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Purchasing Coconut Oil

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by Michael Babcock

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On Buying Coconut Oil

Although Coconuts coconut oil is sometimes sold in health food stores, I have not found virgin coconut oil in our local stores – I always order online.

I prefer the virgin coconut oil for two reasons.

Because it is minimally processed (usually by centrifuging or fermentation), it is likely to have more nutritional value. It is typically made from younger coconuts and processed within hours of opening. The more typical coconut oil is made from copra (the meat from a mature coconut) by pressing and in most cases then has to be "refined, bleached and deodorized" – often called an "RBD" oil.
The second reason is that it tastes and feels better. The more processed oils have virtually no flavor at all and I like the slight coconut flavor and aroma. A good virgin coconut oil also feels as if its bursting with life-force and energy.

I have personally tried a number of virgin coconut oil products. I eat coconut oil for health reasons and love to eat it by the spoonful – the fact that my body enjoys it so much tells me that it is good for me. Here are my recommendations for trying it out:

Try a number of different products – there is a surprising variation in taste, texture and smell. My preference may not be yours.
Each batch may be slightly different. My understanding is that the production of virgin coconut oil is not done in large facilities – more in mom-and-pop type arrangements – so coconut oil from the same source may vary slightly each time. I've mainly ordered from one provider and found that the oil is usually quite similar with only slight variation in taste, smell and texture.
Once you find one you like, don't be afraid to order a gallon of it in order to maximize your savings. It seems like a lot but with a shelf life (unrefrigerated) of two years you don't need to worry about spoilage.
Coconut oil can be used to cook foods (because it is so saturated it is an excellent choice for cooking), as a butter substitute on toast or vegetables and in baked goods. I stir some in my soft-boiled eggs every morning – it adds a wonderful richness.
Plan to use it on your skin – it feels wonderful and your skin loves it.

Brands I've Personally Tried

Coconut - Sprouting All links open in a new window.

Remember, each product is slightly different and different people will prefer different brands.

Wilderness Family Naturals sells a variety of coconut products, including unrefined Virgin coconut oil from various locales. Wilderness has two great products. Their centrifuged oil is creamy and delicious with a slight coconut smell and taste. Over several gallons it has been fairly consistent as to flavor and texture – always excellent. I have just tried (June/July 2005) theire fermented virgin coconut oil from their Philippines and it may be my favorite. The batch I tried is almost flavorless with a slight coconut smell – if you prefer a more neutral oil for cooking, this would be an excellent choice. Of all the oils I've tried, this feels the best on the skin.. They also sell a number of other delicious coconut products.
Radiant Life offers a Virgin Coconut Oil in addition to their other excellent health products. Their coconut oil is good, with perhaps a slightly stronger coconut flavor that the Wilderness Family centrifuged oil.
Nutiva has an excellent virgin coconut oil. The container I tried had a flavor unique among the coconut oils I've eaten – it has a slight caramel-like flavor and the more I tried it the more I liked it. The owner of Nutiva mentioned that another batch had a more buttery flavor. Texture is very smooth. I have no hesitation in recommending this product and will be purchasing from them again.
Mt. Banashaw Tropical Herbs in the Philippines also has an unrefined virgin coconut oil under the label Tropical Traditions. It was the first coconut oil I used (although I have not had it for 3 or 4 years) and it was always excellent.
Omega Nutrition Coconut Oil is made from 100% organic unrefined oil. Sold in 16 ounce ($8.30) and 32 ounce ($13.30) black containers. This is an almost flavorless coconut oil – if you do not want any coconut taste at all, this is worth a try – we sell it at the cooking school. They now offer a virgin coconut oil, although I have not tried it.
Coconut oil is also available in Indian markets. I found a brand made in Fiji with no indication that it was organic (although there should be no reason to spray coconut trees) or how it was processed. This product had a much stronger coconut flavor – almost soapy – that it imparted to the food. I did not like it.

Other Brands Available in the U.S.

I hope to try both these brands in the future.

Laureece offers Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines that appears to be processed by fermentation. They also offer herbal soaps and moisturizers.
Coconutoil-online dot com has a virgin, unrefined coconut oil obtained by centrifuge separation from fresh coconut milk. Note: They also ship internationally.

Brands Outside the U.S.

For you Aussies, kokonut pacific based in Australia has what appears to be an excellent product. Their model of sustainable development for rural communities looks hard to beat.
UK Importer of Fair Trade Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. Purchase best quality oil - retail/wholesale - at www.virgincoconutoil.co.uk
Another good option in the U.K. is Coconut Island – they offer a Virgin, organic coconut oil.
One more source in the U.K. is LubiLife who offers a virgin coconut oil from the Philippines.

Offsite Links

Coconut Research Links has other vendors of virgin coconut both in the U.S. and abroad.