Coconut Oil: How to take/use?

TommyKnocker

Going around Dunnes in Donaghmede earlier doing weekly shop and happened to see that they sold Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocowell brand), €4.79 for 500ml tub. I have read a bit lately about the benefits of this oil and have been meaning to pick some up, so I got 2 tubs.

Got home and opened one up and as I kind of expected, it is solid rather than an oil. So, for cooking with it, I assume I just throw a knob into a pan, a bit like cooking with lard. However I have read of folks taking it orally, and am wondering how and how much to take. I have tried it in its solid form and it tastes really nice, like coconut :rolleyes: so I don't think I would have a problem eating it straight from the tub. Don't think I will require anything to mask the taste. So how much is normal to take daily, given that I have a reasonably good diet, take olive oil over veg, in salad dressings, eat tuna & salmon regularly and eat a variety of different nuts.

Also how should it be stored, in the fridge or just in a cool press, out of the sunlight.

Do folks bring it to liquid form for any reason, and if yes, why & what is the best method.

Sorry for all the questions

EileenG

I tend to cook with it (as you said, a knob instead of butter or other oil) or eat it cold. I keep mine in the fridge, and sort of shave off the amount I'm planing to eat. I do occasionally melt some to mix with very dark chocolate and freeze to make a sort of home-made chocolate.

Before a tough workout, I sometimes melt a spoonful or two into a cup of black coffee for an energy boost.

Just be aware that though coconut oil has a lot of health benefits, it also has a lot of calories, so use it to replace something in your diet rather than adding it to it.

TommyKnocker

Thanks a million for the tip Eileen

traveller80

Sorry if im hopping on someone elses thread here, but i bought coconut oil a few weeks ago and it tastes and smells vile. Even mixed in with other foods, its stil overpowering (both in smell and taste).
I love coconut and was expecting it to taste more 'coconutty'. Have i just bought a bad brand?? I got it from an Indian foodshop.

EileenG

Yeah, you got the cheap and nasty version. Try one from a health food shop or a good supermarket and you won't know it's the same thing.

CaSCaDe711

Bought a tub in pure coconut oil in SuperDrug a while back, use it to moisturise my face and scalp, works wonders. Melt in hand, massage,skin sorted for the day. Miss that coconut smell though

TommyKnocker

traveller80 wrote: »

Sorry if im hopping on someone elses thread here, but i bought coconut oil a few weeks ago and it tastes and smells vile. Even mixed in with other foods, its stil overpowering (both in smell and taste).
I love coconut and was expecting it to taste more 'coconutty'. Have i just bought a bad brand?? I got it from an Indian foodshop.

No experience of cheap nasty version, but I would assume that EileenG is correct as the one I bought tastes like desicated coconut and is really easy to eat from the tub.

Axe Rake

I use the organic virgin coconut oil for all my cooking. It tastes and smells amazing. I usually use a spoon to scrape off some bits for the pan and while i'm at it i usually eat a bit as well while i'm there, it's just so nice

It's also the best oil for cooking at very high temperatures because its stable.

And of course as some users have mentioned, you can use it on your skin after a shower/bath, it's great for moisturizing. I store it in the fridge.

rubadub

traveller80 wrote: »

Have i just bought a bad brand?? I got it from an Indian foodshop.

EileenG wrote: »

Yeah, you got the cheap and nasty version.

Could it be rancid? did it have a BB date? what was the brand, I got some cheap one in an Indian food shop in blackrock market, double horse brand, tasted fine though.

TommyKnocker wrote: »

the one I bought tastes like desicated coconut

I was asking about this before, I don't think I got any replies -but could you just eat dessicated coconut in place of coconut oil. It is already about 65% fat, and cheap enough and readily available. I got coconut flour and was putting it in oats & milk and it was lovely. I was thinking I could mix dessicated cocount with eggs and maybe bake cookies or something, or fry pancakes.

I was wondering what processing it would undergo, it could be as good as virgin oil.

Checking on tesco Shamrock coconut is €1.62 for 250g

Typical Values Typical values per 100g -
Energy 2492kJ / 604kcal -
Protein 5.6g -
Carbohydrate 6.4g -
Of which sugars 6.4g -
Fat 62.0g -
Of which saturates 53.4g -
Fibre 13.7g -
Sodium 28mg

So 62% fat, so 155g in a pack, or 1kilo of coconut fat for €10.45


€3.49 for 1L of oil here (I think 1L of oil weighs about 900g)
http://bombaybazar.ie/product_info.php?products_id=1399
I am not sure if it is hydrogenated

trashheap

but could you just eat dessicated coconut in place of coconut oil.

I was wondering about dessicated coconut too...I found some Primal Blueprint recipes that call for coconut flakes or grated coconut. Would your bog standard Shamr*cks dessicated coconut be ok to use in place of these?
Something is making me think they're not equal...but I don't have a scientific reason.

rubadub

Reading this would suggest dessicated should be OK, since you can make it virgin oil from it.

http://www.coconut-oil-central.com/virgin-coconut-oil.html

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is coconut oil in its unrefined and uncorrupted state. It's the best type of coconut oil you can use....


Production Methods

The following are some of the processes used for producing VCO:

* Fresh - Dry Process (Desiccated Coconut Route)

http://www.coconut-oil-central.com/desiccated-coconut.html

The desiccated coconut (DCN) process can yield substantial quantities of coconut oil. Few other methods can produce even more oil with comparable quality than this process can.

The steps below are the chronological procedures for the production of desiccated or completely dried out coconut.

* Shelling
* Paring (removal of testa)
* Washing
* Grinding
* Blanching
* Drying

This method is also very useful to processors. DCN which did not pass the rigid quality standard for the product can still be converted into high value goods such as coconut flour and aflatoxin-free high grade animal feed.

Manufacturers can even process DCN products with sub-standard color and microbial content further to produce virgin coconut oil (VCO), though I question the virginity, so to speak, of this type of coconut oil.

trashheap

So, I suppose you could blitz dessicated coconut in the blender and use it, in things like pancakes, in place of flour?

Doolee

For what its worth, if its just for frying, maybe use butter? I think I'm right in saying this, but feel free to correct me. Both fats are able to withstand the high temps and wont form any nasty triglycerides unlike oils if you heat it too much. But you've also got the added A,D,K vits in butter. Dont think theres any vitamins in Coconut oil. Of course if flavour is your thing then work away.
Must get some myself actually.

Doolee

TommyKnocker

I think that the benefit of cooking with Coconut oil is that it can handle higher tempatures than say butter can.

You can slow cook in butter over a gentle heat, but if your turn the flame up the butter will burn very quickly and will not impart a nice taste to your food.

This is how you make beurre noisette Heat teh butter till it just starts to turn a brown color and then add in some lemon or lime juice and remove it from the heat.

Doolee

TommyKnocker wrote: »

You can slow cook in butter over a gentle heat, but if your turn the flame up the butter will burn very quickly and will not impart a nice taste to your food.

This is how you make beurre noisette Heat teh butter till it just starts to turn a brown color and then add in some lemon or lime juice and remove it from the heat.

Ooooohhhhh yyyeeaaaaaahhh. Knew there must be a reason.