Coconut milk:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water
- 1.5-2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Heat water, but don't boil. It should be hot, but not scalding.
- Put coconut in blender or Vitamix and add water. (If all water won't fit, you can add the water in two batches.)
- Blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy.
- Pour through a mesh colander first to get most of the coconut out, and then squeeze through a towel or several thicknesses of cheesecloth to get remaining pieces of coconut out.
- If you have to split the water, put all the coconut that you strained out back in the blender, add the remaining water, and repeat.
- Flavor options- add in after all coconut has been strained out: ½ tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, 2 tsp cocoa powder + ½ tsp vanilla.
- Drink immediately or store in the fridge. Should be used in 3-4 days after making for best flavor and texture. Since there are no preservatives or fillers, the "cream" of the coconut milk may separate on the top if stored in the fridge. Just shake or stir before using.
Making almond milk is actually an incredibly old process. We learned about it in culinary school as part of our training in classic French cuisine, but it was made and used long before the French transformed it into delicate blancmanges.
The process essentially involves soaking almonds in water overnight or for up to two days — the longer you soak the almonds, the creamier the milk will be. Drain and rinse the beans from their soaking water and grind them with fresh water. The resulting liquid, drained from the almond meal, is almond milk.
Real, fresh, very tasty almond milk. It's a world-changing thing.
