Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
~ Confucius
Surely something so simple cannot be this easy, can it?
I assure you, with a little effort, it absolutely is, and with that effort, you will be so richly rewarded.
With all the wonderful alternatives to dairy milk out there, it is no surprise that coconut, with all of the amazing health benefits that come with it, is leading the charge in many ways as a delicious way to get good fats and loads of high quality energy into our bodies.
While it surely isn’t a local food (unless you are lucky to live where they grow of course), coconuts are widely available in markets & supermarkets all across the world, and with (just a little) know how, can be purchased for just a few dollars and used in any number of amazing ways.
Here is my favorite way to enjoy it (other than found as-is on a beach in Mexico), and I am sure I am not the only coconut milk lover out there!
Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.
~ Jimi Hendrix
Picking coconuts can be a little tough, and often can yield something less than fresh.
Perhaps the greatest challenge is finding a coconut that hasn’t gone bad. I assure you, once you crack it and drain the water inside, you’ll know if you’ve got a rancid one on your hands. Such is life, and I often purchase 2 at a time just to be sure. And at such a low cost of $2-$3 each, it’s not such a bad way to go.
If you’ve never worked with fresh coconut before, you are in for a treat!
Just talking about cracking these guys open brings back some of the fondest memories of my childhood – when finding the soft spot on the coconut with my dad (and the nail and hammer) was just about as awesome as it got.
And that’s pretty awesome.
This method of making (and enjoying) coconut might not be for everyone, but if you’ve got the will and a good blender, you might just be in heaven with this.
The taste and texture of fresh coconut milk is about the creamiest, dreamiest thing I can think of, and here it can be done right at home!
So be prepared for (just a little) work, and maybe (just a little) mess, but I promise the results will be worth it. And so will the recipe coming up for the pulp in my next post 
The Less:
Less canned, processed items in the home means more hands on, homemade goodness. Less packaging and labels used means less waste, resources, and energy. Less shelf stable anything means more fresh live energy, so you can infuse yourself and your loved ones with love, straight from the earth right to you.
The More:
More rich, satisfying health food means more all round satisfaction in your belly. More whole, natural fats means more easy assimilation and clean fuel. More delicious fresh dairy alternatives means lots of healthy & tasty options, so living with less is easy, while still being tempting and delicious.
Fresh Homemade Coconut Milk:
- (1) fresh hard-shell coconut
- (3-4) cups water
- Sweetener if desired
- Lots of Love & Elbow Grease
Start by grabbing a safe sharp object – a good pair scissors with a sharp tip, or my dad’s favorite (and thus, mine), a nail and hammer.
Find the three spots on the tip of the coconut and with the tip of the sharp object, gently and carefully try to poke each hole. One of the three holes is the ‘key’ to the coconut and will cave under the pressure much easier than the other two. This is how you know which one to go for! Once identified, poke the soft hole all the way through and twist the scissors or nail to make as big a hole as you can (it will be about as big as a small pencil eraser).
Drain the water inside the coconut and set aside for drinking (right away or later).
Now the fun part.
(and you might find a better way to do this).
You’ve got to break the coconut into pieces. I do this by throwing it against the concrete in my backyard as hard as I can. It’s pretty satisfying and kids do love this (just make sure they are well out of the way of flying pieces!!). Otherwise, you can set the coconut on a hard surface and hit it with a hammer until it breaks. Keep breaking up the pieces until you get pieces smaller than the size of your hand.
Then, using a firm object (like a strong metal spoon that you don’t mind bending), separate the hard shell from the coconut meat. The meat itself will have a soft brown ‘skin’ – this can stay on, just carefully (and with elbow grease) get all the furry hard shell pieces off until you have a bowl of clean pieces of white coconut. Yum!
Growing up, this was a special dessert for us.
Once you’ve got all of your coconut pieces, give them a quick rinse under cold water to get any mess from the skin off. Break the pieces into smaller pieces if desired and add all the coconut to your blender (you should have roughly 4-5 cups of coconut pieces).
