Recipe: Coco Lopez Question

This is probably a stupid question, but I don't mind being humiliated online soooo.....

I bought a can of Coco Lopez, opened it up and found that it wasn't all liquid. In fact there was very little liquid in it, other than at the bottom. The majority of the can was a sticky coconut substance. It didn't taste bad or anything, I had just assumed it would be all liquid.

My question is: Is this normal? Is this the type of consistency that can be used for a mixed drink, like a Coconaut?

By the way: I made a drink that I thought was pretty good the other night. I'm a novice, so I really don't know if this is already an actual drink, its based on the Derby Daiquiri. I followed the Derby recipe except instead of o.j., I used passion fruit juice and instead of white rum, I used El Dorado Demerara.

Thanks in advance for replying to my question!

don't fear the coco lopez!!!

dude...you gotta stir it up because the heavy stuff settles like paint in a can from sitting on the store shelf.....stir it with a spoon till the consisitencey is such that you can measure it out in a shot glass or measuring cup....

..and the coconaut is precisly the drink you should use this for....follow the recipe and use a blender!!! the blender grinds up all the coconaut "chunkies" that might remain after you initially stir it up....and use fresh limes too goddamnit!!

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2009-04-01 15:29 ]

Thanks for the advice Tipsy!

Here's some info from another Coconut Cream thread:

On 2009-02-14 15:45, Limbo Lizard wrote:

On 2009-02-14 13:13, Haole'akamai wrote:
If it has remained unopened and sits for a long time, it can condense...

Haole'akamai meant "congeal", of course, which is caused mostly by cooler temperatures. Warming it with a hot water bath is the correct solution. Or even in a glass bowl in the microwave (cautiously, stir every 10 secs). If it is still solid after warming - if it won't "melt" - something's wrong with it. Take it back to the estate sale where you bought it. :)

Oh, and as for that Coco Real, mentioned earlier. I tried it, once. Don't. But if you've already bought it, don't throw it away... judging by the taste, you can use it to refill your liquid soap dispenser.

---

"The rum's the thing..."

A friend of mine was able to get me a couple of cans of Coco Lopez and I was just wondering if anyone can tell me how to store it, and it's shelf life once opened. I know i'd probably only use it for a few drinks in one night and I don't want to have to throw it out(you cant buy it here).

I usually transfer whatever is left into a glass canning jar and I refrigerate it indefinitely.

I, too, open the Coco Lopez can and dump it into another container. That way you can stir it up and re-mix the coconut oil & solids, and store it in the fridge.

I can't get Coco Lopez up here (I'm pretty sure anyway...). Is there a suitable alternative? Does the Thai canned coconut milk come close?

Slacks, no coconut milk is not like the Coco Lopez, which has solids (coconut) and is very sweet. It is used for drinks, mainly. Coconut milk is thinner, and not as sweet. Coco Lopez calls theirs Cream of Coconut. Maybe another brand is available, you should ask at the grocery store and the liquor store. Good luck.

On 2010-09-18 08:13, Slacks Ferret wrote:
I can't get Coco Lopez up here (I'm pretty sure anyway...). Is there a suitable alternative? Does the Thai canned coconut milk come close?

Can you find Trader Vics CoCo syrup up there? I think the Coco Lopez is good for blended drinks but the coconut syup's work
very well for mixed tropicals,say like a painkiller.

On 2010-09-18 08:13, Slacks Ferret wrote:
I can't get Coco Lopez up here (I'm pretty sure anyway...). Is there a suitable alternative? Does the Thai canned coconut milk come close?

I use coconut milk and stir in enough sugar (if you think you're overdoing it, you're on the right track) to get it the consistency of condensed milk. I prefer this to Coco Lopez, myself. (You can sprinkle some dry grated coconut, if you like.)

Jokeiii may be on to something for those of us who can't find Coco Lopez.

I did a little math and came up to 16 teaspoons of sugar in a 13.6 ounce can of coconut milk.

Here's the logic in case you want to check. According to the nutritional label, Coco Lopez contains 5 grams of sugar per ounce, coconut milk contains basically 0. 13.6 ounces of CL would contain 68 grams of sugar - at 4.2 grams per teaspoon that comes to 16.25 teaspoons. This is actually a conservative measure; since 16 teaspoons of sugar added to 13.6 ounces of CM would make more than 13.6 ounces, the sugar content per ounce would be a bit lower than 5 grams

Thanks for all the info folks!

