How to make Coconut Milk and Desiccated Coconut
Coconut Milk and Desiccated Coconut
I have put these recipes together in one as there is little point in making one and not the other.
Ingredients
1 coconut
Cold water
Method
Drill 3 holes in the top of the coconut, then pour the coconut water through a sieve into a blender. This is made easier if you insert a straw into one or two of the holes to help let the air in as the water comes out of a different hole. Add pure water to bring the level up to about 500-600ml (1 pint). Crack open the coconut and carefully remove the meat. It will have a brown layer on one side. It is not necessary to remove this layer but if you wish your desiccated coconut to be pure white, you will need to.
Cut the meat into 2½cm (1 inch) pieces. Place the lid on the blender and switch it on to full speed. Remove the centre plug from the blender lid and drop in the coconut meat one chunk at a time, allowing each piece to be fully processed before adding the next. Continue until all the meat has been blended, giving the blender an occasional rest, if necessary, to prevent over-heating.
Line a bowl with a cheese cloth and carefully pour in the mixture. Gather up the sides of the cloth and suspend the bundle over the bowl to drain. (I thread the ends of the cloth through a cupboard door handle a couple of times. Only do this if you are sure your cupboard door can take the weight!) When it has finished dripping, twist the bundle and squeeze out as much milk as you can. Carefully pour the coconut milk into clean, sterile jars, label and keep refrigerated. Use within 5-7 days. Stir well before use.
The shredded meat in the cloth is desiccated coconut. You can use it immediately in recipes (it will be damp so you may have to slightly reduce the amount of liquid used in your recipe), or you can dry it for later use, either in a dehydrator, or in a cool oven. If you use a dehydrator that has a fan, you would be wise to place a mesh sheet over the coconut meat to prevent it being blown around when it becomes light. Once dry, store in a clean, sterile, labelled jar.
Extract from "Make Your Own Ingredients" by Julie J. Bakewell
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