What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil is simply an oil that is extracted from the meat of a coconut. This can be done a few ways, such as cold pressing, expeller pressing, and with chemicals/solvents. We’ll talk more about that in a bit.
What are the health benefits?
Coconut oil has several health benefits. It contains antioxidants which help to reduce inflammation in your body. It also contains a substance called lauric acid which is antibiotic, antimicrobial, and antiviral. Coconut oil also increases levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol. These are just a few of its health benefits. I definitely consider it a superfood!
What are the different kinds of coconut oil?
It can be confusing when you go to buy coconut oil since there are several different kinds available these days. Let’s talk about the 3 main types of coconut oil.
Virgin coconut oil is the least refined of all the types. It can be processed several ways: by cold pressing, centrifuge extractions, heating coconut cream to extract the oil, etc. It has a distinct coconut flavor which is great for flavoring dishes.
Up next we have expeller pressed coconut oil. This is a more refined coconut oil that is extracted by pressing the coconut meat (usually dried) through a machine. It is then steam cleaned which removes the coconut flavor.
Make sure to look for expeller pressed coconut that hasn’t been extracted with the use of solvents, chemicals, or bleach! It can also sometimes be hydrogenated, which converts it into a trans fat: no thank you!
Finally, there’s factionated coconut oil, also known as “liquid coconut oil” or “MCT oil.” This is coconut oil that has been “fractionated” to isolate the medium chain fatty acids. You see, coconut oil is made up of several types of fatty acids, including medium chain triglycerides or MCTs. These fatty acids can be used for energy quickly, and don’t require as many steps in the body to process and convert to fuel. They have a host of health benefits, and they’re also liquid at room temperature!
If you’re looking for specific health benefits from MCTs, you’ll want to make sure you do your research and find one that has specific strains of MCTs. Coconut oil contains 4 different MCTs (caproic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acid), and they serve different purposes. For example, caprylic acid converts to ketones quickly, so if you’re looking to increase your ketones you’ll want to look for an MCT oil that contains mostly caprylic acid.
Whew! Science.
If you’re just looking for a liquid coconut oil for cooking, make sure to find one that hasn’t been chemically processed.
What does it taste like?
That depends on the type of coconut oil that you choose. Virgin coconut oil has a distinct coconut flavor. Expeller pressed and fractionated coconut oil don’t have any detectable coconut taste.
How do you store it?
You can store it at room temperature, preferably someplace dark and cool. It should keep well at room temperature for months. For longer storage, you can put your coconut oil in the fridge or freezer. Just know that it will be hard and solid if it’s cold, so bring it back to room temperature before attempting to scoop it out.
How can you use it?
Coconut oil has so many uses! Let’s chat about a few of them:
I like to use the virgin coconut oil for oil pulling (swish the coconut oil around in your mouth for 10–20 minutes to reduce bacteria in your mouth), adding to bone broth, scooping into a bowl of soup, or to flavor rice. Since virgin coconut oil is more delicate and has a lower smoke point, you don’t want to use it for high-heat cooking.
Expeller pressed coconut oil is great for all sorts of cooking applications since it has a fairly high smoke point. Make sure to read the label on your jar of coconut oil since recommended smoke points can vary depending on the brand. You can use it to season cast iron, sauté just about anything, roast veggies, deep fry, etc. You can also use it in salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise, but remember that it will turn solid once you put it in the fridge.
Liquid coconut oil can also be used in most of the same cooking applications as expeller pressed coconut oil as long as it’s rated for high enough heat. Check the label or the website of the brand of coconut oil you use to find the safe cooking temperature.
One of my all-time favorite ways to cook with coconut oil is to make Coconut Oil Roasted Potatoes. They basically taste like French fries, but they’re WAY easier to make.
Start by spreading 1/3 to 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the bottom of a clear glass 13×9-inch baking dish. It’s important that it’s a clear glass baking dish. For some reason the potatoes get crispier that way!
Sprinkle the oil with some salt.
Slice potatoes in half and put them cut side down on top of the coconut oil.
Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with more salt.
Bake at 425°F for 45–60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the bottoms are a deep golden brown.
You’re gonna think I’m crazy, but after all that roasting in oil, I like to slice my potato open and add a generous amount of butter. Don’t judge me until you’ve tried it.
Now it’s YOUR turn: What’s your favorite way to use coconut oil? Let us know in the comments!
Sources: Dr. Axe, Dr. Mercola, Tropical Traditions, and Wildly Organic.
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