I have bought this one Grace Coconut Cream at Walmart (of all places) is a little box no preservatives for
$1-ish.

I don't think there is such thing as bpa free, guar gum free retail coconut milk. I've checked everywhere and I'm supersure there is something fishy with arroy-d. And yes, companies are allowed to say 100%. You see that in juice all the time yet if you read the ingredients it is made from concentrate, that 100% can be anything, so you cannot sue them for it. It could be 100% a drink for example.

Don't buy arroy-d imo. It has lots of guar gum or some other preservative because after drinking it the next day my liver is so stressed and I didn't eat anything suspicious besides the coconut milk.

You can tell from just drinking it plainly it doesn't taste right, very grainy and bumblegum feeling you get afterwards.

What makes me think there is something up with Aroy-D is that when I buy organic coconut milk with no preservatives from whole foods in a can, the milk separates and forms a thick block at the top of the can. This is something it should do. Now that doesnt happen with Aroy-D. This to me implies there is something in it keep it consistent. Anyone have further info?

Please bear in mind that coconut milk is NOT from young coconut meat. It IS from MATURE coconut meat!!!!/ a comment from Thailand

I use Grace Creamed Coconut, a solid that comes in a 170 gram box that doesn't need to be refrigerated after opening. It has no additives (PURE CREAMED COCONUT, NO COLOURING, NO PRESERVATIVE). Can be mixed with water as a substitute for coconut milk. It's easy to just slice off however much you need. (Unlike when you need just half a cup but have to open a whole can.) Sometimes I don't mix it with water, e.g. when the sauce already contains water and I don't want to add more liquid which would make the sauce too runny. I'd add a photo if I could figure out how!

I use Aroy D all the time and want so much for it to be 100% coconut milk but the label is confusing. Why does it say 100% then list Coconut extract 60% and water as ingredients?

This is the best way to go:

AROY-D COCONUT CREAM is 100% preservative-free and the cartons are 100% BPA-free

Its nutritional profile is superior to the milk:

Calories in Aroy-D Coconut Cream 100% Nutrition Facts Aroy-D - Coconut Cream 100%

Servings: 1/2 cup

Calories 190 Sodium 11 mg Total Fat 19 g Potassium 0 mg Saturated 17 g Total Carbs 4 g Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 2 g Trans 0 g Protein 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0% Vitamin C 0% Iron 2%

To supercharge its health benefits, I make a homemade kefir from using live kefir grains.

The Asian market sells the cartons cheaper than what I've seen them selling for online, so it's worth the slight drive to stock up.

So, the question still has not been answered on whether Aroy-D in the vacuum box 100% Coconut Milk is really 100% Coconut Milk. Can a Company lie about something being 100%? Has anyone called the company or written to the company to find out? I have 6 six cartons sitting on my self and have not used them yet, because I want to know the truth first. So, I am looking for the Address and Phone number to the company. I would like to write and call to get the truth on this one. Can anyone help on that one. Assuming is not enough for me.
Sincerely, Catgross Ventura, CA

I'm chiming in to say I just made my own coconut milk from 'fresh' coconuts yesterday because, like the above comment from Jayan, at least then I know what's actually in it! And, well, the results were OK.

I used a fine mesh nut bag to strain out the fiberous solids (I blended coconut meat with coconut water and filtered tap water) and the end product was sweet, but not smooth. The coconut fats like to separate into small globs and there is a somewhat grainy look to the whole batch, like a cream soup that has 'broken'.

I'm sure the guar gum and other undisclosed thickeners are helpful in keeping the (canned and boxed) coconut milk 'creamy' and stop it from separating, but how healthy they are, I don't know.

I'd like to make whipped coconut cream again, but so far the only way I have been able to 'whip' coconut milk is by starting with canned coconut milk that's been chilled. I simply could not do it with the homemade coconut milk, even after refrigerating overnight.

If you need help opening coconuts, there are good videos on youtube - the best way I found is to whack the coconut in your hand (over a bowl) with the back/dull edge of a good quality/solid metal chef's knife, one that won't fly apart if used like a hammer :)
Here's a link to my favorite how-to-open-a-coconut:

At the toko over here I buy a brand called TRS. On the ingredient list it says Coconut and some water. I don't mind the water. Whereas I bought a can from another brand,which stated to be 99,9% pure coconut milk but it had some preservative in it,being the 0,1%. So,I figured the 0,1% couldn't be noticible,but I found it had a 'funky' taste to it. So,I stick with TRS....just no clue if this is the real deal.According to the owner of the store,TRS is known to list every ingredient on their products.

I also would ask. What are the best packages to buy in? Cans? Or this plasticpaper packeges? What toxins are in the packages which goes in the coco milk?

related thread here: http://paleohacks.com/questions/4077/do-i-need-to-worry-about-the-guar-gum-in-my-coconut-milk#axzz1HJZkQ0WG

thank you for this eye-opener.

I use aroy-D all the time. (from the asian markets) There is only one other brand that I can get here (Blue dragon). No difference from one to the other and blue dragon is sold in health food stores.

The label actually says 60% coconut milk and water. (it is very dense though) What you should know is that the brand name is not important but the manufacturer. In this case: thai agri foods public company ltd. I say this because there is another identical can with a different name for the Italian market (though both are sold here) that is produced by the same company.

Yes, Aroy-d does have two versions of the coconut milk, which doesn't make much sense to me. One intended for making deserts which is what I use and one for cooking.

