Coconut milk vs. coconut cream vs. coconut water

[Gifted Gourmet]

source

coconut water... The liquid in the center of the nut or kernel ...  fat free and low in calories, but is a good source of potassium and other nutrients.

Coconut milk is made by pureeing a mixture of coconut meat and water, then straining it to remove some of the fat...

Cream of coconut ...  the creamy liquid often added to pina coladas (and various other drinks and dishes). Though it starts out as coconut cream, sugars and stabilizers are added to give it an especially creamy consistency

Which of these three liquid coconut products do you use in your cooking?

much more information on these coconut products

[Big Country]

source

coconut water... The liquid in the center of the nut or kernel ...  fat free and low in calories, but is a good source of potassium and other nutrients.

Coconut milk is made by pureeing a mixture of coconut meat and water, then straining it to remove some of the fat...

Cream of coconut ...  the creamy liquid often added to pina coladas (and various other drinks and dishes). Though it starts out as coconut cream, sugars and stabilizers are added to give it an especially creamy consistency

Which of these three liquid coconut products do you use in your cooking?

much more information on these coconut products

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I love using both coconut milk and cream of coconut (coco Lopez is my brand of choice) to make a exteremly easy coconut sorbet take three cans of coco lopez, juice of 4 limes and hot water to make a total of 1 gallon of liquid, let cool and run in your ice cream freezer and it is a great, simple sorbet.

I use a mixture of coconut milk and coco lopez to make a delectable coconut ice cream.

Coconut Milk is a must in curry sauce for me, and I love to make coconut rice with coconut milk.

[scubadoo97]

I use coconut milk most often in cooking but have used coconut water in sauces as well. I recently made coconut rice using both the coconut milk and coconut water to cook the rice. I found a product in our Asian market that is coconut water with strands of young coconut in it. There are several coconut drinks on the market that are essentially coconut water with bits of young coconut in it. You can use these where you want an essence of coconut.

[SuzySushi]

Coconut milk for cooking (canned, usually Chaokoh brand).

Coconut water for drinking as a refreshing beverage (fresh, or canned "young coconut juice"). One of my Vietnamese cookbooks has several recipes that call for "young coconut juice," but I haven't tried them.

[Shalmanese]

I mainly use coconut cream. a 1:1 mix of cream and water does a fair approximation of milk when I need milk consistency in a recipe and cream is just a more compact form to store.

[coquus]

I mainly use coconut cream. a 1:1 mix of cream and water does a fair approximation of milk when I need milk consistency in a recipe and cream is just a more compact form to store.

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which is not the same thing as cream of coconut. . .and what do you do with the coconut milk which are left over?

[Darienne]

Decided yesterday to buy a few different brands of what is called 'coconut milk' on all three brands that I ended up with. OK. Past that there is much difference in them, the first noticeable difference is the caloric information.

Globe: 1/2 cup = 40 calories; cheapest, 1st ingred. water, then coconut milk (24%); fat 3.5 g.

Rooster: 1/2 cup = 100 calories; a few more cents; 1st ingred. coconut milk (no % given; fat 5 gm

Aroy-D: 1/2 cup = 160 calories; most expensive; 1st ingred. coconut milk (55%); fat 17 gm

Strangely, Rooster has 25 iron, the others 0%. The cheapest has 1 gm sugar, the more expensive ones 0 gm sugar

Now some recipes call for full-fat coconut milk.

QUESTION: what percentage fat is full fat coconut milk.

Most recipes just call for coconut milk. Period.

Etc.

Am I looking at the equivalent of skim, 2%, 5% milk?

Last year I made coconut milk ice cream without paying any attention to the %s. Didn't realize how significant they were. I'm going to make ice cream in the next day or so and will use the Aroy-D brand, the fullest fat milk.

Any comments are gratefully received. Do keep in mind that I live outside a small, provincial (literally and figuratively) town in which you can never get Kumquats. Ever.

Thanks.

