This delicious ingredient is often mis-understood and under utilized. Come on a culinary journey and discover Coconut Milk.
I was taught as a young child that the clear liquid inside the coconut is the milk. However, I and many others were told wrong. This clear liquid is in fact coconut juice or coconut water.
Coconut milk, is actually the liquid extracted from the grated flesh of a mature coconut.
Unlike other nuts coconuts are actually fairly delicate and do not have a long shelf life. This is especially so after the outer husk is removed. Because the outer husks are thick and difficult for consumers to remove, they are generally discarded before you see the coconut in the store.
When purchasing a coconut in the store, choose one that is heavy. You dont want one that is cracked or punctured. Give it a shake to be sure you are getting one that is still full of coconut juice. Also check that the eyes are not moldy.
Inside the shell, the thick flesh should be a pure white color. If the flesh is a yellowish color it is probably too far gone.
If you squeeze freshly grated coconut through a piece of muslin, you will discover the real...