Thanks to you I googled a bit: I found this for the can: Ingredients: coconut milk 55%, water, potassium metabisulfite (as perservative). Unsweetened.

Yet it appears that the carton is in fact 100% with no preservatives.

link: http://www.importfood.com/cfch1301.html

more on potassium metabisulfite (E224 aka E220)

derived from coal tar; all sulphur drugs are toxic and restricted in use (in USA, FDA** prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables), produced by combustion of sulphur or gypsum; known to provoke asthma attacks and difficult to metabolise for those with impaired kidney function, also destroys vitamin B1; typical products are beer, soft drinks, dried fruit, juices, cordials, wine, vinegar, potato products

and more: (E 220) Sulphur dioxide reacts with a wide range of substances found in food, including various essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and essential fatty acids. Adverse reactions: bronchial problems particularly in those prone to asthma, hypotension (low blood pressure), flushing tingling sensations or anaphylactic shock. International Labour Organization says to avoid E220 if you suffer from conjunctivitis, bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, or cardiovascular disease.

scary. Now I have a new problem: (no cartons here) Where to get my coconut milk. I guess the obvious: fresh coconuts.

One option is to order coconut cream from Tropical Traditions and dilute it--about 1/4 cup cream + 3/4 cup water. It comes in a jar, so no cans to mess with, and has no additives whatsoever. And did I mention it is delicious?

Yep, the Aroy-D in the vacuum box is what I use. It's the only one I can find at my local 99 Ranch (West Coast Asian grocery store chain) that lists 100% coconut milk. There are plenty Aroy-D varieties in different cans with different levels/percentages of coconut milk. I've seen some label "for cooking" and "for dessert" with anywhere from 55%-65% coconut milk. The rest is additives such as guar gum and even water. This is even within the Aroy-D line of coconut milk. Therefore I stay away from the canned versions.

Attached is the Aroy-D in the vacuum box. They're $0.99 each at my 99 Ranch (SoCal).

If you have access to stores that sell young coconut, you can have them crack them open for you. Young coconut meat is easily scraped from the shell without much struggle... Save the water inside before scraping them. Once you have shelled the meat out, stick the water and meat in a blender. Blend until it's like a smooth consistency. Then put some cheesecloth in a large bowl... Pour the mixture in... Sift the liquid out... Then squeeze the cheese cloth until all you are left with is damp fiber...

Then take the fibers, add a little more water and blend it all again. Repeat the straining and squeezing process, until the fiber is dry again.

Now you've got fresh coconut milk. The process is a little time consuming... But the results are well worth it. Be sure you drink the milk in 2 days or freeze it immediately, otherwise it will go bad. Once you have tasted this... You will never want to go back.

Now remember those dry fibers? Dry them out a little more on a cookie sheet, then blend them till they are powder... You just made fresh coconut flour! Use it to make paleo baked goods.

Now I've heard that with the fresh milk, you can also cook out the oils as well and get unfiltered coconut oil. I have not tried this, as the milk oil mixture is just too damned good to waste, and I don't want to cook out the flavor. Maybe one day I will try it though.

With enough time put in you could easily have oil, flour, and milk for a few weeks.

Of course this IS time consuming, and may not be for everyone.

I'm a little wary of the other ingredients in some of the brands, but the Gold Rooster brand (not sure that's what it's really called) is the best I've found in terms of taste, mouthfeel, and its ability to work in coffee. The Aroy-D is OK, but I agree that it's a tad on the grainy side.

The Premium Thai brand is awesome too, but at least twice the price of the Rooster where I shop.

Are you opposed to buying frozen fresh coconut and just blending it with water? It won't be quite the same, but at least you'd know exactly whats in it.

Aroy-D is the closest to pure coconut milk/cream that I've tried. I honestly don't believe there is anything in there except coconut milk (ie coconut and water)

I just wish there is a local asian market that carries it here. :-(

I was wondering the same thing. I am finding it extremely difficult to find the perfect coconut milk. Arroy-D comes pretty darn close, but like you said, I am worried about hidden ingredients.

My favorite brand is Phoenix Barge. I usually buy the coconut cream, not the coconut milk. In Thailand, where the stuff comes from, they consider the juice that comes from the first pressing of the coconut meat to be "cream," and anything that comes out after that to be "milk." I find the cream has a stronger coconut flavor, and is thicker.

Phoenix Barge is the only brand I've found in the Asian grocery stores that contains only coconut cream and water (according to the label), and doesn't have the preservative potassium metabisulphide in it. It seems to make sense, since it goes bad after opening a bit faster than the stuff that contains potassium metabisulphide.

I have tried the Aroy-D a couple of times, it seems kinda grainy compared to the other brands I've tried, maybe a little Guar Gum isn't so bad...

What you buy is also what I buy. It's the best that I've been able to find in Toronto.

Considering that the expiry date is more than a year in the future, I suspect that there's a preservative such as guar gum.

As you said, it's likely that the amount of guar gum is so little that Aroy-D is not required to list it.

Either way, I think it's the best product available.

I've found frozen coconut milk in the freezer section at one of my local Asian markets. There are no other ingredients listed aside from coconut milk. They also sell frozen grated coconut. Both are frozen in 1 lb plastic bags and cost $1.69. Maybe you can ask your local store to order these.

It's worth a try..I bought 6 today from the Asian store.(In a can,sadly,but in this town,beggars can't be choosers).Little thinner and less sweet than the standard varieties,but not bad.Nothing in it but water and coconut milk.