Make Your Own Coconut Milk

Oh coconut milk, how I love you.  I never realized how much I enjoy all things coconut until we started our paleo challenge.  Now I crave coconut chips, or the occasional spoonful of coconut cream that has separated from the coconut water in the can of coconut milk.  Then there is the coconut creme concentrate from Tropical Traditions that I just discovered - that with some blueberries, heaven.

I have heard how easy it is to make your own coconut milk.  So, given my new and undying love of coconut, it was time to try my hand at coconut milk making.  By making our own we will also save money and avoid the added preservatives - guar gum, anyone? - found in canned coconut milk

All you need to make coconut milk:

• coconut chips or shredded coconut
• water
• blender
• big bowl
• colander
• cheesecloth

I think you could probably mess around a bit with the proportions, but I used the following ones with success, so they might be a good starting point:

1. Combine a little under a cup of coconut (chips or shreds) with 1 cup of hot water in a blender, blend for 3 minutes or so
2. Pour into cheesecloth lined colander placed over bowl
3. Squeeze all milk out of cheesecloth and return coconut to blender
4. Add another 1/2 cup hot water to blender and blend for 1-2 minutes more
5. Repeat steps 2 & 3 - and now you have coconut milk!