Information on cooking oils?

[dgrant]

Many of the recipe blogs I read recommend using coconut oil for medium/high heat cooking, saying it is healthier than canola... but without really saying why. (Obviously it's counter-intuitive since coconut oil is almost all saturated fat.) My science teacher sister laughed in my face when I mentioned this.

Are there any credible websites or references out there I can use to learn more about the different cooking oils? Is coconut oil an internet fad thing?

[La]

It *might* have to do with what happens to oils when they are heated. I don't have any info/data, though.

For some reason, Paleo folks seem to favour coconut oil (which makes it suspect in my mind, too).

[La]

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/ind ... -get-thin/

[Tori]

I am noticing lots of my cooking blogs are using coconut oil too. You rarely hear olive oil anymore. I bought some, I am not really sure what I think about it. It was for a recipe for muffins, I think I would have preferred using apple sauce in its place. I do see a few friends use it to sauté veggies, I haven't tried that. Coconut and garlic with veggies just doesn't sound right to me.

And when I bought it, I was hoping it would be all coconutty tasting; almost like the coconut version of nutella. No such luck, tastes like wax!

[dgrant]

And when I bought it, I was hoping it would be all coconutty tasting; almost like the coconut version of nutella. No such luck, tastes like wax!

I made this gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets recipe and it was amazing and quite coconutty. (That guy's whole blog is great.) I just don't know if using coconut oil negates the health benefit of the rest of the recipe.

[Tori]

And when I bought it, I was hoping it would be all coconutty tasting; almost like the coconut version of nutella. No such luck, tastes like wax!

I made this gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets recipe and it was amazing and quite coconutty. (That guy's whole blog is great.) I just don't know if using coconut oil negates the health benefit of the rest of the recipe.

I like his blog name. I think my arteries and BP are crying reading the recipe though! The lard and pickle juice just did me in.

[dgrant]

And when I bought it, I was hoping it would be all coconutty tasting; almost like the coconut version of nutella. No such luck, tastes like wax!

I made this gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets recipe and it was amazing and quite coconutty. (That guy's whole blog is great.) I just don't know if using coconut oil negates the health benefit of the rest of the recipe.

I like his blog name. I think my arteries and BP are crying reading the recipe though! The lard and pickle juice just did me in.

Oh yeah, should have mentioned I used a saltwater+dill brine instead of the pickle juice, and a bit of coconut milk instead of the buttermilk/cream. I think the lard is either/or for the coconut oil.

He seems to be less averse to saturated fat (lard, etc) than others... his thing is more just cutting out highly processed stuff.

[jgore]

For some reason, Paleo folks seem to favour coconut oil (which makes it suspect in my mind, too).

I agree.

[Half-Mary]

My understanding is that a plant-based saturated fat is not damaging to the body the way animal-based saturated fat can be, which is why coconut oil is not a health risk when used in moderation.

[MINITEE]

My understanding is that a plant-based saturated fat is not damaging to the body the way animal-based saturated fat can be, which is why coconut oil is not a health risk when used in moderation.

This is my understanding as well. And it is all about moderation, you will hear/read that people are slathering this on toast, or putting it in coffee.. gah. There are also some claims/studies about it's positive effects on Alzheimers patients (I am very skeptical)

I switched to coconut oil last year, and use it for a lot of things. I ADORE it for sauteing veggies, as it can be put to a higher temp than olive oil (oh, btw - I have always hated olive oil... don't like the taste it imparts) it's tasteless and I find because I can saute at a higher temp I prefer the end result. I use it for roasting veggies as well. Drizzle a little melted coconut oil over veggies, toss on a stone in the oven and let 'm roast up.

[Jwolf]

My understanding is that a plant-based saturated fat is not damaging to the body the way animal-based saturated fat can be, which is why coconut oil is not a health risk when used in moderation.

Not all saturated fats are alike. Most the saturated fats in coconut oil are "short chain" and "medium chain" fatty acids vs "long chain" in animal fats. Chemically this means they consist of shorter chains of carbon atoms than other saturated fats; for our bodies this means they don't cause us to produce as much bad cholesterol. However, unless your diet is excessive in animal fat, you won't get this increase in bad cholesterol either. So while coconut oil might be better in some ways to use than butter or other animal fat, those things aren't terrible either.

There are some components of coconut oil that are less healthy and it's also missing the essential mono-unsaturated fatty acids that we can get from other plant oils.

I have to say that I have never used coconut oil-- it is expensive and I'm happy with the ingredients I use. I use olive oil for sauteing, sesame oil after cooking for additional flavour, and butter for baking (occasionally canola oil). I also sometimes used non-hydrogenated margarine made from olive oil.

[La]

Actually, according to the table in Wikipedia, coconut oil has a lower smoke point than most other oils.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

[dgrant]

Actually, according to the table in Wikipedia, coconut oil has a lower smoke point than most other oils.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

I think that's just for the extra-virgin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point. The stuff I have from Loblaws is refined, and was no problem at pretty high heat.

What's a bit odd, is it solidifies/liquefies at what must be +/-1 or 2 degrees from room temperature. On the shelf at the store it's solid in the jar, but in my cupboard it's liquid.

[MINITEE]

Actually, according to the table in Wikipedia, coconut oil has a lower smoke point than most other oils.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

I think that's just for the extra-virgin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point. The stuff I have from Loblaws is refined, and was no problem at pretty high heat.

What's a bit odd, is it solidifies/liquefies at what must be +/-1 or 2 degrees from room temperature. On the shelf at the store it's solid in the jar, but in my cupboard it's liquid.

Some people I know refrigerate it, but I keep it in the cupboard. I've never had an issue with it. The solidification is the biggest "freak out" for some people...

[Tori]

Actually, according to the table in Wikipedia, coconut oil has a lower smoke point than most other oils.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

I think that's just for the extra-virgin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point. The stuff I have from Loblaws is refined, and was no problem at pretty high heat.

What's a bit odd, is it solidifies/liquefies at what must be +/-1 or 2 degrees from room temperature. On the shelf at the store it's solid in the jar, but in my cupboard it's liquid.

Some people I know refrigerate it, but I keep it in the cupboard. I've never had an issue with it. The solidification is the biggest "freak out" for some people...

Mine has stayed solid in the pantry. I never have any liquid unless I heat it up. Is it supposed to store as a solid or liquid - is there a preference?

[La]

I think as Dave says, it will be liquid/solid at room temp, depending on what the actual temperature in your kitchen/house is.

The rationale for putting it in the fridge (as with other types of oils) is that it helps to prevent it from going rancid as quickly.

[CAW]

This just showed up in my FB newsfeed...I thought it timely.

The smoke point of coconut oil may not be all that high, but it doesn't oxidize at high heat like other oils. I think that is where the "health" kicks in.

http://notstepfordwives.com/cooking-oils

[kab]

It's ability to be solid at room temperature makes it a wonderful addition to home made soap. That's all I use it for.