If the thought of wielding a massive cleaver gives you goose bumps, but you have a hankering for some fresh coconut water take a look at Vita Coco. All the natural health goodness of fresh young coconuts without the risk of missing fingers, yikes sorry for the graphic image let's stick to a more inviting picture - the image of good health.

• Coconut water is low in sodium and sugar and very high in potassium (even more than bananas, or sports drinks like Gatorade)
• Coconut water helps raise the metabolism, boost the immune system, and improve circulation (and in a pinch it can be used for blood transfusions since it is identical to human blood plasma - oops sorry that brings us back to the missing fingers quip I'll try to refrain)

If you aren't that familiar with the health benefits of coconut water do some searching and you'll soon find out that coconut water is some amazing stuff (maybe that's why all those commercials you see for vacations in the tropics have all those gorgeous people in them - it must be the coconut water)

But back to the Vita Coco shall we? Not only do they offer plain Jane coconut water that is scrumptious all by itself, they offer many other flavors made with natural fruit purees along with the coconut water. Give the Passion Fruit, Tangerine, Peach & Mango, Pineapple, or Acai & Pomegranate flavors a try - you'll be dancing in tropical vacation commercials in no time.

Update: Today Amazon is having a Cyber Week Lightning Deal on the Vita Coco Variety 12 Pack - Normal list price of $24 now on sale for $16! (the Amazon link above shows it at $21 but if you buy before 4pm Central it is only $16 - good luck!)

I have not been paid by Vita Coco to butter them up and make them look good - their products speak for themselves - I am also not endorsed by meat cleaver sellers or emergency room workers for mentioning tragic accidents that might result from improper use of said cutlery - I do however receive a small commission from Amazon for any purchases made through the links on this site so tell all your friends to stop here first and practice hitting that buy button - it does a blogger good

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday

Naturally Healthy Coconut Water Without Risk of Injury is a post from: Natural Health Goodies

Today must have been the day of the coconut because as chance would have it I discovered a good article on the healing properties of coconut oil and soon after a new highly reviewed shredded organic coconut made by Let's Do Organic. (Certified USDA organic; vegetarian/vegan; sulfite-free, unsweetened, 100%-natural, finely shredded dehydrated coconut - yum yum!) Which led me to the idea for the first Natural Health Goodies recipe... how to make coconut milk.

I've been using coconut oil for a few years now after hearing about all the health benefits of the healthy fats in coconut oil. As you may know one could fill pages on why coconut oil is the best oil for cooking, baking, skin care and most importantly your health - perhaps I will at a later date (if you say pretty please). But there are still health benefits to raw foods like coconut meat and coconut milk and what better way to enjoy these benefits than to make your own coconut milk for baking or just plain drinking.

How to Make Coconut Milk from Desiccated coconut.
(Try Let's Do Organic's Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut)

• Put equal parts of unsweetened desiccated coconut and hot water by weight into a blender (ie.. 8oz coconut to 1 cup of hot water).
• Blend for about 30 seconds and allow the mixture to cool a bit.
• If desired, you can strain and press it through cheesecloth or a fine sieve when it has cooled down. This is not necessary for most recipes, unless you require a silky smooth texture for the end product.
• Discard the squeezed coconut meat or you can also soak the coconut in warm water and run it through the cheese cloth again to make "thin" coconut milk which is good for soups and general cooking.
• Refrigerate the milk and use within 1 or 2 days.
• To make a thick coconut cream from dessicated coconut: Use 4 parts coconut to one part water.

If you like doing things the old fashioned way you can also make coconut milk from a fresh or store bought coconut.

How to Make Coconut Milk from Fresh Young Coconuts or Mature Brown Coconuts

• Pierce the eyes of a fresh young coconut, drain the liquid inside (This liquid, often called coconut milk is not the same as coconut milk used for baking or drinking, although this coconut water is delightfully delicious all on its own so drink away - or better yet add it to the mixture before blending)
• Cut the top off the young coconut or whack, crack and pound the shell of a mature coconut with a hammer (whatever works) so that the shell breaks into several pieces.
• Remove all the coconut meat from the shell, peel off the brown skin and cut the meat into very small cubes.
• Place the coconut meat in a blender, add hot water to cover all of the coconut and blend until finely grated.
• Place a sieve covered with cheese cloth over a bowl and pour the coconut meat and water into the sieve squeezing the coconut meat to extract as much liquid as possible into the bowl.
• Discard the squeezed coconut and refrigerate the coconut milk that has been extracted into the bowl. Refrigerate the milk and use within 1 or 2 days.

Now for the Fun Part: Now that You've Read How to Make Coconut Milk...

If you have used coconut milk in cooking or baking we'd love to hear how you use coconut milk. Please share a story or recipe. And don't forget you can always share a recipe or post on our new Facebook Page! (and please like us - we like friends)

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Desiccated Coconut Sale Price: $2.89   Eligible for free shipping!

This Post on How to Make Coconut Milk Shared on Real Food Wednesday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

How to Make Coconut Milk for Delightfully Delicious Desserts (and Drinking Too!) is a post from: Natural Health Goodies