For a large household on holiday, choose 3 L of coconut milk only if you have several recipes that will use it up quickly once opened. The 3 L Thai Kitchen pouch is a foodservice product: POMONA EpiSaveurs says to refrigerate it and use it within 72 hours of opening. If your meals are spread out over a few days, several smaller containers let you open only as much as you need each time. Compare the ingredients and storage instructions for each product, too.
If you’re planning several curries, soups or desserts over a short period, 3 L may be a suitable amount to prepare. For the Thai Kitchen pouch featured by McCormick For Chefs, you’ll also need to follow POMONA EpiSaveurs’ guidance to refrigerate it and use it within 72 hours of opening.
For one or two recipes during your holiday, 200 ml containers or mid-sized packs let you open only what you need each time. E.Leclerc, Carrefour and Auchan offer culinary coconut milk in these sizes; check how much your recipes call for before choosing.
When you’re making a sauce or dessert, volume isn’t the only thing to consider. Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan list different proportions of coconut extract for their products, so compare the ingredients and fat content using the same unit of measurement.
First, work out how much you’ll need for your planned meals and how long each container will be open. Then choose a product with ingredients that suit your recipes.
Worth considering: for repeated cooking where the quantities mean you can use up a large pouch quickly.
Bear in mind: POMONA EpiSaveurs says the Thai Kitchen foodservice product must be refrigerated and used within 72 hours of opening.
Worth considering: for an occasional recipe or meals spread out over time, when you’d rather open a small amount each time.
Bear in mind: you’ll need several containers if your group’s recipes call for more coconut milk.
Worth considering: for a few coconut-based dishes without opening a 3 L pouch.
Bear in mind: the recommended time after opening depends on the product; Auchan says to use its resealable 50 cl carton within 48 hours.
| Factor | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Volume and leftovers | The total amount your recipes call for and the recommended time to use the product after opening. | I want to cook several dishes without leaving a large, opened pouch at the end of my stay; around 44% of consumers would put usable volume and leftovers first. |
| Texture in cooking | The proportion of coconut extract and the fat content, comparing figures given using the same unit of measurement. | I’m looking for ingredients that will give my sauce or dessert the result I want; texture would be the priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and local availability | The ingredient list, nutritional information and products available at your chosen shop. | Before stocking up for my holiday, I want to know what each product contains and which ones I can buy; around 23% of consumers would prioritise these factors. |
A large household won’t necessarily use 3 L in a few days. POMONA EpiSaveurs says the Thai Kitchen pouch must be used within 72 hours of opening.
Add up the amounts needed for the recipes you’ll make during that time. If the total is well below 3 L, consider buying several smaller containers instead.
Any product left unused beyond the recommended time may have to be thrown away.
These names don’t necessarily mean the same thing when you’re making a sauce or curry. Carrefour and E.Leclerc’s product information for their culinary coconut milks specifies, among other things, the proportion of coconut extract.
Check the product name, ingredients and nutritional information for the product you’re considering for your recipe, rather than relying on the word ‘coconut’ alone.
Carrefour describes Kara Light as a culinary coconut milk with a reduced fat content, while Auchan describes another product as semi-thick. These descriptions aren’t enough to compare their ingredients.
Check the proportion of coconut extract and the fat content. Make sure the figures you compare are both given per 100 g or both per 100 ml.
McCormick For Chefs offers a 3 L Thai Kitchen coconut milk for foodservice.
Carrefour offers a 400 ml tin of culinary coconut milk.
Carrefour offers Kara Light culinary coconut milk in a 200 ml carton.
Auchan offers a 20 cl semi-thick coconut milk and a resealable 50 cl carton, among other options.
E.Leclerc offers two culinary coconut milks in 200 ml cartons.
These options include 500 ml and 1 L containers, as well as a pack of twelve 1 L cartons. When planning your holiday meals, check the size of each container as well as the total amount in the pack before choosing.
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The 1 L container could work if you have several recipes planned but don’t need to open 3 L all at once.
Check the total amount you need and the storage instructions on the pack for after opening.
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This size could suit several recipes. The fat content in the product name makes it easier to compare with other products on a like-for-like basis.
One container holds 1 L, not the 3 L in a large pouch, so plan how many you’ll need for your recipes.
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This pack could be suitable if you’ve planned lots of meals, as you can open the cartons separately.
It contains 12 L in total, far more than the 3 L you might consider for a large household. Check how much you need and the instructions for each carton once opened.
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This size could suit a few recipes that call for less than a litre at a time; the fat content is stated in the product name.
If you’re cooking for a large group, work out how many containers you’ll need and check the pack for instructions on storing it after opening.
McCormick For Chefs presents the 3 L Thai Kitchen product as a foodservice option, and POMONA EpiSaveurs lists it in a pouch. Before planning your meals around this size, check where it’s sold, the packaging available and how much you’ll use once it’s open.
Follow the instructions for the product you buy; there isn’t one time limit that applies to all these sizes. POMONA EpiSaveurs says to refrigerate the 3 L Thai Kitchen pouch and use it within 72 hours, while Auchan says to use its resealable 50 cl carton within 48 hours.
Check the product name and ingredient list before using it in a curry, sauce or dessert. The word ‘coconut’ on the front of the pack isn’t enough: also compare the proportion of coconut extract and the nutritional information for the products you’re considering.
Check the net quantity, ingredients, nutritional information and date on each product, then look at the storage instructions for after opening. The DGCCRF distinguishes between a use-by date, which you must not exceed, and a best-before date, which applies while the packaging remains intact. A best-before date doesn’t replace the instructions to follow once the container is open.