How to open a Young Thai Coconut and make Coconut Milk
2012
Young Thai Coconuts have an incredible soft, very subtle and light tasting meat inside of them. The coconut meat makes a great base for many raw foods dishes as there is very little taste and the meat adapts to and blends well with (or is hidden under) many different flavors. It can be used in a diverse array of dishes from various types of cuisines. You can cut the meat in strips to use alone as noodles or blend the meat with other ingredients or water to make a smooth creamy base for sauces and soups. I like to eat the meat as is straight from the coconut, just spoon out and eat. The water is pretty awesome too and is the highest natural source of electrolytes. Coconut meat is filled with nutrients and the good fats contained in it are great for weight loss!
Read more on the nutrition of coconuts here.
How to open a Young Thai Coconut and make Coconut Milk
There are different techniques that can be used to open a coconut. In the video I show how there is a natural ring that is a weak spot around the top of the coconut that cracks open easily by tapping along it. Also, instead of tapping lightly you can give it one to three good hard whacks to open it quicker and also if you are very adept with a big knife (and strong) you can not peel off the top husk and just whack it in a few spots along the top area to open it up. This takes a lot of skill. I’ve opened hundreds of coconuts (thousands?) and have only done it this way a couple times. I am always impressed watching someone opening them this way. But the way I show here is a great way for most of us to open them!
Coconut Milk
Ingredients
1 cup of Young Thai Coconut meat
2 cups Coconut water, or plain (filtered or spring) water
Directions
Blend until smooth.
That’s it. It is so easy to make coconut milk. If you do not have young Thai coconuts and would like to make coconut milk with brown mature coconuts, blend 1 cup of the meat with 3 cups of water and strain first. If there is any pulp strained out, just eat it or store in your fridge to use in your next batch of cookies or dehydrate it to use later in another recipe.
Young Thai coconut meat is also often found frozen in many Asian grocery stores. There are many brands and most of them have added ingredients for preservatives. I have not found a brand yet that has just coconut meat and water, often you will find sugar, or sodium benzoate or other.
Coconut milk is great on it’s own and also makes a great base for tropical fruit smoothies!
