by Kimberly Smith

Created on: February 14, 2011   Last Updated: February 15, 2011

If you have looked in your local grocery store for sweetened coconut milk you may have been surprised not to find it on the shelf. Coconut milk isn’t available in most store, rather it is an item that you make from coconut. There are actually two methods to making sweetened coconut milk. The first uses only natural sweeteners and provides a fresher more wholesome coconut milk and the second uses pre-sweetened coconut, saving a step in the process.

For the first recipe you will need:
2 cups unsweetened coconut, shredded (*fresh or bag)
4 cups water
1 Tablespoon honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Soak the coconut in the water for 1-2 hours, retaining the water. In a blender pour the coconut and water. Add the honey and vanilla. Process on high speed for several minutes to break down the pieces of coconut and extract all of the flavor from them.
Strain through a fine mesh or cheese cloth into a container for serving or storing.

The second method is basically the same and you will follow the same steps with the omission of the honey or agave nectar because you will be using presweetened coconut.

Once you have made your coconut milk it can be used in a variety of ways. Coconut milk is great for baking you can easily replace whole milk in recipes with coconut milk. Many Thai, African, Indian, and Hawaiian dishes call for coconut milk in their recipes.

It is great in noodles, rice and stir-frys. Added to beverages such as coffee, tea, smoothies, pina coladas and egg nog, coconut milk is that perfect touch that puts these drinks over the top.

But coconut milk isn’t just for recipes. It works wonders as a moisturizer. You can add some to your bubble bath for silk smooth skin or use it for the perfect facial. Believe it or not coconut milk even works great as a hair conditioner.

With so many uses it is definitely worth the effort to make some homemade coconut milk and explore all the wonderful possibilities.

* Note if you elect to use fresh coconut you should know that the liquid inside the coconut is not milk. The outer shell must be removed and the coconut will need to be peeled of the brown skin before it can be shredded and used. A food processor works best for shredding coconut into the fine pieces needed for this recipe.

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