Coconut oil-- I'm seeing it everywhere now...

[TreasonousBastard]

Maybe I just never noticed it before, but it's showing up in stores where i know it's never been before. Love the flavor and aroma of the stuff and use it largely for roasting and light pan frying (cooking some pork chops in it as we speak).

So, anyone have any hints, tips, or comments about the stuff?

[Warpy]

1. Not really. If you love the flavor, use it

but take all the extravagant health food store claims with a pound of salt.

I loved making granola with it, all the flavor of coconut and nothing getting stuck in my teeth.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. As soon as I saw Dr Oz was yakking on about it...

I knew to ignore the rest of the nonsense. WebMD basically says the health claims are "unknown" (i.e.- bullshit) but it is high in saturated fats and triglycerides might be a problem. Don't eat it by the bowlful, so I figure I can handle it.

I eat pork and chicken a lot and it goes great with them, but haven't had to much luck using it with veggies. Been playing around with sauces with little success.

And there's always that bottle of rum over there in the corner...

Granola, eh? That's a thought...

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Like you, I see coconut oil all over the place now.

I've used it on my skin before, but I've never cooked with it. Using it in pork and chicken dishes sounds interesting. I'll have to try that.

I visited my daughter this weekend and she whizzed together in a blender a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of unsalted butter and her morning cup of coffee. It made a creamy, frothy drink with a hint of coconut flavor. Using a sweetener is optional. It wasn't bad.

[Petrushka]

4. I've been using it for two years or more.

It's especially good as a substitute for butter or margarine in desserts and baked goods.
I use it most often in fruit smoothies---a tablespoon full, usually. Also good spread on
my morning toast (rye or wheat). Anyway . . .

I just did a search on Pinterest for recipes using coconut butter and thought you might
find the following link helpful: http://paleomagazine.com/12-coconut-butter-recipes


Edited to add:
Coconut butter can also be used as a moisturizer for dry skin, as well as a pre-shampoo
treatment for dry hair and scalp.

[marble falls]

5. It can be the wrong "flavor" for some things, but it is a high temp oil.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. It's the "new" health fad. It will disappear from the shelves in a year when something else comes

along as the "miracle" perfect food.

That said, it is a good oil for cooking!

[pscot]

7. My wife rubs it on the dog

It's very versatile.