Is Coconut Milk Supposed To Be Chunky?
Coconut milk is becoming a popular staple in many households, where it is used in Asian recipes or as an alternative to dairy milk.
This dairy-free milk has a myriad of uses and health benefits, and also happens to taste delicious! But if you’re not familiar with using coconut milk, you might be surprised when the texture is not quite as you expect.
It is quite normal for coconut milk to develop chunky curds, which are caused when the high-fat content separates from the water.
This is very common in tinned coconut milk intended for culinary purposes, where the fat forms a hard layer at the top of the tin. Separated coconut milk can be reconstituted by gently whisking it until the lumps disappear.
If you’re new to using coconut milk, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this versatile product! We’ve got some top tips on the best way to use coconut milk, including how to fix it if it has gone chunky.
What Is Coconut Milk?
If you feel overwhelmed and confused by the number of coconut products out there, you’re not the only one. Store shelves are now often stacked with different coconut-based items, including coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut water, coconut oil, coconut vinegar, cream of coconut …… the list goes on! It seems they can make pretty much anything out of this tropical palm fruit.
But what exactly is coconut milk? Coconut milk is a milky-white liquid that is extracted from grated coconut flesh. It is rich and velvety, with a smooth flavor and creamy taste.
There are several different types of coconut milk, categorized according to their fat content. The thickness of the milk will depend on how much water is used during the process.
- Standard coconut milk has a similar consistency to full-fat dairy milk and contains around 20% fat.
- Coconut cream is simply thick coconut milk with very little water, this contains very high levels of fat.
- Coconut skim milk is more watery due to its lower fat content.
You may also come across coconut milk products that are intended to replace dairy milk in beverages such as tea, coffee, and smoothies. These are not intended for cooking and are normally made by mixing coconut cream with water.
Culinary coconut milk is used widely in South and Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, as well as the Caribbean and Latin America. The velvety texture and high oil content add a creamy consistency to dishes, along with a subtly sweet coconut flavor.
Is Coconut Milk Supposed To Be Chunky?
It is quite normal for coconut milk to develop chunky curds, which are caused when the high-fat content separates from the water.
This is particularly common in tins of coconut milk, which often sit on pantry shelves for many months before being opened. Like normal dairy milk, the fat in coconut milk rises to the surface, with the watery liquid below.
In some situations, this fatty, creamy layer can even work to your advantage! In Thai cooking, it is often skimmed off the top and used as a frying medium to start fragrant, delicious curries and stir-fries.
It is easy to assume that chunky coconut has gone bad, as this is what happens when dairy milk goes bad. But if the coconut appears otherwise fine, it is normally due to normal separation.
If you are in any doubt, check the coconut for any other signs that it has gone bad, such as a rancid smell or a change in color.
It may have a sour odor or signs of mold on the surface of the milk.
Is It Normal For Coconut Milk To Separate?
Whether coconut milk separates or not will depend on many factors.
Many commercially available coconut milk brands, particularly those intended for beverages, have emulsifiers added. This mixes the fat and water together in a way that means they cannot separate.
Coconut milk used for culinary purposes is normally not emulsified and will be more likely to separate during storage.
The likelihood of this occurring increases the longer the milk is stored. As coconut milk is shelf-stable and has a very long shelf life, it is not uncommon to find that every tin you open has separated!
When this happens, you will find a thick, semi-solid layer of a white, creamy substance at the top of the tin.
This can be scooped out with a spoon, to reveal the separated watery liquid underneath.
Whilst most of the time we’ll want to reconstitute the coconut milk, in some situations you may want to use the fat and liquid separately.
The fatty layer on the surface is very similar to coconut cream and can be used as a cooking fat.
And the liquid underneath is sweet, thin coconut water, which can be used in a wide variety of recipes including desserts, smoothies, and home baking.
If you want to deliberately make this separation happen, a good tip is to put the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight before opening it.
This will cause the fatty layer to solidify, making it easier to scoop away from the coconut water underneath.
How To Fix Chunky Coconut Milk
Like most shelf-stable food products, it is advisable to keep coconut milk in a cool place. However, this can lead to the fatty layer solidifying at the top of your cans of coconut milk.
One good tip to reduce the chance of chunky or separated coconut milk is to move the can into a warmer place a day or two before you want to use it. Stand the can upside down, and the fat should become more liquid and float upwards into the water.
This method might not fix coconut milk that is firmly separated, but it is worth a try.
If you find that tinned coconut milk is chunky or separated every time you use it, there is another simple solution you can try – shake the can!
Before you reach for the tin opener, give the unopened can a vigorous shake. In many cases, this will be sufficient to combine the fats and water to create smooth, creamy milk.
It is often possible to tell when the milk has started to become smoother, as you will start to hear it sloshing around inside the can.
But if you cannot get the milk to separate by shaking the can, or you’ve opened a tin without realizing it has separated, what can you do?
Luckily, chunky or separated coconut milk is normally super easy to fix!
Pour the contents of the can into a mixing bowl – you may need to use a spoon to scoop the thick, creamy layer out first.
Take a hand whisk and gently whisk the mixture until it is smooth and free from chunks. If you prefer to use an electric whisk, use the slowest speed setting and only blend for a few seconds at a time.
If this doesn’t work, it may be necessary to gently warm the coconut milk to melt the fats. Place the mixing bowl over a pan of warm water and stir gently until the lumps are dissolved.
This method should work in most cases, but in some situations, it just seems that the fat and water do not want to combine together to make milk!
In this situation, the coconut is perfectly safe to use, but you may find that your recipe ends up with unappealing small lumps of coconut fat that refuse to blend with the other ingredients.
Why Does Coconut Milk Curdle?
Coconut milk may be a dairy-free milk product, but unfortunately, it can still curdle in the same way as dairy milk. This is normally a common problem in milk that has not been homogenized.
In its natural state at room temperature, the fats and water in coconut milk will combine to create a milky liquid.
The protein in coconut milk acts as an emulsifier by forming a bond with the fat – without this protein, the fat and water would be impossible to combine.
When coconut milk is heated, the protein starts to act differently. It breaks its bond with the fat and starts to form protein chains. It is these chains of protein that we know as curds.
So, when we pour coconut milk into a hot pan, it can quickly split and curdle! And once those little white curds have appeared in your pan, they will be almost impossible to get rid of.
This can be annoying, as it changes the appearance of your dish. However, the taste and texture will be unaltered.
To prevent coconut milk from curdling, heat it gently whilst stirring the pan constantly. It is commonly added at the very end of cooking just before serving to reduce the risk of it curdling.
Many of you may be familiar with this curdling process, as it is commonly used to make buttermilk from ordinary dairy milk. This involves adding an acid such as lemon juice, which has the same effect as heating the milk.
Sadly, this acid trick does not work with coconut milk, so making vegan coconut buttermilk is not an option.