I read an article about the benefits of coconut oil. What do you think? Anyone used this product?

Low Carb since April 18, 2003

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franfrog

Alot!

The best fried chicken (no breading, just naked!) you've ever tasted is fried in organic virgin coconut oil.

Some people use it for making lc fudge. Some mix it with butter to make a spread.

I use it for a scalp conditioner and some use it as deodorant.

I also use it when I'm making any type of Thai dish like spicey coconut shrimp.

Some also use it for salad dressings although I haven't tried that yet.

You can saute veggies in and fry your eggs, etc but I prefer butter for that.

Many people add it to their shakes and smoothies.

I get mine at www.TropicalTraditions.com here's a pic of the one I buy...

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It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

Me too, ditto what Marcie says!

I use it in place of oil - melted for muffins, for example, or to cook in, including deep-frying.

I buy two kinds - the virgin (VCO) and the expeller-pressed (EPCO) as the virgin tastes/smells of coconuts, and the EPCO does not. Sometimes you just don't FEEL like a (coco)nut! :rofl:

Tropical Traditions has a TON of info about the oils too.

I also buy their BabySilk cream and lotion - my eczema on my forehead has totally cleared up since using it! Gotta love THAT.

Char

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Interesting stuff. I've used Trader Joe's organic expeller pressed coconut oil, and some other VCO I got at the health food store (NOW brand, maybe?). I have a new jar from Jarrow Foods, but I haven't opened it yet.

It does make a good chocolate candy base as it's very smooth and melts nicely in your mouth. I used it in an ice cream once and it was less successful - when frozen, the coconut made waxy little lumps in the ice cream. Anything I've fried with it has been fine - no complaints. It doesn't turn rancid when stored at room temperature, which is nice.

I'm going through a bout of paper dry skin here; so I mixed glycerine 50/50 with coconut oil and added some scented rose oil. Wow - skin is soft and smooth and stays that way all day! Even the chapped areas on my fingers showed immediate improvement. The gylcerine helps skin hang on to moisture, but it's slightly sticky on its own. That's why I mixed it with the coconut oil - to make it easier to apply thinly.

Both coconut oil and glycerine have antiseptic properties. My skin heals very slowly, so when I got a bunch of welts and scratches from pruning the other day, I slathered my arms with the coconut oil/glycerine mix. The scratches are already almost gone - far more quickly than I would normally expect. (As homemade cosmetics go, my "product" needs work. It tends to separate, so I should find some kind of emulsifier to keep it mixed.)

After reading BC's comments about using it as an underarm deorderant, I experimented with it. It works amazingly well. I guess the antiseptic keeps the skin bacteria down so they don't get a chance to make the odor causing waste products. I thought it might leave an oily mark on my tee shirt, but it didn't. I suppose most of it gets absorbed by the skin.

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~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

I checked the grocery store for coconut oil yesterday and it didn't carry it, so I bought lard instead. I rarely make my own salad dressing, so I don't know what I'll do with the three big bottles of canola oil I've got in my cupboards.

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Melissa

Char -

I'll have to try that lotion, sounds great. I ordered some of their new coconut cream. Man, I've been DYING for someone to come out with that! I should be getting it any day now, I can't wait.

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

EGADS!!! I just checked the price of coconut oil and I was shocked. I may order a small size to try it out, but ordering enough to fry chicken would make it one of the most expensive chicken dinners ever.

Marcie, do you reuse the c. oil you've used to fry your chicken? If so, what do you do? Strain it, cool it refridgerate it? If so, how long can it be refridgerated after it's been used?

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Melissa

i found lou ana brand c.o. at walmart very cheap, about $2.50 for a large container. i'm wondering though, because it does not specify extra virgin, is it okay to use? i realize that it wont have the same benefits as the e.v. but would it have adverse effects. i'm hoping that it's fine because you cant beat the price and i love kumus choc. candy made with it. anyone know about this?sarah

Coconut Flakes. This sounds like a very good deal for making candies!!


1 gallon re-sealable pail - 3.5 lbs.
Retail: $19.00
Now: $14.99

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/vi...oconut_oil.htm

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My "5 Flavors of Low Carb Chocolate Candies."

I just got those flakes too! My order just came a few minutes ago.

As for the oil, yes, we generally PLAN on doing several fried things over the course of 2-3 nights and strain and reuse it within a few days before tossing.

Usually we'll do something "non offensive" first like frying little empanadas made from tortillas and then the next night something like chicken and then finally something that would generally "taint" the oil like shrimp.

I've never tried keeping it a long time. I prefer to just use it 2-3 times and then start fresh next time.

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

Also, I got some coconut cream concentrate with my order today and it's rather grainy. I was surprised as I was expecting the smoothest, creamiest stuff ever. I'll have to do some experimenting with it.

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

Goaliegirl, if it was very cheap, I would be suspicious that it is chemically extracted, which is NOT good - I believe I read that they use hexene (a dry cleaning chemical!) to extract a lot of oils, which always leaves some residual.

Again, try that Tropical Traditions website for info about not only the oil itself but the extraction processes and why organic is better. I've never been one to believe that organic is the be-all, end-all - but the more I read, the more I'm leaning that way....

Char

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Marcie, I ordered some of the concentrate as well. Please let us know how your experiments turn out! I'm not an expert in the kitchen by any means, but I really like coconut and want to learn some new things. Thanks

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Dragonmom
155/123/130 (highest 175)

Lauri -

I sure will. I just mixed some with some chocolate and cream and it tasted pretty good. I'm going to try some coconut truffles, I think.

I went back and read the info better. The concentrate is ground up coconut meat WITH the fiber still included. So, there goes the graininess I was feeling. It's a little grainy because it includes all the natural fiber.

I think it's going to be a fine thing to have around as soon as we find a few good used for it considering the slight graininess.

__________________
It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001

I just came accros this page. Flakes 25 pounds for 19 bucks. I wonder if the quality is near as good as Tropical Traditions. Hmmm
http://www.store.honeyvillegrain.com...PROD&ProdID=47

Tropical Traditions.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/v...coconut_oil.htm

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My "5 Flavors of Low Carb Chocolate Candies."