...to say nothing of no bizarro artificial ingredients.

I tried using Carnation coconut flavoured evaporated milk in my one and only attempt at a painkiller. Never having tasted lopez before I can't compare the two recipes but I wasn't really impressed by my attempt.

[ Edited by: Kane Tiki 2012-01-25 03:16 ]

Use ONLY coconut cream, not coconut milk, they cannot be interchanged.

The Painkiller specifically calls for Coco Lopez, but I actually prefer Goya, which is more easily available. Goya seems be a little creamier.

All coconut cream, no matter what kind you use has a tendency to be chunky with lumps of coconut, which I find particularly unappetizing. I've figured out this trick. When I make anything with Coco Lopez, usually Painkiller mix, what I do is shake the can well and then pour it into a bowl. I add one of the drink ingredients to the coconut cream (such as a few ounces of lime juice) and then I stir with a whisk until all the coconut chunks are broken up and universally liquid and creamy.

dcman

To further complicate matters, there is an unsweetened product also labeled coconut cream. It contains 27% coconut oil and supposedly can be beat like whipping cream. Coconut milk is 19% fat with no sugar added, Coco Lopez is 16% fat with lots of sugar added

On 2010-09-18 08:13, Slacks Ferret wrote:
I can't get Coco Lopez up here (I'm pretty sure anyway...)

Hey SF,
I found it at WalMart in the liquor aisle next to the bitters and Rose's Lime Juice. Maybe they carry it at Canadian WalMarts too?

On 2010-09-29 17:07, MadDogMike wrote:
Hey SF,
I found it at WalMart in the liquor aisle next to the bitters and Rose's Lime Juice. Maybe they carry it at Canadian WalMarts too?

Yeah...I looked there, 'cause the Coco Lopez website stated they were sold in Walmarts...but I'm guessing they just don't sell their stuff up in Canada.

Anyone ever use this?

I am able to find this in town...but I wonder if it's too far off the mark?

Unless it has a bunch of sugar (5 gm per ounce) it's not the same.

Okay...In my never-ending quest to find some decent cream of coconut:

I found "Coco Colada" Cream of Coconut...anyone ever try this?

I think I may be getting closer. It's got 23 g of Sugar per 30 mL. Is that about the same as Lopez? Anyone care to list the nutrition facts on Coco Lopez (or include a photo of it?)

Mahalo!

I just tried "Coco Real" which is closer to the desired taste of the classic Painkiller
but it is not as creamy as Coco Lopez, for some reason I can not find Coco Lopez any where
in my area!

The Coconut syrups have a good taste but lack that creamy texture and are very sweet
so I find by reducing the amount of syrup you use produces a good Painkiller taste wise
just not as creamy as the Coco Lopez.

Hint: using a cocktail shaker with ice will give it a nice creamy consistency with whatever Coconut mixture you use.

SF, here's a link to that label, it won't let me post it. Coco Lopez has 20 gms of sugar per ounce and Coco Colada is 23 grams per 30 ml (just a little over an ounce), sounds about right

ATP, I found Coco Lopez at Walmart in the liquor aisle

Thank's Mike!

Yes, thanks Mike. That label is very similar in the nutrition values. I'm guessing I have something very similar here. I'll have to do a taste test to be sure...once I have a can of coco lopez that is...

Wal-Marts in Canada don't have liquor aisles! I usually get the Coco Colada stuff, which is pretty much the only substitute for Coco Lopez in these here parts. I also brought a couple of squeeze bottles of Coco Real back from the States, but I don't notice a big difference in taste or texture. They're both good. The squeeze bottle is convenient, but still not that easy to pour. I've never tried Coco Lopez to compare, but it sure gets referenced in a lot of recipes. I'm fairly certain it's not available here, unless it turns up in some small, ethnic store somewhere...

