How can I prevent coconut cream from curdling in a soda drink?
I've made Tom Kha soda syrup:
simple syrup + coconut cream + lime leaves + lemongrass + galangal + a bit of lime juice to help preserve
When I add a couple spoons of it to soda water and ice, it curdles. I know this is because the soda water is too acidic (it's just tap water that I carbonated — no basic additives). What can I do to alleviate this without changing the flavour too much?
Best Answer
If it's acidity that's causing the separation, a pinch of baking soda should do it. In fact (trivia alert!), the first "soda" was naturally carbonated spring water, which usually contained alkaline sodium compounds, including sodium bicarbonate, a.k.a. baking soda. Many brands of carbonated water today, especially those marketed as "club soda" in the US or "soda water" in the UK, have baking soda added to mimic the flavor of that natural spring water.
Having said that, if coconut cream curdles with acid, and you've already added lime juice to your coconut cream, there's nothing you can do to un-curdle it. However, coconut cream has very little protein, which is what causes dairy milk to curdle in acid. Most of the discussion I can find online about coconut milk and cream curdling refers to heat as the main cause.
Could your problem simply be that the high-fat coconut milk, like many fatty products, doesn't mix easily with water? Try blending it thoroughly with a small amount of water, and then blend that with the larger amount of carbonated water, and see what happens.
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Quick Answer about "How can I prevent coconut cream from curdling in a soda drink?"
Not only shold acid not cause coconut cream to curdle, but carbonated tap water shouldn't be acidic. I would try thinning the syrup in a small amount uncarbonated water and then blend it into the carbonated water (maybe caronated to a higher amount to account for the extra water).How do you keep cream from curdling in soda?
Another way to postpone the curdling is to add the syrup first, seltzer water, Ice and the pour the cream over top. Let the cream fall to the bottom then stir gently as you consume the beverage. If this drink is for a customer, serve the beverage without mixing the drink.How do you keep coconut cream from curdling?
Simply stirring the coconut milk will blend the curds back again. To prevent large curds from forming when you cook coconut milk, 'stir often' does the trick.How do you stop a drink from curdling?
Avoid Curdling in Drinks Safeguard your cocktails against curdling by choosing high-fat cream liqueurs, or varieties made with heavy cream rather than milk. Heavy cream resists curdling because there are relatively few protein strands and plenty of fat to insulate them from the acid.Why does coconut milk separate in drinks?
Because coconut oil solidifies into coconut cream at room temperature, canned coconut milk generally separates into two distinct layers: liquid water at the bottom and solid white cream at the top. The cream in some cans was as heavy and dense as Crisco, while in others it had a looser consistency.Thai Coconut Smoothie Recipe | How to Make Coconut Smoothie at Home | Bangkok Street Food
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