Paradise In Your Kitchen: Your Guide to Selecting the Best Coconut Milk [2020 Update]
Ok, so the thing about coconut milk is that it can be used in a number of different ways. Due to this, you do have to be careful about the kind that you select.
The good news for you, though, is that you don’t have to make your selection blindly. We will help you wade through the top options and figure out which one is right for you.
Here we go…
Best Canned Coconut Milk for Cooking
Best Tasting Coconut Milk for Smoothies
Best Asian Coconut Milk for Curries
Best Coconut Milk for Desserts
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The Best Coconut Milk Brands
It’s finally time for the main event! These are the coconut milk brands that ticked all the right boxes…
Best Canned Coconut Milk for Cooking
There is no denying that Native Forest is one of the healthiest coconut milk options available. So, if you are very careful about what you consume, this will be the brand for you.
As an added bonus, the company also gets its coconuts from sustainably managed farms, improving the eco-friendliness value of the product.
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Best Canned Coconut Milk for Cooking
Thai Kitchen coconut milk is relatively well-known and widely used.
After considering the ingredients and how the coconuts are sourced, we decided that this was a well-deserved title.
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Best Asian Coconut Milk for Curries
This is a product of Thailand. As such, you can be guaranteed the authenticity of the milk.
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Best Asian Coconut Milk for Curries
The Four Elephants coconut milk is another product of Thailand. Due to this, you will find that it is an excellent addition to any authentic recipes you want to try out.
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Best Tasting Coconut Milk for Smoothies
This is a coconut milk that has been specifically designed to be added to drinks. It can even be consumed by itself in cereals or similar foods.
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Best Coconut Milk for Desserts
The 365 Everyday Value is a rather sought after brand. While it does work well with most recipes, we really enjoy using it specifically for desserts:
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Choosing Your Coconut Milk
Your first step to becoming a pro at choosing the right coconut milk is to know what to look for. To get a better grasp of how coconut milk brands differ, this is what you should know:
Cooking vs. Drinking Unsweetened Coconut Milk
As mentioned, coconut milk is used in a variety of ways. Some people will add the liquid to their smoothies, while others will use it for cooking.
What you may not be aware of, however, is that different types of coconut milk are used for each purpose.
See, coconut milk that is used for cooking tends to be thicker and more flavorful. In some instances, it is essentially coconut cream that is diluted with some water.
The overall flavor and thickness of this coconut milk make it perfect for cooking, especially if you are whipping up some Asian recipes.
The other kind of coconut milk is really more of a beverage. Some brands even label it as such, although this isn’t always the case.
This coconut milk is a more watered-down version. In fact, it tends to lack the strong, coconut-y flavor usually associated with the coconut milk for cooking.
While this works well for drinks and cereals, you shouldn’t use coconut milk beverages for recipes. It will end up diluting the food and not really add anything in terms of taste.
For the longest time, people have distinguished these two types of coconut milk based on their packaging. And, to a certain extent, this categorization does work.
This is because, for the most part, coconut milk meant for cooking does come in cans. Coconut milk beverages, on the other hand, are sold in cartons.
Naturally, there are exceptions to this rule. There are some cooking coconut milks that are found in UHT boxes.
Thus, it is best to always read the label carefully before making your choice.
The Coconut Milk Ingredients You Should Know About
Packaged or processed coconut milk has been designed to last longer on the shelf. As such, a number of brands will use different additives to increase its lifespan.
They may also include ingredients to prevent the coconut milk from separating too much when it is in its packaging.
On average, the canned coconut milk ingredients are often more comprehensive. Here are some that you need to know about:
- Guar Gum: a natural ingredient that works as both an emulsifier and a stabilizer.
- Carboxy methyl cellulose: this is a thickener that is made from wood or cotton pulp. It can help to maintain moisture levels.
- Polysorbate 60: keeps the water and oil in the coconut milk mixed together.
- Sucrose Esters: helps to maintain the white color of coconut milk. It also maintains the texture of the milk.
- Carrageenan: made from a form of seaweed and has had links to digestive issues. If you want to avoid any side effects, you may want to choose coconut milk without carrageenan.
So, does this mean that you should steer clear of any coconut milk brands that contain additional ingredients?
Well, this is a decision that is left up to you.
Keep in mind, natural thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers do play their part in maintaining the integrity of the coconut milk.
Thus, opting for additive-free coconut milk could mean that you have to forego certain properties such as texture or even usability.
As a result, you will have to weigh the pros and cons of choosing coconut milks with these ingredients.
Should You Choose Organic Coconut Milk?
Now, for the most part, organic coconut milk does have to adhere to stricter standards. As a result, there will be fewer additives included.
Not to mention, you can be certain that there will be no toxins, pesticides, or any other harmful substances. Thus, if you do want to stay on the safe side, going organic may be a good option for you.
Full Fat Coconut Milk or Light – Does It Matter?
Coconut milk will typically fall into categories of full fat, reduced fat, or “lite”. If you are selecting the milk as a beverage, then the fat content will not make too much difference to the end
result.
Therefore, you can select a low-fat version.
However, when it comes to cooking, it is best to stick with full-fat versions. Most low-fat options are often rather diluted. Due to this, they will reduce the quality of your food as well.
Now you know exactly what to select if you are looking for coconut milks. Your selection will largely depend on how you want to use the milk. However, with our guide here, you can be certain that you are getting the best quality possible.
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