AMNimlos Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I need advice! My husband and I are starting the Whole30 on 1/1/13 and we just bought some coconut milk to try it out. But when I looked at the brand my hubby got, So Delicious Unsweetened coconut milk, there is carrageen and guar gum in it. It seemed unPaleo, but I'm not sure so I googled. Turns out it isn't Paleo, but I also read in a couple places that BPA from canned foods can leach into fatty foods, like coconut milk. So what do I do? Is So Delicious OK? Should we buy canned coconut milk and dilute? Should I make homemade from coconut flakes? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpinSpin Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 The boxed coconut milks are a no go. Use a canned milk with only guar gum in it. No need to dilute the coconut milk. A number of people swear by the Trader Joe's light coconut milk, but I stick with full fat coconut milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted December 28, 2012 Moderators Share Posted December 28, 2012 There are lots of compliant canned coconut milks out there, but anything with carageenan is out. Reread the Whole30 guidelines to see the three additives that are never okay. Guar gum is an okay additive. Coconut milk fits Paleo guidelines. BPA is an issue, but not all cans are a problem. The only compliant coconut milk you are likely to find comes in cans. The stuff that comes in a carton is not okay due to the host of additives in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb0426 Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Look for Native Forest Canned Coconut milk. It is my favorite and has BPA free cans! No diluting like SpinSpin said, and I am a full fat coconut girl here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goddesslynne Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Thai Kitchen full fat is great! You can get it at lots of markets, but I've only found the organic variety at Whole Foods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smacd Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Try making it yourself, there are lots of recipes and videos to help you. Lovely thing is it's much cheaper, you can make it to the thickness you like (after some experimentation), and you know exactly what's in it. I made my first batch yesterday and it was very simple; trying it in a recipe tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Roy Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Make your own coconut milk!? How!? I buy as much Thai kitchen whole coconut milk as they have on the shelves at the local grocery because they seem to run out of it frequently! It's so expensive though, so if there is a way to make it that would cost less, that would be awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Making your own coconut milk sounds like a plan to me, off to google how it's done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smacd Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 It's a mixture of shredded coconut (fresh or dried), either soaked in water and blended, or just blended, and then you can strain through a butter cloth. It's very, very easy. Can't believe how long I looked for a brand with no rubbish in it and then found I could do it myself at a fraction of the price and without worrying about what's in it. It lasts about 4-5 days in the fridge too (and the cream rises to the top, so be good to figure out what delicious things I can do with that!). Got the Well Fed book, am clarifying own butter, making own mayo and now coconut milk.....yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Oh that sounds awesomely easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Why would you strain it? Can't you just leave the coconut bits in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smacd Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Yes, you can either leave the bits in or strain it- up to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournegirl Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Thanks for the heads up re the BPA. I opened a small tin of a different brand of coconut milk the other day and it tasted really metallic and bitter, I had to taste it twice as it didnt taste rancid, just wrong... so I threw it out. Now I am thinking it was probably leached BPA. Thank goodness my supermarket stocks a cheap coconut and water only can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldi Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Tropical Traditions has a video showing how to make coconut milk at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melany Anderson Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I buy the cans, but I have also made it and it's not that hard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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