The Best Coconut Milk

For those who are looking for a purer product than the canned milk, frozen coconut cream might also be available at Asian markets. Health food stores are another source of good quality coconut products. Many organic, virgin coconut oils are available, which are also quite flavorful.

The health benefits of coconut oil are becoming more well known by many. Studies have found it to enhance the immune system; always a plus during seasons of colds and flu. It also helps the metabolism- another plus.

As for how practical it is to use, a few hints are in order...

Using Coconut Cream Concentrate

I quickly discovered that the hard-to-scoop product called "Coconut Cream Concentrate" from Tropical Traditions was very impractical to use in its initial state. Although you really don't need to refrigerate coconut oil (it has a very long shelf life), you do need to refrigerate the coconut cream. But that made it even harder to chip out of the jar! So I came up with two methods that work quite well.

One practical way of making it handier is to gently warm the whole jar in a pot of low-simmering water. Put a rag at the bottom of the pot to protect the jar. When the coconut cream has melted, you can then pour it into a pan (or two), in a rather thin layer. Refrigerate overnight, and the next day, you can easily cut the thin layer into handy little pieces. The little pieces store well in a container in the refrigerator, and easily melt into any dishes that call for coconut milk. A tablespoon of the cream is equivalent to 2 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk; it's very rich, so you use much less of it.

Another method for making the coconut cream handier: Once the cream has been melted, slowly mix in about four times as much hot water, stirring until smooth. This gives you a nice cream that can mix blend well into smoothies. Store in refrigerator; it only keeps a week or two once the water's added.