[tim]

HI,

I use the coconut cream from the top of canned coconut milk for finishing pan sauces. It does have a tendency to break, like heavy cream but does not break down if stirred during reduction.

Tim

[scubadoo97]

I use the cream at the top of a can of coconut milk to fry my curry if doing a curry dish then add the balance of the can after. I use coconut milk most often but have used coconut cream in some dishes where I want a thicker consistency

[C. sapidus]

I use coconut milk (Chaokoh, usually) more often, because coconut cream seems to have more additives and preservatives.

[Edward J]

Dehydrated coconut powder in those little 50 gr (2 oz) envelopes...............

My logic is twofold:

1)With all of the canned products, I am paying for water. With the powder, I can add it to whatever liquid I choose, thus boosting the flavour. I work with chocolates mostly, so the poser alos me quite a bit of creativity with ganaches.

2) The shelf life of this stuff is long, and storage is minimal, as a box of envelopes doesn't take up much space.

[Tri2Cook]

For cooking, I use coconut milk the most but I don't use it all that often. Overall, I probably use young coconut water the most. I like to drink it and I sometimes substitute it for my usual sports drink on longer (75km and up) bike rides during cooler weather by adding a pinch of salt/potassium blend. It doesn't seem to sit as well on the gut for hard rides in really hot weather as my Infinit.

[Darienne]

The shelf life of this stuff is long, and storage is minimal, as a box of envelopes doesn't take up much space.

I have a box of pure creamed coconut. It was left at the farm last summer by a Grenadian-born cook who cooked for us for a weekend (yumm!). I put it into the freezer and just took it out yesterday to put in the fridge. It has no expiration date on it and no nutritional chart. It is 'manufactured' in the UK by KTC (Edibles). It's in one 200gm block.

Do you think it's still good? Has anyone heard of this brand?

[DerekW]

Yes, KTC in the green cardboard outer. I've used it for years. Keeps at room temperature while it's still sealed in its interior plastic baggie, and would probably be fine for ever in the fridge. Obtainable at 'Great Canadian Superstore'. I've never seen it go off or even look questionable, even after being left open at room temps. It will dry out, though.

I've not used it for making ice cream, although I suspect it would be fine. As a kitchen standby for sauces and the like I think it knocks canned milk into a cocked hat. Shave off what you need and chuck the rest of the block back into the fridge.

[Darienne]

Thank you DerekW. Shall use it tomorrow in my smoothie.

Made cornstarch-based Lebanese Milk Ice Cream yesterday. It called for half heavy cream and half full milk. Used one can full fat coconut milk (well, I guessed that it was full fat) and one can of what I assume is half fat coconut cream. Plus other ingredients, some of which I had on hand...others the usual types of substitutions. Delicious pronounced by DH.

I am trying to cut down/ get away from cow's dairy products again (along with wheat for starters).

ps. Which supermarket chain exactly is the Great Canadian Superstore? Loblaws?

Edited February 14, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[Darienne]

How long do you suppose that liquid coconut would keep in the fridge? Can opened, leftovers put into an air tight container?

[DerekW]

Which supermarket chain exactly is the Great Canadian Superstore? Loblaws?

Sorry Darienne. Yes, it's Loblaws, and they call the big ones in BC the Real Canadian Superstore. I think there's a caselot outfit called 'Great...." and I get the names confused, apparently.

[heidih]

I use coconut milk (Chaokoh, usually) more often, because coconut cream seems to have more additives and preservatives.

Like Bruce, I use this brand and type most often. It needs a shake if you want a cream, or a pass in the fridge or freezer if you want it to separate out more- getting cream on top and a dilution on bottom. It also freezes well. Many a soup has been saved...

[Darienne]

Like Bruce, I use this brand and type most often. It needs a shake if you want a cream, or a pass in the fridge or freezer if you want it to separate out more- getting cream on top and a dilution on bottom. It also freezes well. Many a soup has been saved...

When you say it freezes well, Heidi, do you mean the leftover that you don't use that day...or something made with coconut milk...?

