coconut creme?

Searched twice and found nuttin.
I have been using Coco Lopez in my Painkiller’s and I think they are onolicious! The Tonga Hut in P S uses a Squeeze bottle brand that imho results in a good drink that is just a tad too sweet. Coco Lopez is priced higher than petro (almost 6 bucks a can).
I found another brand (see pic) at Northgate Mrkt’s that was just awful! Even though it’s only a buck 49 I’m glad I only bought one can.
If you store your creme in a reefer-you’ll need to bring it to room temp and shake it up before it’ll pour easily. I run hot tap water over the container for 20 seconds and it remains liquid all night

I seem to recall that the white squeeze bottle brand has LOTS of preservatives and other nasty ingredients versus Lopez which has just three or four ingredients. I stick to Lopez. I would only consider another brand if the flavor was good and the ingredient list wasn't full of bad stuff.

Don't buy the Lopez "light" version - it separates a lot when in your fridge, and the savings in calories is not worth it at all. You do need to warm it and mix it up when taking it out of the fridge.

Coconut cream is important to me - lots of Painkiller fans here at my home bar.

I don't see the Gonzales stuff out where I live. We have a lot of coconut milk in the Thai foods section, but that's not at all the same as coconut cream.

Ace, Tanks for the tips.I too shall shall stick to the Coco Lopez although i was somewhat intrigued by your mention of all the preservatives in the squeeze bottle stuff. At my age I need all the preservatives I can get!
Btw,are you grating your nutmeg yourself?-forgive me if that’s a silly question .
Cheers

On 2014-06-29 21:36, AceExplorer wrote:
I seem to recall that the white squeeze bottle brand has LOTS of preservatives and other nasty ingredients versus Lopez which has just three or four ingredients.

Last time I bought Coco Lopez I was actually kind of disgusted by the ingredient list: Coconut, Sugar, Water, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Alginate, Mono and Diglycerides (Emulsifiers), Citric Acid, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum.

Compare to Coco Real ("the white squeeze bottle brand"): 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.

Maybe try this stuff, which contains a single ingredient: organic coconut. http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Organic-Creamed-Coconut/dp/B00113ZZ5U/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

"You can't eat real Polynesian food. It's the most horrible junk I've ever tasted." —Trader Vic Bergeron

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-29 21:58 ]

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-29 22:02 ]

Shoot! Now I gotta squeeze my own nuts. Whats’s next?
Cheers

Glad to help! And the nutmeg question is a good one.

I do both -- grate my own, and use stuff in a jar. The nutmeg contains oils which will oxidize when exposed to air, so grating fresh is always the best way to go for absolute strongest flavor. Letting ground or grated nutmeg sit for too long likely causes the oils and aromas to disappear slowly over time. But for larger groups where you're making a lot of drinks or where you are really slammed behind the bar, I think it's perfectly ok to use store-bought ground nutmeg and sprinkle it a little more generously to make up for some of the lost flavor and aroma. I think that if you have a lot of good rums and fresh ingredients, then it makes sense to also grind your own nutmeg.

On grating nutmeg:
A Microplane grater works very well, however in the process of grating you create some static electricity and the process can be a bit messy. Grate into a medium-sided bowl with as few ridges as possible, then you'll have an easy time collecting your grated nutmeg. Or grate nutmeg directly into your guests drinks to really impress your guests. The hand grinders work well from what I heard one person share with me at The Hukilau this year, but I don't own one yet. We hand-grated all the nutmeg for the drinks at the Hukilau symposia this year for ultimate freshness and authenticity.

TikiTacky - just saw your report on Coco Lopez versus the white squeeze bottle stuff. I don't remember that, so my memory must be wrong, thanks for the info! I'll take a look next time I'm in the supermarket.

I did look at a can of Coco Lopez in my pantry just now - you're right, the ingredient list is lengthy. But still, I recall passing on the white squeeze bottle stuff for some reason, I just can't remember what it was. A supermarket study is required.

I like that Lopez brand separates in the can and in storage. I think the white squeeze bottle stuff doesn't do that. Hmmmm...

On 2014-06-29 22:01, nui 'umi 'umi wrote:
Shoot! Now I gotta squeeze my own nuts. Whats’s next?
Cheers

What's next? Have someone else squeeze your nuts for you. It's a great way to make new friends! :P

I'm confused here, you're talking about crème of coconut but that can is coconut cream, right? Those are pretty different products, the former being basically sweetened condensed milk with coconut flavor and the other being an emulsion of coconut fats/solids and water without added sugar.

Yes, I mentioned both. Some people starting out making cocktails initially don't realize that there is a difference. Using the wrong stuff will absolutely underperform in a Painkiller.

I would imagine it would also give you the diabetes. :D

I would imagine that most cookbooks/online resources have to constantly reiterate the difference between cream and crème since the later is a dessert/pancake topping and also can be used (reported) as a "fluid substitute" in adult entertainment.

You know, I'm drinking my 3rd Painkiller of the weekend as we talk this over, but I buy Coco Real and don't have any problem with it. I'm sure Lopez is slightly better all in all, but the fact that I can use the coconut cream as needed then store for later is great on the ol budget. I don't use the stuff that frequently to where I'd use an entire can of Coco Lopez. Good enough for me.

Plus it comes in a squeeze bottle so you can take the remainder and do money shots at work the next day.

When looking this up I saw Goya also has their own squeeze bottle brand of CoC.

There is an alternative which I prefer, Monin Coconut syrup, Natural sugar & no High fructose corn syrup
natural flavors & no chalky taste that the two first options have, it makes a great Pain Killer
or in my case my "Kraken Killer's" it is on the sweeter side, so adjusting to your personal taste
is just a matter of preference, I have served many of these and they are very popular.

On 2014-06-29 22:26, wizzard419 wrote:
I'm confused here, you're talking about crème of coconut but that can is coconut cream, right? Those are pretty different products, the former being basically sweetened condensed milk with coconut flavor and the other being an emulsion of coconut fats/solids and water without added sugar.

Hey Wiz, No wonder it tasted so bad. Tanks for the clarification. Lance. I’m gonna try the Monin.
I’ve noticed that most bars that I have visited use the CoCo Real-my guess is cuz it’s easy to use.
mahalo to all!

The latest issue of Imbibe has a story on DIY coconut cream.