How to Make Coconut Milk

Ingredients

• one fresh coconut (Make sure you can hear and feel some liquid moving around inside)

Method

1. With a sturdy cleaver, crack open the coconut. Bang the cleaver on the top of the coconut until you hear a crack. Be very careful by removing your other hand when using cleaver. Do NOT hold the coconut when using the cleaver unless you're an expert.
2. Strain the coconut water out, and keep it for smoothies and other refreshing drinks.
3. With the coconut pieces left, scoop our the white flesh/meat inside. Use a paring knife or continue to hit the back of the coconut until the meat falls off from the shell.
4. Rinse the coconut meat well, and chop it into small pieces. Then add your coconut meat to a blender or food processor along with about two cups of water.
5. Blend it into a thick liquid, and then strain it using a metal strainer or cheesecloth so you can separate the coconut pulp/meat from the coconut milk.
6. Squeeze the coconut pulp well with your hands to get the most coconut milk to strain out.

Swaps & notes

After you make coconut milk, you can keep the leftover coconut meat to make homemade coconut flour, dried coconut flakes or add to smoothies.