I went to Trader Joe's today and found that they have a company wide shortage of coconut milk. It is the only brand that I've found that doesn't add guar gum or preservatives. The brands at Walmart, Publix, and Whole Foods have guar gum. the brands at my local asian market have preservatives, but no guar gum.
I went to Whole Foods, and bought 3 young, peeled coconuts and am making my own coconut milk in the vitamix. One half coconut plus 1/2 to 1 cup water blended in the Vitamix gives you coconut milk. Most cans that I found have about 2 cups of coconut milk, so adjust your recipes accordingly.
If you don't add the water, and have good luck liquifying the coconut meat, what you end up with is coconut cream. You can sweeten it, add flavorings to it, and use it as a topping on fruit, desserts, or in your coffee.
It is a good idea to make your coconut milk right before you make your ice cream, so it is fresh, and you only have to clean your vitamix once, not twice!
Use your milk or cream within two days stored in the refrigerator, or freeze it in measured out portions for future use.