Next, add 3-4 cups of clean cold water to the blender. Blend the coconut and water on high for up to 3 minutes, ensuring all the pieces are well blended (the pulp will remain quite coarse depending on the strength of your blender).
If you start with less water, make sure to add enough water to facilitate good blending.
Once you have blended the mixture for up to 3 minutes, strain the milk through a fine strainer or cheese cloth. Notice the cream that rises to the top during this process – this is so good for you and so incredibly delicious too!
From here, transfer the milk to a large mason jar or container for storage in the fridge for up to 5 days. The milk will separate a little in the fridge, but just give it a good shake before using!
One recipe will make enough milk to fill just under a one liter jar (depending on how watery you like it). Feel free to sweeten with vanilla or maple syrup as desired, and enjoy this with anything and everything you like 
And there you have it, fresh, homemade coconut milk. How awesome is that?
Make sure to save the pulp, as I’ve got a most yummy dessert to share with you next, when I will be posting fresh upon our arrival in France!
You’ll be ready to dive into making coconut milk just to make the dessert I am sure, but once you’ve done both, you might not be able to stop (or maybe you will).
The more I see, the less I know for sure.
~ John Lennon
I’ve said before that coconut is almost literally a vegan’s dream, and whether you are vegan or not, I have yet to meet a soul (aside from my youngest daughter but never mind her) that doesn’t love the flavor and richness of coconut.
Here it is in all of it’s pure, unadulterated glory. The best kind of glory there is, if you ask me.
There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.
~ Edgar Allan Poe
Beauty is not caused. It is.
~ Emily Dickinson
So if you are an adventurer in the kitchen (I know quite a strong few of you out there) – I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I’ve been relishing in the freshness of this drink all week and I’ve got to tell you, my friends and co-workers have not minded one bit, as they’ve also enjoyed the outcome of the delicious pulp too.
- Have you ever made coconut milk at home?
- What is your favorite way to use coconut milk?
Do tell friends! This will be the last of me from Vancouver for a while, we are literally in the last few hours here, and we leave very early Sunday morning. I’ve said my good-byes (some were very hard this time), but I am so looking forward to not only going, but to returning too.
Renewed. Inspired. Fresh.
I can’t wait to have you all join me. I hope you will!
This recipe has also been featured in Healthy Vegan Fridays #5 – check it out here!
Yours in Less,
Around here, we either smash coconuts on the brick steps, or, if we are feeling particularly civilized we heat the drained coconut in a low oven for awhile, which causes the meat to shrink from the shell a bit, meaning it’s easier to pry loose — I have a big scar on my left from when I tried to pry coconut loose with a dull knife.
Have a great trip!
Thanks Sharyn!! I love your stories – but am sorry to hear about your scar, that can NOT have been fun! Though I am intrigued by your oven tip! Thanks!
Wow Shira, you are inspiring! I wish i lived next door to you and could sample all these goodies
I like coconut milk – well, anything coconut really! Love the quote – Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens.
Thanks Marina! It would be fun – and the more the merrier! I get such a kick out of bringing food to work, the good and the not so good
Last post from Vancouver! xo
ohhh safe travels!! I cannot wait to see your views from France! have a great time!
I love all things coconut. The best for me is ice cold coconut water straight from a young green fresh coconut. a close second is sticky Thai coconut rice topped with fresh mango. also my aunts coconut custard pie is heaven.
i love your blog and your wonderful simple but elegant food. perfect!
Custard pie sounds like heaven indeed!! Wow – and thanks for your kind words – and your appreciation of simple (but wonderful) foods, so good to be in great company
this looks like such a great and rewarding project! coconut is the best!!
I LOVE coconut in all it’s forms – I’ve only had it once sprouted; have any of you tried this too? It has a foamy white look to it and tastes great! I agree with the coconut rice topped with fresh mango comment. I just may have to have that soon!
I totally haven’t had it sprouted – that sounds so interesting! I want some coconut rice with mango now too!
That jar of coconut milk is so tempting – just want to drink it all down. Happy travels, Shira!
Thanks Anne!
So excited!
Looks and sounds amazing. One of these days, I’ll stop being so afraid of the cracking the coconut open part and actually do this.
