Extracting Coco Cream & Coco Milk, & Making Latik

This method of extracting coconut cream and milk for all recipes which call for coconut milk: Using two muslin bags (or sako sa harina) per coconut makes squeezing easy to get all the coconut flavor in the milk.

Prepare coco cream and coco milk as follows:

1. Place grated coconut (mature coconuts, not the buko juice type of coconut) into two muslin bags (that had been wrung out of hot water). Squeeze the coco cream without adding water (and this is called the “first press,”). Set aside for latik and oil.

2. For Coco Milk: Use 2 cups hot water for fractional extraction, i.e. divide the water into two or three portions and squeeze the coco milk with each portion of the warm water. Combine all extractions thus obtained.

Note: Now you understand why I call coco milk the second or more presses.

3. For Latik and Oil: Cook the coco cream in a saucepan to form the latik and oil. Regulate the heat towards the latter part of the cooking to prevent scorching of the latik. Latik should be a delicate golden yellow. Remove latik from the hot oil when this color is obtained.

Note: Latik is used for recipes like Biko.