Homemade Coconut Milk

Crack the coconut in half and drain the coconut water into a bowl. You can strain and drink it or save it for later.

Place the coconut halves in a rice steamer and steam for 10 minutes. This helps loosen the meat from the shell.

Use a butter knife to carefully slide between the meat and the shell, working your way around until the meat pops out.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin brown skin from the outside of the coconut meat.

Cut the peeled coconut meat into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a food processor and pulse until the texture becomes fine—like snow.

Transfer the finely ground coconut to a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix). Add the measured warm water and blend for 1 minute until smooth.

Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag to separate the liquid from the pulp. Squeeze out as much milk as possible.

Transfer the coconut milk to an airtight container and chill in the fridge until ready to use. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.