingredients? Here’s how.
Ingredients:
- 1 (8-ounce) package unsweetened shredded coconut
- 4 cups hot (near boiling) water
Equipment:
- Measuring cup
- Blender
- Nut milk bag
- Medium bowl
- Mason jars (for storage)
Instructions:
- Combine the coconut and hot water in a blender. Place the coconut in a blender. It may seem like a lot of coconut, but it is just enough to get the job done. Pour the water over the coconut.
- Allow the mixture to rest. Let the coconut and hot water sit in the blender for a few minutes to give the coconut time to soften before continuing onto the next step.
- Blend the mixture. Blend on high until the coconut is puréed and the mixture looks milky, 1 to 2 minutes. You will still have flecks of coconut in the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag. Open the nut bag and arrange it inside a medium bowl. Pour the coconut mixture from the blender into the nut milk bag.
- Squeeze out the coconut milk. Cinch the nut milk bag shut. Take the bag in both hands and squeeze it out over the bowl. The finished milk should easily pass through the bag. Continue to squeeze and wring out your bag until you’ve extracted as much of the milk as possible. You can discard or compost the leftover coconut pulp in the nut bag; if you have a dehydrator, the pulp can be dried and used as coconut flour.
- Bottle the coconut milk. Transfer the coconut milk into a storage vessel of your choice, like large mason jars, swing top jars, or other air-tight container. This milk can be used right away.
Source: the Kitchn