How to Extract Milk From a Coconut

Coconut milk is extracted from grated meat of coconut. It is a common ingredient in many tropical cuisines. There are two grades of coconut milk, thick and thin. Thicker milk is used in making desserts and rich sauces while thinner milk is used in gravies, curries, soups, etc. South Indian cooking involves a lot of coconut milk, especially Kerala cuisine.

Coconut milk is extracted by grinding coconut meat with warm water and pressing it. I always feel that fresh coconut milk is lighter than the canned ones. But I know it’s a little time consuming but totally worth it. Due to its high calorie level (specially fat calorie level) it is used occasionally. But it is said to have good cholesterol which helps in raising the levels of HDL.  So enjoy this homemade coconut milk in your cooking.

You will need:

• One coconut
• Warm water
• Sharp big knife or a hammer
• A sharp knife or a scrapper
• Blender
• Cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer
• A bowl

Method of Extraction:

1. Wash the coconut before breaking since it helps to break evenly.
2. Now break the coconut with a knife or hammer. Do not hit it in the same spot. keep rotating while hitting.
3. When it slightly cracks open, collect the water in a container. This water is very good for health.
4. Now crack it open and remove the white meat by scrapping or cutting into small pieces using your sharp knife.
5. Before scrapping everything, just taste a small piece to check if the coconut is good.
6. Add half of the shredded or cut pieces of coconut to the blender along with 1 to 1.5 cup of warm water and process for 20 to 30 seconds. Water should neither be too warm nor cold. If it’s very hot, oil will start separating from the coconut.
7. Adjust the amount of water for thicker and thinner milk.
8. Now remove from the blender and strain through a double or triple layer of cheese cloth or a strainer placed on a bowl. Squeeze it well to extract as much as possible. This will be thick and called the first milk.
9. For thinner milk or second milk, transfer the squeezed coconut meat to the blender and process it with warm water (add little by little, around 1 cup).
10. Strain it through the cheese cloth or strainer in another bowl and repeat the same procedure for much more thinner milk.
11. Try to use the milk within 3 to 4 days.