Coconut Milk

[QUOTE=XGrains;965343]Should I always avoid the use of coconut milk drink or would it be ok to add to coffee and in smoothies? It's mostly 4.5g fat, 4 saturated, and 2 carbs per 8 ounces.[/QUOTE]

Are you avoiding dairy? I just use grass fed heavy whipping cream in my coffee. For smoothies, go the canned coconut milk route. It gives you a much richer consistency and taste.

The So Delicious or Silk brands in cartons have synthetic vitamins added (A and D; the D is D2; not D3)to them as well as some other not so great ingredients. I do use it but I'm making the switch to lite canned coconut milk (basically watered down) for the kids' pancakes. I always add a can of coconut milk (Thai Organic) to my rice in placed of some of the water.

I don't think you'll suffer to greatly if you use the milk drink occasionally, but try making the switch to canned and see what you think. Lite or regular.

[QUOTE=Betorq;966772]All tetra-pak foods are UHT processed, hence they are devoid of all enzymes[/QUOTE]
True, but i thought that the canned version is also devoid of enzymes?

[QUOTE=sandokan2112;966780]True, but i thought that the canned version is also devoid of enzymes?[/QUOTE]Canned foods are not processed at the same high temps as UHT, though they are far far less than optimal, enzymatically. The contents will spoil sooner in the can than in the tetra-pak (hence the reason UHT was developed). It's why your really not supposed to eat canned foods that greatly exceed their expiration dates. People do this of course, and many/most are fine, but some small percentage of them end up sick or even in the hospital every year, if the contents went bad enough &/or their immune systems are weakened, like the elderly, ill or the infirm.

In order of health:
1) Eating whole organic fresh coconut flesh & drinking their waters from non-mono-cropped coco palm trees.
2) Eating whole organic fresh coconuts mono-cropped, harvested from healthy trees.
3) Making your own coconut milk from sources 1 or 2 above.
4) Buying your coconut milk from someone who makes it from 1 or 2 above also.
5) Making your own coco milk from organic flakes in your blender
6) Making your own coco milk from commercial coco flakes in your blender
7) Frozen
8) Canned, non-BPA is best
9) Canned, with BPA, though it's a lesser issue due to low acidic content of canned coconut milks
10) Tetra-paks, dead last (...pun intended)

IMO tetra-pak foods are a waste of money and far from anything like the fresh version. If somethings been heat treated, it may not have lost all its value, but its been messed with for sure. I think anything that's been on a shelf for a long time and especially something in plastic is prolly useless. I think canning is a whole different subject though. Now the goats milk I drank yesterday was still warm it was so fresh, that's nutritious. Freshest is always bestest.

[QUOTE=Miscellangela;966222]I'm lucky enough to have a coconut tree out back. I've just been eating the flesh as they fall, but I currently have two giant bags of it in the freezer because they've started falling at an incredible rate lately! Maybe i'll try to do some homemade coconut milk...[/QUOTE]

That sounds like Heaven.

[QUOTE=Betorq;966786]Canned foods are not processed at the same high temps as UHT, though they are far far less than optimal, enzymatically. The contents will spoil sooner in the can than in the tetra-pak (hence the reason UHT was developed). It's why your really not supposed to eat canned foods that greatly exceed their expiration dates. People do this of course, and many/most are fine, but some small percentage of them end up sick or even in the hospital every year, if the contents went bad enough &/or their immune systems are weakened, like the elderly, ill or the infirm.

In order of health:
1) Eating whole organic fresh coconut flesh & drinking their waters from non-mono-cropped coco palm trees.
2) Eating whole organic fresh coconuts mono-cropped, harvested from healthy trees.
3) Making your own coconut milk from sources 1 or 2 above.
4) Buying your coconut milk from someone who makes it from 1 or 2 above also.
5) Making your own coco milk from organic flakes in your blender
6) Making your own coco milk from commercial coco flakes in your blender
7) Frozen
8) Canned, non-BPA is best
9) Canned, with BPA, though it's a lesser issue due to low acidic content of canned coconut milks
10) Tetra-paks, dead last (...pun intended)[/QUOTE]

I was reading #5 and realized that i have a few bags of organic unsweetend shredded coconut (nothing added).
Well, i did the math and i was surprised to find that it will actually be cheaper to make the milk (and extract just as much fat) if i use the shredded coconut method, thanx.

I buy unsweetened coconut in bulk. No additives, etc.

I soak 2 cups of coconut overnight in 4 cups of filtered water. In the morning, I run my blender for a couple minutes, until it appears to be really blended.

I then pour into a strainer lined 1-quart pitcher (I use a paint strainer bag I got at the paint store. Cost an entire $1), pick up the strainer bag, and gently squeeze to get all the liquid out and into the pitcher (this part can be messy).

Wa la... I have about 3.5 cups of coconut milk! Shake well every time you pull it from the fridge.

If you want super thick, use more coconut/less water.

RaeVynn,

That works. But sometimes I'm preparing food on the fly, hungry, so the boiled filtered water works for me. But yes, your method is definitely superior as it's so gentle. With some simple planning, it's easy to make a big batch on the weekend to store in the fridge, to last all week. Thanks for the info. Will soak some tonite, & make it this way tomorrow morning (small batch as I fly to Calif in 3 days.)

When I tried making it the hot water method I was afraid my blender was going to burn up. Are you using a high speed blender or just a run of the mill blender? I'd love to make it regularly as it seems like a better choice and is way less expensive than canned but not if I burn out my blender. I was only processing a cup of coconut.

[QUOTE=PHaselow;966777]Are you avoiding dairy? I just use grass fed heavy whipping cream in my coffee. For smoothies, go the canned coconut milk route. It gives you a much richer consistency and taste. [/QUOTE]

Same here. I love me some Kalona Supernatural grass fed cream. Delish!

This boils down to personal choice, really. It's not anybody's business what you eat but your own. I do believe the coconut & almond milks found in the dairy section are frankenfood, but I choose to consume them anyway because they are low carb, and I need that right now to help manage my blood sugar while pregnant.