I have never tasted anything made with raw coconut that I didn’t like. My love of all things coconut might just rival my love of avocados. Both foods are delicious nutritional powerhouses. Indulge me for a moment as I sing the praises of all-things--coconut again.
Raw coconut contains powerful antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties almost unmatched by any other food. The lauric and caprylic acids contained in coconuts are toxic to viruses and bacteria. But not healthy intestinal bacteria. It is high in saturated fat, and short to medium chain fatty acids, which break down very quickly in the body, and aid in the digestion of other fats.
Coconut water is low in calories, almost completely fat free, low in carbohydrates, and is high in protein, B Vitamins, and ascorbic acid. It is a natural isotonic drink, that restores the body’s electrolyte balance; and is a health elixir that boosts the function of the liver, thyroid, kidneys and gall bladder.
For more information about the magical health benefits of coconut, head to Dr. Mercola's website for fascinating articles and studies from around the world will give you some further insight.
Making fresh raw coconut milk is super easy. You just blend the raw meat and water out of young Thai coconuts. Opening coconuts takes a bit of practice, and can be a bit scary at first. Read my full instructions on the coconut page of the resources section.
The most time effective way to crack coconuts is to crack a whole bunch at one time and then freeze the water and meat separately. Put the raw coconut meat in freezer bags to use later. Freeze the water on containers and leave an inch or two at the top of your container to allow for the expansion that occurs when freezing. Freeze any extra milk into ice cube trays and then collect in freezer bags for quick use in smoothies and other recipes later.
When making the milk you may have to run the blender for a while in order to achieve the most homogenized results, which warms up your blender, and thus the milk. Don’t be alarmed – the milk will not spoil. Just chill in the fridge, or add some ice-cubes into the blender at the end to cool if you are using the milk straight away.
The milk will safely keep in a cold fridge in a glass jar or jug for about 2 days, perhaps 3 days in a really cold fridge. The milk might separate a little and get a bit of a skim on the top. Just give it a stir or a quick pulse in the blender before using and you will be good to go.