What do you mean by many a soup has been saved...forgive my lack of understanding...saved from what? Not good enough to eat? Some cooking problem?

Thanks.

[heidih]

I mean that the leftover milk freezes well. As to the soup or other saving, I mean that coconut milk, kind of like cream or butter, can save the day for something that is just lacking that certain something.

[djyee100]

If you can find the Mae Ploy brand of coconut milk, those cans tend to have a generous amt of coconut cream on top. I prefer the taste of Mae Ploy or Chaokoh, and I think Chaokoh is better, with a rounder, almost sweet taste. Asian mkts will also sell various brands of frozen coconut milk, which may taste good.

Be aware that there's a knockoff of Chaokoh around, with a similar sounding name and lookalike label. I last saw it in a market over a year ago, and I don't know if the brand has been prohibited since then. My Thai cooking teacher gave us a sample of the knockoff in class, and it was one of the worst coconut milks I've ever tasted. Lesson learned, be sure you know how to spell Chaokoh when you go shopping.

[Darienne]

Thanks Heidi and djyee100 for all the information.

We live near a small...east central Ontario to be exact...unexciting city. The very phrase: east central Ontario breathes stability and lack of excitement! Never a kumquat to be had. Now that's a level of excitement. Still starting the next time we are in the city, I am going to note which brands are available in which stores...buy one of each...try them all. Maybe I can find some of the better brands. I am trying to replace dairy with coconut milk where I can.

On the other hand, next time in Toronto, I'll no doubt find exactly what I need.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[djyee100]

...Still starting the next time we are in the city, I am going to note which brands are available in which stores...buy one of each...try them all.

A great idea. The last time I did a taste test of various coconut milks (again, thanks to my Thai cooking teacher, Kasma), I was surprised at the differences of taste and quality among them. Definitely worth doing.

[Darienne]

After recent buying binge, listed with fat from highest to lowest:

1. Savoy Coconut Cream : 1/2 c/ 90 g = 200 calories; fat 31%; coconut cream 70% & water, preservative (best for ice cream according to Mr. Minh)

2. Mae Ploy Coconut Milk: 1/3 c/80 g = 160 calories; fat 26%; coconut extract & water; preservative; mentioned on eGullet

3. Aroy-D Coconut Milk: 1/2 c/ 90 g = 170 calories; fat 26%; coconut milk (70%) & water; preservative

4. Phoenix Barge Coconut Cream: 1/3 c/ 80 g = 160 calories; fat 24%; coconut cream & water; no preservative

5. Phoenix Barge Coconut Milk: 1/3 c/ 80 g = 160 calories; fat 12%; coconut milk & water; no preservative

6. Globe Coconut Milk: 1/2 c/ 90 g = 40 calories; fat 5%; 1st ingredient water, then coconut milk (24%); preservative

7. Tomi Coconut Milk: 57 g = 167 calories; fat 5%; coconut milk & water (99.99%); preservative

8. Rooster ?: 1/2 cup = 100 calories; coconut milk (no % given); fat 5 gm - did not transcribe complete info before consumption

OK. So it doesn't make any sense to me. How can #4 and #5 have the same caloric value with differing fat content?

How can #6 and # 7 have the same fat content with such differing caloric values?

No real need to answer. However, for those of you who like puzzles, am I missing something?

Notice that storekeeper (Vietnamese) says #1, highest fat, is best for ice cream. I'll have to ask him again which # he said was best for curries.

Then of course, there is KTC Pure Creamed Coconut, which gives no ingredient values. You mix 200 g with 450 ml for coconut cream and add an extra 150 ml for milk.

Now to use them all... (I must have too much time on my hands. )

Oh, made ice cream using #3 (fat 26%) and #6 (fat 5%). Ed said it wasn't rich enough. So...that one is obvious.

[heidih]

I am always a bit skeptical of caloric values from Thailand, China, etc. Some of the numbers just do not make sense. I would go with taste and experience as to fat content. The only way another brand with less fat could have the caloric value is a very sweetened product like the drink mixes- I would think.