Wishing you luck! Funny how it’s one of those things – but once you start it becomes no big deal (at least I hope!)
Thanks! You’re right, it’s definitely a matter of just doing it once. I always wonder after what the big deal was in the first place.
Totally – you know what they say…the trick is just to get started..the hardest part of anything we think is hard
Good luck!
Yup! Thank you!
Nice post, I really enjoyed reading it. Don’t worry about your daughter’s dislike of coconut, she’ll come around. I hated coconut as a kid… it’s a texture thing.
Thanks Shelley! She’ll soon figure out what she’s missing, right?
Thanks for reading!
You are truly amazing!! I would love to make my own coconut milk! I drink almond milk daily, and need to make some of that too! I used to hate coconut, but the kind I hated was the thick, fake, chalky strings that tasted nothing like real, pure coconut. Now I can’t get enough!! Have a safe trip and I can’t wait to hear all about France!
Thanks Britt! Looking forward to posting from there!
Smashing coconuts is the smallest incentive to making this – yum
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I know right Uru? Worth doing just for that…
Thanks so much for once again reminding me that something that I’ve assumed is difficult and complicated is really actually do-able and. as you point out, rewarding.
I hope you agree once you try it! It’s actually fun…(at least I think so!) – enjoy!
I’m going to try it and will be using it in my next batch of coconut quinoa breakfast bowl.
Perfect LuAnn! Brilliant idea!
I do love coconut, and these photos are exquisite, stirring something long forgotten. Just beautiful. And, too, for the first time, I believe I could make such a thing — I’ve never thought to try!
Thank you Ashley! You totally can!
This looks so tasty
I love adding coconut milk to my hot chocolate at night for extra creaminess. I’ve never made it myself, but I make almond milk quite often which is also super easy and nutritious! Have a great time on your trip xo
Thanks Sarah! Love the idea of adding it to hot chocolate – YUM!
I have never cracked open a fresh coconut with my kids–clearly its time! And I should probably get another to try a batch of homemade coconut milk, yum!
Totally Emmy! Imagine the glee when it breaks to bits – it’s pretty awesome!
I love this, Shira – I’ve never even considered doing this… I’m not sure why. Thanks
Well now you can my friend
Happy weekend!
This is awesome! I actually have a coconut on my counter that I had no idea what to do with! I hope mine’s a good one!
You are a lucky girl who had parents that taught you this
Have a lovely weekend Shira!
Thanks Gabby – let us know how it goes! Next post from Paris
xx
Gah so excited for you!! Have a safe trip my dear and eat your heart out
Yay Shira, thanks for sharing this on Healthy Vegan Friday! I actually made this after to posted in and it was amazing. Thanks for inspiring me to do it!
Any chance you could through in a link to Healthy Vegan Friday for me? I’d love you to bits! (Not that I don’t already!)
Done! xx
I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award and One Versatile Blogger awards please check out my comments on your wonderful blog at http://wp.me/p2n8ji-av.
Thank you Flippe!! So kind of you – appreciate that and congrats on your 2 awards!
Hi Shira! You always make the prefect posts at the right time – I was just wondering yesterday about how I could make coconut milk myself. I’m a recent convert to all things coconut, but they really are tasty and so damn good for you that I have been making more of an effort to get them into my diet! However, I’ve just found out that I have some heavy metal poisoning, with tin being one of the culprits – so tinned foods (and thus coconut milk!) are not an option for me at the moment. Thanks for another great post! Can’t wait to give this a try
have an amazing trip.
So glad to be of service Sarah, and yes, the timing is curious (in such a lovely way)! I hope it works out, and sorry to hear about the metal poisoning, how do you even know to get tested for that?
Would love to hear how it goes!
My naturopath recommended the metal testing (via hair analysis) based on my chronic fatigue symptoms – funnily enough, lots of the symptoms I have overlap with the specific metal toxicity that came up… so although they are prob not the complete cause of CFS, they are definitely contributing to my health problems. Although its not great news, it is good to finally have something to pinpoint and I can start chelation therapy using food – any cilantro recipes in the future would be super helpful!
