Why Coconut Oil? and How to Use It

By now, hopefully you know margarine and vegetable oil are considered far worse for us than butter. And that butter is probably just fine, in moderation. Here's how I like to summarize it: If it has to be processed, it's unhealthy. If it's natural and/or easily made (as in whipping cream to make butter), it's okay. Hence, olive oil (easily pressed from olives) is good for you, whereas corn oil (kernel is removed from the cob, then steeped for hours, then soaked, dried, and oil extracted through a chemical process) is not. Yes, olive oil is still the best oil for your heart (unless you heat it to its smoke point). But there's another oil with health benefits you may not know about: coconut oil.

Why Use Coconut Oil?

When I mention coconut oil to some people, they immediately think of movie theatre popcorn, which was declared the devil by some health experts because it was coated with coconut oil. But that oil was highly processed. Virgin (or unprocessed) coconut oil, however, is a whole 'nother thing.

Yes, virgin coconut oil does contain saturated fat, but it's in the form of lauric acid. There are many claims about lauric acid, including that it may be antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral. Anecdotal evidence suggests consuming a tablespoon or two of coconut oil per day may reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's. A Brazilian study showed that women who consumed two tablespoons of coconut oil per day lost more belly fat and increased their "good" cholesterol more than those who didn't. Several studies show coconut oil is, in fact, good for your heart, and that it boosts the thyroid.

As Dr. Daniel Hwang, a specialist in lauric acid at the Western Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis says, “Coconut is good food, in moderation.” Which is true of even the much-glorified olive oil

I also love that coconut oil is much cheaper than olive oil. I buy 54 oz. of virgin coconut oil for just $21 from Vitacost (Click here for a $10 off coupon on your first order.) And because most cooking applications use so little coconut oil, that container lasts many months.

In addition, coconut oil lasts at least 2 years stored at room temperature. That means I can buy a few bottles and always have some at the ready in my pantry.

And the cincher? Coconut oil has about a gazillion uses aside from cooking, including as a fantastic skin cream, a personal lubricant, and a hair treatment.



Won't My Food Taste Like Coconut?

Not unless you want it to. Despite coconut oil's fantastic coconut-y aroma, most food won't taste like coconuts when you cook or bake with it. There are exceptions, though. For example, I once mixed it with butter and put it on popcorn and the coconut flavor really popped out.


Using Coconut Oil in Cooking 

To use coconut oil for sauteing, just spoon a small amount into a pan. It will melt (coconut oil is a solid unless heated) when it's ready for cooking. Do be sure to start with a smaller amount than you think you need; melted coconut oil goes farther than olive oil, in my experience.

If you occasionally fry food, coconut oil is truly the healthiest fat to use, since olive oil may actually become unhealthy at very high temperatures. Just plop some coconut oil in the pan, melt it, and use it as you would any other frying oil.

Using Coconut Oil In Baking

When a recipe calls for vegetable oil, substitute the same amount of coconut oil. Because coconut oil is a solid, you'll need to melt it first. To do this, measure out the coconut oil and melt it over gentle heat in a saucepan. Even though solid coconut oil and melted, liquid coconut oil should measure out the same, it's a good idea to measure again once the oil is melted.

When using coconut oil in place of vegetable oil, it's best to follow the classic advice to have all the ingredients at room temperature before mixing them together. That said, sometimes I'm in a hurry and don't do this and I've not had problems with the coconut oil clumping.

You can also use coconut oil in place of Crisco or similar products for greasing pans (and for baking).

If for some reason you want to substitute coconut oil for butter, you certainly can in almost any recipe. (I wouldn't use it in recipes that call for a great deal of butter - like shortbread.) Remember that coconut oil will remain a solid as long as it is below 76 degrees F. If the recipe calls for creaming butter with sugar, measure out the coconut oil, then let it soften at room temperature for a few minutes before creaming.

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