HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MILK

The fabulous coconut a superfood that if needs be you could live off completely, the coconut water is also a sterile liquid that can be used as an infusion for iv fluids in an emergency.  Extremely healthy and full of (MCFA) medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid which we almost immediately break down so our bodies do not have to work at digesting the healthy fats so we use this fat and won't store it, so enjoy this superfood.

There is a simple effective method to opening a coconut in one hit that breaks the coconut in half, over a bowl take a bolster, not a club hammer like in my photo!  My husband hit this coconut several times and not a dent or crack did it make, a quick google and a bolster tool and hey presto successful full split all the way round in the first whack!

Take your coconut and locate the three eyes in a shape of a triangle on the end, hold the coconut with the one eye point of the triangle facing up, this is the side you are going to whack as it is the weak side of the shell, with a bolster or large (machette) style knife give one solid confidante whack holding the coconut over a bowl, a crack will appear all the way around the coconut, job done!  Pull apart and let the liquid pour off into the bowl, to remove the coconut flesh from the shell you can do this one of two ways, either slide a knife between the shell and flesh and prize off or whack the outer shell cracking and peeling off.  

Either finely grate by hand or blitz in a blender all the coconut flesh, I blended my coconut for quickness and ease.

Add twice the amount of just boiled water to the coconut and blend for around two to three minutes until you have a creamy coconut milk.

Take a bowl and place a muslin over the bowl, pour your blended coconut mix into the muslin and strain into the bowl, then gather up the muslin cloth and squeeze out all the liquid 

This is your first pressing and the top of this milk with set with the coconut cream.  Repeat the process again and you will make coconut milk again but a little thinner on consistency and flavour.  Keep the now soft coconut flesh and use in cakes, soups and stir fry's.

My geeky food science bit...

Coconuts are rich in fibre, Vitamin C, E,, B1, B5, B6,, iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous.  Extremely healthy MFCA and lauric acid easily digested and almost immediately broken down in your saliva and gastric juices.  This means pancreatic fat digesting enzymes are not essential which puts less strain on your liver allowing it to work more efficiently.  Anti viral, anti bacterial, protects body form infections and viruses.  Regulates thyroid function and is highly nutritious.