For sure! Have you checked out the cilantro sauce from the recipe section? It’s yummy! I’ll keep that in mind too – and as much as you have suffered, it is wonderful to have some answers finally I am sure, you must be very relieved
xx!
those photos are beautiful!
Here in Indonesia we often use fresh coconut milk as one of main ingredients for many dishes such as opor or gulai, but recently more people prefers the already-packaged ones rather than buy it fresh–less work and cheaper, too. Reading this post makes me feel a bit nostalgic–my childhood when I accompanied my late mother to the traditional market, then help her made the coconut milk.
fruits+coconut milk+a bit sweetened milk+ice = perfect, btw
Love your delicious coconut suggestion – thanks! This is a great story, thank you so much for sharing your memories, hearing how folks do it in regions where coconuts grow is very cool!
Wow, thanks for these instructions; I will definitely try making my own coconut milk now!
It’s funny– I also just took apart a hard-shell coconut last week (I bought it on a whim, mostly to drink the coconut water), and I made a few different things from the coconut pieces that I’m in the midst of preparing some blog posts about. But I definitely never thought to turn it into coconut milk!
(Oh and my favorite way to use coconut milk? Hands down, to make creamier curries.)
Nice one! I’m totally with you there Allison!
That is too funny – I’ll be looking forward to those upcoming posts!!
I’ve made this once before and found that the hardest part was separating the meat from the shell. With the coconut I had, I definitely couldn’t have used just a spoon. Do you know if maybe the coconut was just not ripe enough or I’m missing a step? It was a lot of work, but so worth it and delicious. I still have the pulp left but am not sure what to do with it yet.
Stay tuned tor the yummiest recipe to use your pulp for (but you do have to like chocolate)!!
I am not sure why it would have been so tough – it’s true they are all different but in my experience there is a knack to wedging something in between the meat and the shell – once you connect it should pop out easily (but it really does take effort). Sharyn mentioned above that they cook it in the oven to loosen it first – might be worth a try?
I’m going to try again this week and see if it’s easier. I’m not crazy about putting it in the oven and losing the lovely raw-ness of the coconut, but I might have to… thanks for the suggestion. I am super excited for this pulp recipe!!
I’ve only wrestled with a fresh coconut once and it won. The next one I bought was rancid so I gave up. Going to give it another go, can’t resist!
Do it! You are stronger than any old coconut!
That’s right baby!
Dear Shira – tata! How ironic that my husband and I leave Portland for your Vancouver as you’re leaving your Vancouver for Paris! I’ll be thinking of you, over and over, and will be so anxious to hear the updates! Blessings of Beauty and tender renewal, and a safe and happy return!
I’m pinning this post, and I’ll absolutely be trying it! (And of course, I’m completely intrigued by what’s to come of it!) Happy journey my friend! xox
Wow – that is bizarre indeed! I hope you enjoy our fair city – what brings you? How lucky we are, if you need any restaurant recommendations let me know – and do stop in at a JJ Bean for a coffee if you enjoy it (we are trying to keep up with Portland)!
xox
Stay tuned my friend – you always brighten my day!
We’re heading to your most fair city to pick up a tub-filler (of all things!
) Last time they not only shipped the wrong one, but it languished in customs for 3 weeks. Ha! 
But that may only be our excuse….we love Vancouver and haven’t been for years. We’re staying at the Loden, near Melville and Butte so if you had any suggestions for restaurants AND you’re not already in the air, we’d love any recommendations! Thanks so much friend! Xox
Fabulous Spree – the Loden is gorgeous and their restaurant is wonderful too! If you get to Gastown you can’t go wrong with Boneta or L’Abbatoir for a lovely (though slightly high end) time! A lovely summer walk to get to them both if you don’t mind the grit of Gastown
have a great time! Just writing from our layover in Toronto! xx
Lovely Shira – you have inspired me. I will be hunting down a coconut this week to make fresh milk AND I shall await your pulp recipe with gusto!