I just wanted to chime in quickly here. I emailed Coco Lopez about a year ago or so, and they said at that time that they didn't sell their products in Canada and had no immediate plans to enter the Canadian market. Since then, I've discovered "Coco Colada" which was originally labeled "Pina Colada Mix" but has since been relabelled to "Cream of Cocconut". Personally I like the flavor, but it is not visually appealing. It looks kinda slimy when you pour it from the can. :-S

[ Edited by: Kahuna Tiki 2010-10-26 06:42 ]

It's very much like Coco Lopez (or so I hear) in that it has solids that tend to settle at the bottom and you need to give it a good stir before attempting to pour. I've had good success with it, anyway. Give it a try, Slacks. If you haven't found it in a store yet, Save-On usually stocks it with their bar mixers and non-alcoholic beer.

I am a big fan of sugar, it is one of my favorites of the 4 basic food groups (fat, sugar, salt, and caffiene), but whew, that Coco Lopez is SWEET!!!

Last time I made Painkillers, I used Toroni coconut syrup, only because it has a resealable lid and keeps well. I didn't want to open a 15 ounce can of Coco Lopez and throw out 13 ounces of it.

But I was feeling rich today so I opened up a can. I want enough to taste the coconut, but don't want it sickeningly sweet. Does anyone add a little lime juice to help cut the sweetness? I wonder if you could use part Coco Lopez and part coconut cream to still get coconut flavor without so much sugar?

I found some Coco Real at my Von's* and decided to do a side-by-side with Coco Lopez. I tasted them plain and undiluted, not in a drink

COLOR - Lopez is a little more white, Real slightly off-white
TEXTURE & CONSISTENCY - Lopez is a little thicker, which might be good if you were using it as an ice cream topping not necessarily good if you're trying to mix it into a drink. Real had just a little "grit" in it, like finely ground up coconut.
TASTE - Real had more of a fresh coconut taste. Lopez has 20 gms of sugar per ounce and Real has more at 24 gms but I could not tell a difference in sweetness.

Overall, I like the flavor of Real better plus the convenience of the re-sealable squeeze bottle. Incidentally, Real says it is good without refrigeration for 3 months and longer in the fridge.

*I have also seen it at Lucky's/Albertson's if you don't have a Von's/Safeway, both were in the liquor section.

I just came across Coco Real at Hyland Farms last Saturday, and picked up a couple of bottles. Not having any Coco Lopez up here on the tundra to compare it to, I have to say that it made one of the tastiest pina coladas I've ever had.

Just picked up some coco real but haven't tried it yet. I really dislike Coco Lopez. there is so much sugar in it that I can't taste anything else. Has anyone tried Monin Coconut syrup? Kind curious about it.

Erik, I use the Monin Coconut syrup in place of Lopez or Real
it is sweet, but has a better coconut flavor for cocktails
with out the chalky sediment etc. just use a little less in your recipes.

Thanks, I will try it out!

Good discussion on alternatives to CL.. Personally if I am making a Painkiller, I feel CL is still the best. When blended with Pusser's Rum it has a nice froth on top to sprinkle the nutmeg on and has more of a real coconut taste than the others. I put what's left of the opened can in a small microwaveable container and keep in the fridge. When ready to use again, I nuke it for 30 seconds and stir.

same here, Tonga.

also, in my experience puerto rican drinks are extra sweet by design, and the pina colada supposedly being a puerto rican invention, it's no surprise that coco lopez is so sweet.

My first experience with both Coco Lopez and Coco Real and coming up soon!

I just ordered both from Amazon, as part of my bold, noble (well, not so much either of those, really) venture into "Tiki Mocktail Makin'!"

It's going to be a headache (or maybe the absence of one), to try and adapt a bunch of Beachbum Berry's recipes to mocktails. In fact, it will be impossible.

But I'm going to report if I find anything that doesn't make me gag.

The good news here is that I haven't actually had any of the real cocktails (being that I quit drinking some years ago, before my tiki adventute began, when all I knew was "Hand Grendades" from my native New Orleans, as well as the occasional Hurricane or Mint Julep, which honestly are a literal and figurative blur).

So as I always say, "Ignorance is my secret weapon!"

In case anyone else is curious, here's the ingredients for the two:

Coco Real: Coconut Juice (Pressed Coconut Meat and Water), Sugar, Glycerol, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Sorbitan Monosterate, Natural Rosemary Extract, BHA, TBHQ to preserve freshness.

Coco Lopez: Coconut, Sugar, Water, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Alginate, Mono and Diglycerides (Emulsifiers), Citric Acid, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum.

Editor's note: Yuck! :D