Paleo diet?

[ccnyc]

While I was buying olive oil for cooking (as opposed to the Spanish stuff I buy on line for dressings, etc), I happened to look down and see coconut oil. It sure looked like coconut milk to me, but there it was, right in the regular grocery store.

Below 76 degrees coconut oil solidifies and becomes opaque, usually a whitish color.

When I first started using coconut oil the oil I bought was totally liquid, so I transferred it to a bottle with a pouring spout. The temperature in my kitchen dropped and I couldn't get the coconut oil out of the bottle!

[Catrin]

Below 76 degrees coconut oil solidifies and becomes opaque, usually a whitish color.

When I first started using coconut oil the oil I bought was totally liquid, so I transferred it to a bottle with a pouring spout. The temperature in my kitchen dropped and I couldn't get the coconut oil out of the bottle!

I almost did that, but read about its qualities before I made that final step. Coconut oil is very stable at high temperatures - which means there are no unsavory chemical changes that happens with high temp cooking with some oils (like Canola). The fat is quite good for us - and apparently there aren't many sources for that particular type of fat.

I also want to try avocado and walnut oils - which is more expensive. Would love to find macadamia nut oil but I imagine it would be even more expensive than avocado and walnut.

[Crankin]

No wonder it looked almost solid. It is absolutely freezing in my grocery store. I always bring a sweatshirt with me.

[Dogmama]

No wonder it looked almost solid. It is absolutely freezing in my grocery store. I always bring a sweatshirt with me.

And it's liquid in my house (air conditioning broken, running on swamp cooling until Wednesday )

[Catrin]

And it's liquid in my house (air conditioning broken, running on swamp cooling until Wednesday )

For me it depends where in the kitchen it is My AC is sticking pretty close to 80 this summer - really saves on the bills. It HAS been interesting to see where in my kitchen it stays a solid and where it becomes liquid, never realized the air temp in my kitchen changes that much. It is a SMALL kitchen!

[Dogmama]

I almost did that, but read about its qualities before I made that final step. Coconut oil is very stable at high temperatures - which means there are no unsavory chemical changes that happens with high temp cooking with some oils (like Canola). The fat is quite good for us - and apparently there aren't many sources for that particular type of fat.

I looked at the side of my coconut oil jar and it says medium temperatures only. Mine is organic. Does it depend on what kind of coconut oil?

[Catrin]

I looked at the side of my coconut oil jar and it says medium temperatures only. Mine is organic. Does it depend on what kind of coconut oil?

To the best of my knowledge it doesn't, unsure why it says that. My reading says that it is suitable for high temperature cooking and my jar of organic virgin coconut oil says nothing about a temperature limitation. It certainly doesn't smoke at high temps like other oils have that I've used - but then again my cookware is lower-temp stainless steel so I don't use it at REALLY temps.

[indysteel]

As with olive oil, the smoke point of coconut oil depends on how refined it is. Refined coconut oil has a smoke point of 450 degrees, at least according to one source, while extra virgin (unrefined) has a smoke point of 350 degrees.

[Dogmama]

Mine is Spectrum, organic, unrefined. On the side of the jar it says medium heat up to 280 degrees.

[Catrin]

Mine is Spectrum, organic, unrefined. On the side of the jar it says medium heat up to 280 degrees.

That just seems incorrect and flies in the face of all of the information I've read on coconut oil - and I've read a lot (which is my way when trying out new things - Catrin = Queen of Over Thinking). My jars of organic virgin coconut oil gives no temperature range, as I previously mentioned.

[indysteel]

That just seems incorrect and flies in the face of all of the information I've read on coconut oil - and I've read a lot (which is my way when trying out new things - Catrin = Queen of Over Thinking). My jars of organic virgin coconut oil gives no temperature range, as I previously mentioned.

The fact that your jar of it doesn't list a temperatue doesn't mean much in my opinion, as every oil has a smoke point. However, the temp listed on Dogmama is admittedly lower than the 350 degrees that I've routinely seen listed for unrefined/virgin/extra virgin coconut oil. That's the same smoke point as butter for a frame of reference, and it's lower than some oils, including most olive oils and canola oil. Again, the more unrefined an oil is, the lower the smoke point.

[Catrin]

The fact that your jar of it doesn't list a temperatue doesn't mean much in my opinion, as every oil has a smoke point. However, the temp listed on Dogmama is admittedly lower than the 350 degrees that I've routinely seen listed for unrefined/virgin/extra virgin coconut oil. That's the same smoke point as butter for a frame of reference, and it's lower than some oils, including most olive oils and canola oil. Again, the more unrefined an oil is, the lower the smoke point.

I was referring to the research/reading I've done on the nature of coconut oil and other oils, not what was on my jar Sorry about any confusion.

[indysteel]

I was referring to the research/reading I've done on the nature of coconut oil and other oils, not what was on my jar Sorry about any confusion.

Perhaps I'm not understanding what's contradictory in your research from what Dogmama shared. I, too, have read that coconut oil doesn't break down at high heat but that doesn't mean that it doesn't still have a smoke point. Even if it doesn't break down per se, it's flavor will arguably change as it gets past its smoke point. I, personally, would not use coconut oil for certain applications. For instance, I likely wouldn't use it to sear meat.

[Catrin]

I think perhaps we were talking about different things which led to a disconnect on my end. So, in the words Rosanna Dana... "never mind"

[indysteel]

I think perhaps we were talking about different things which led to a disconnect on my end. So, in the words Rosanna Dana... "never mind"

Okie doke. Sorry if I chimed in unnecessarily.