Don’t Toss That Leftover Coconut Milk. Freeze It For Later

Coconut milk is luscious stuff that adds flavor, richness, and major mojo to any dish. But sometimes that dish may only call for a fraction of your package, which begs the question of what to do with what’s left. While there’s no shortage of exciting culinary options that will put leftovers of this stuff to good use (like that crispy coconut baked chicken breasts recipe you’ve been meaning to try), keeping it fresh in the meantime requires a little foresight. 

You can easily stash coconut milk in the fridge for about a week (just be sure to transfer from the can to an airtight container), but if you’re not certain you’ll use it up in that timeframe, the good news is you can absolutely freeze this stuff. Instead of attempting to freeze it all in one container, however, grab a standard ice cube tray and fill it with your leftover liquid, then store it into the freezer. Once these coconut milk cubes are fully frozen, you can pop them out and store in a zip top bag or other freezer-safe container for a month or so. This way, if a recipe calls for a smaller amount of coconut milk, you can just take out individual cubes of frozen coconut milk without having to defrost the entire supply all at once.

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to frozen coconut milk. You can thaw frozen coconut milk by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. However, you may see some separation once the liquid is defrosted as the coconut water and coconut cream might split apart, though it’s entirely useable. You can easily stir this up with a spoon or whisk to recombine those elements and restore the emulsification, but you may still notice a little grittiness in the texture. In that case, a quick whir with an immersion blender should return your coconut milk to its silky original state.

Once you have your thawed milk on hand, you can get creative with so many coconutty culinary applications. Whether you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative to make rich Alfredo pasta sauce and spicy curry, a sweet glaze for desserts and pastries like coconut baked donuts, something to lighten up your morning coffee, or even add a tasty boost to a fruit smoothie, it never hurts to have coconut milk on hand. And while it’s helpful to know how to determine whether canned coconut milk has gone bad, this storage tip should help you to steer clear of any catastrophes and keep your coconut adventures going strong.