Have an amazing time in Paris. I am thinking of you all and sending you safe & happy travel vibes through the inter-web… (have they arrived yet?) I look forward to all your Paris posts, and also gleaning your advice for our time there from you.
Travel safe, my friend
Jx
Fabulous J! Pulp recipe is chocolatey and gooood! The coconut will be powerless to the strength of your Vita-mix so I have a good feeling about this!
Writing from our halfway point in Toronto my friend, and the last (I fear) of reliable high speed Internet, but we shall see! We are (just a little) beside ourselves – just a wee few hours away now
Thanks for sharing this Shira. I’ve never worked with real coconuts before. We are trying to make coconut rice. We’ve been using the coconut milk in the store but want to try alternatives. The coconut milk in the store doesn’t seem to give it enough coconut flavour and we don’t want to use too much coconut milk.
I hope you can make the rice as you like soon – sounds wonderful! I might have to give that a go myself too, sounds yummy! Not sure if fresh will help or not but I would be curious how it goes regardless! Xx
I am so impressed! You are amazing, Shira. Simply amazing!
I hope you have a safe and fabulous trip! I can’t wait to see pictures and hear about it!
Reblogged this on Fancy Nancy says…. and commented:
Yum! Coconut milk is good for you. Know this it does have 552 calories from healthier fat than say that Chocolate mocha chai latte syrupy thing full of sugar or sweetener.
Studies have shown that the healthy fat will help with good cholesterol. Keep your motor running.
Amazing! Actually it took me down my memory lane – we used to have something like this along with some puffed rice. Actually I love coconut in all forms. You have a great trip – look forward to all your travel posts as well. BTW, this time the photographs seemed a bit different – in singular format rather than the usual 4s (excepting the first). Lovely photographs but also miss your previous format!!!
Coconut milk is my favorite milk alternative! Plus it makes curries. What more to life is there?
I love this post!
1. Adventurous and pretty dang simple
2. You are going to France?! Fantastic!
3. My daughter doesn’t like coconut, either. Actually, she loves dried coconut flakes but not coconut ice cream. That means I get hers, though. So it’s not all bad.
Have a wonderful trip!
Wow this is so neat – your post brought back so many fun memories. Growing up it was a treat when my Mom would purchase a whole fresh coconut and let us drink the coconut water straight from the coconut – she also used the smash and dash – right out front on our paved walk way, my sister and I use to get a kick out of this!
This method of making your own coconut milk is one I will defnitely be trying when I get a spare moment
Sounds awesome Heather – loving your coconut smashing story!! Good luck with the coconut milk – let us know how you make out!
Hmmm, I’d have to go out to our parking lot between apartment buildings to break open a coconut, but I think I’m willing to withstand the odd looks I might get!
The looks are the best part (haha!) – that would be awesome!!
Wow, it’s so funny that you posted this because I recently just bought my first brown coconut and opened it myself. I’d had fresh young coconuts before but can’t get them where I live now. I used a knife to make a hole in the soft spot, and then put the coconut in a bag and threw it against the floor outside as hard as I could (feeling very stupid in case anyone was watching me and thinking I was a crazy woman!). My baby and I enjoyed the coconut water and then I blended up the coconut meat in smoothies. Yes who doesn’t like the taste of coconut. It’s gorgeous! I need to dig out my nut milk bag and make some coconut milk for my smoothies so they’re not so grainy.
This is awesome, a great story! (Folks must think we are all mad smashing our coconuts!)
Reblogged this on veggiewitch and commented:
OMGosh! I’m just re-visiting a few of my favourite blogs, and it’s awesome to come across this wonderful recipe by Shira @ in pursuit of more. I love everything coconut! To me, coconut is wonderful, coconut + chocolate = bliss! ♥
*The blog post directly after the Fresh Coconut Milk recipe is a Coconut and Chocolate Torte! GO!*
Glad you enjoyed this!! Hope you like it!!
Awesome…. never tried making fresh coconut milk – you’ve inspired me. Plus throwing coconuts at walls could be great stress relief
Couldn’t agree more Lou!! It feels so good to chuck them – especially when you get the end result! xx
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