Why Use Coconut Milk Powder Instead Of Canned Coconut Milk?

5 July 2017

Whilst coconut water has risen to stardom over the last few years, canned coconut milk has been a kitchen staple for decades, a key ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Coconut milk is effectively made by grating and soaking coconut flesh

Coconut milk is effectively made by grating and soaking coconut flesh. If this milk then has the water evaporated from it a powder is created. Water can then be added back to the powder to make coconut milk once again.

We ask The Coconut Company why producing coconut milk from powder is better for us and the planet than using conventional tinned coconut milk…

Carbon footprint – because we’re not having to transport vast amounts of liquid around the globe the carbon footprint of a powdered product is significantly less than a liquid canned version.

Wastage – once a can of coconut milk has been opened you don’t have long until it goes off, resulting in a lot of product being thrown away. Not so with powder, which can last up to 18 months. You also won’t get any wastage from product being stuck to the side of a can.

Cost – a lot of powder goes a long way. One of our 250g bags makes about the equivalent of over three litres of coconut milk.

Less nasties – most tinned coconut milk has artificial thickening agents, preservatives and stabilisers added to it, resulting in a product that isn’t quite as natural as you might hope.

Versatility – there are more uses for powder than conventional coconut milk. You can add it to curries and other savoury dishes where you want a coconut flavour, but don’t want to increase the liquid content of a dish. It also makes a great addition in everything from dairy free ice-cream to smoothies and sauces, alongside being used as a replacement in hot drinks and on breakfast cereals.

Consistency – standard coconut milk can settle in a can, resulting in a more liquid based milk on top and lumps at the bottom.

A word of caution: Unfortunately not all milk powders are created equally, with some even having dairy added to them in the form of sodium caseinate; not great news for those using coconut milk for vegan and or dairy allergy reasons.

The Coconut Company’s Organic Coconut Milk Powder is the purest coconut milk powder on the market, not only free of any dairy ingredients, but organic and GMO free.

Available from health stores and directly from The Coconut Company at www.thecoconutcompany.co