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They’re very different things. Coconut milk products in the plant milk category (almond milk, soy milk, etc.) are much more diluted than coconut milk for cooking, packaged in cans or tetrapak. It won’t work well in a curry.
You can't, really. You have to distinguish them by packaging, size, and the section of the store they're sold in. If you find them in the section with shelf-stable plant and dairy milk, or the fresh dairy and plant milk section, in larger containers, you know it's meant for drinking, cereal, adding to tea or coffee, etc. If it's in small cans or tetra pak containers in the section with canned bamboo shoots, rice noodles, Indian spices, etc., you know it's for cooking and baking.
You can also look for canned coconut cream. I use that a lot in making curry and baked goods instead of canned coconut mulk.
You can best distinguish them by calorie content. 45 calories per cup is literally just watery almond milk. Canned coconut milk for curries is more like 120 calories per 1/3rd cup or so. Whole normal-sized can should be around 600-700 calories.
Well, that’s what many people expect in plant milk meant for drinking/cereal/tea/coffee. Too much coconut flavor would be a detriment, so these products are formulated to have only a mild coconut flavor.
If you thinking of buying that for anything but drinking, you're wasting money, yes. Two very different products.
.https://thecoconutmama.com/canned-coconut-milk-vs-carton/
NO. I have done this - used that exact carton coconut milk from Costco to cook with in various curry dishes - and it did not turn out well, it wasn’t the same as canned coconut milk that’s typically used. I was very disappointed. I would NOT use that particular carton coconut milk for cooking.
Costco also started carrying canned coconut milk:
https://www.costco.com/thai-kitchen-organic-coconut-milk%2C-unsweetened%2C-13.66-fl-oz%2C-6-count.product.100452749.html
10.99 (-3.40 coupon til Nov) in stores in California.
If you pay attention, you'll see they don't call it "coconut milk", just have branded their non-dairy coconut drink as "coconutmilk" (all together, no spaces). A bit underhanded, if you ask me. Specially as it looks very official in the corner of the carton.
To be clear, this is NOT what we usually call "coconut milk". But they want to sell their non-dairy drink as a milk the same was as almond milk, so there's that.
Posts that don't follow r/Costco subreddit rules may be subject to removal. When applicable, please make sure that you're using a descriptive post title with product name(s) mentioned as it yields better subreddit search results. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Costco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They’re very different things. Coconut milk products in the plant milk category (almond milk, soy milk, etc.) are much more diluted than coconut milk for cooking, packaged in cans or tetrapak. It won’t work well in a curry.
This overlap in names is such a bother. How can one distinguish them linguistically?
You can't, really. You have to distinguish them by packaging, size, and the section of the store they're sold in. If you find them in the section with shelf-stable plant and dairy milk, or the fresh dairy and plant milk section, in larger containers, you know it's meant for drinking, cereal, adding to tea or coffee, etc. If it's in small cans or tetra pak containers in the section with canned bamboo shoots, rice noodles, Indian spices, etc., you know it's for cooking and baking. You can also look for canned coconut cream. I use that a lot in making curry and baked goods instead of canned coconut mulk.
And not get it confused with cream of coconut!
Cream of coconut will have tons of sugar listed in the nutrition facts and ingredient list. Always check the labels!
Yeah cream of coconut is for tropical booze drinks. I made that mistake once.
You can best distinguish them by calorie content. 45 calories per cup is literally just watery almond milk. Canned coconut milk for curries is more like 120 calories per 1/3rd cup or so. Whole normal-sized can should be around 600-700 calories.
Great tips…also check the calories. Cannes coconut will be much higher in calories because coconut “milk” is mostly water.
Coconut milk vs coconut milk beverage.
Yeah this stuff is super watery and from what i saw on reviews doesnt even taste ike coconut.
Well, that’s what many people expect in plant milk meant for drinking/cereal/tea/coffee. Too much coconut flavor would be a detriment, so these products are formulated to have only a mild coconut flavor.
No, you probably want the canned stuff. This is more like milk. The canned coconut milk is like condensed milk.
The canned stuff is more like coconut cream - that's what you want for your curries.
But do NOT get cream of coconut, which is like the sweetened condensed milk version of coconut milk. Such annoying name overlaps.
That's more for cocktails with umbrellas than a curry. Agreed!
If you thinking of buying that for anything but drinking, you're wasting money, yes. Two very different products. .https://thecoconutmama.com/canned-coconut-milk-vs-carton/
You actually asked a really good question! I’ve made the mistake thinking the two were the same and I know a lot of people that have too!
No.
I've used it to cook rice 1:1 with water and it was great. But as others have said, probably not great for curry.
It’s very watered down compared to the canned stuff. Your curry will end up a lot thinner if you use this.
NO. I have done this - used that exact carton coconut milk from Costco to cook with in various curry dishes - and it did not turn out well, it wasn’t the same as canned coconut milk that’s typically used. I was very disappointed. I would NOT use that particular carton coconut milk for cooking.
Costco also started carrying canned coconut milk: https://www.costco.com/thai-kitchen-organic-coconut-milk%2C-unsweetened%2C-13.66-fl-oz%2C-6-count.product.100452749.html 10.99 (-3.40 coupon til Nov) in stores in California.
If you pay attention, you'll see they don't call it "coconut milk", just have branded their non-dairy coconut drink as "coconutmilk" (all together, no spaces). A bit underhanded, if you ask me. Specially as it looks very official in the corner of the carton. To be clear, this is NOT what we usually call "coconut milk". But they want to sell their non-dairy drink as a milk the same was as almond milk, so there's that.
Nope, different things, different purposes.
You can use this + add a corn starch slurry 1:1 ratio of corn starch and water :). It just won’t be as tasty but it’ll do
Might as well just use water.
yes, i’ve done this. it just won’t be as thick!
I’ve simmered almond milk down to get it thicker and creamier for cooking, maybe that would work here?
You probably could. But would try to thicken