I've been using the tropical traditions coconut oil, and love it. A friend bought some Lou Ana brand coconut oil for me (5 quarts) And just looking at it, it doesn't seem very good. It's a yellowish color and grainy. I've looked around to find out how it's produced, but can't find any info. Anybody know how this brand is made? Don't want to just throw it out if it's kinda ok, but, if it's made by chemical extraction, I don't want to use it.

Thanks,
Ren

Ozarken,

The Lou Ana coconut oil is used by the concession industry to make popcorn. I would be willing to bet that it is made by the cheapest method possible.

Lou Ana is supposedly produced by Ventura Foods - who don't list coconut oil on their site, but if you want to see a scary page check this out;

http://www.iseo.org/dir_companies.htm

Lists all the brands with the various processing plants and what they do to these poor innocent fats!

... " Refine, bleach, deodorize, dewax, votate, winterize, hydrogenate, plasticize ... "

Cheers,

Malcolm

Lou Ana is supposedly produced by Ventura Foods - who don't list coconut oil on their site, but if you want to see a scary page check this out;

http://www.iseo.org/dir_companies.htm

Lists all the brands with the various processing plants and what they do to these poor innocent fats!

... " Refine, bleach, deodorize, dewax, votate, winterize, hydrogenate, plasticize ... "

Cheers,

Malcolm
============================
Thanks, that's what I was afraid of when I opened one of the jars and saw what it looked like.

Ren

I got some Lou Ana at WalMart, so I'm willing to bet that it's the cheaply made super-processed stuff. I've found a brand made by Raja Foods (Swad), but the website doesn't say how it's made. I have read in Mary Enig's book that the best oil comes from somehwhere in the Phillipines, where the oil is naturally separated over a period of days by allowing the oil to slowly rise to the top of the liquid. The Swad brand is made in the Phillipines, however, so maybe it's the good stuff. Better than Lou Ana.

You could use it to make soap. The lye is going to cook it anyway.
Sig

If you use coconut oil, make sure it is extra virgin coconut oil or organic. I know you can get it online or in health food stores. The one from walmart is cheaply made.

The coconut oil I'm currently using is from wildernessfamilynaturals.com
It's the best I've ever had, the quality is wondeful. It smells and tastes delicious.

I just got some virgin coconut oil from Tropical Traditions, and it is wonderful! What a difference from the Lou Ana (gag) stuff. However, it is very expensive, - I paid almost $100 for 2 gallons- one of virgin and one of expeller-pressed. I do believe it is worth it, and am now using coconut oil and butter exclusively for cooking and eating.

Tropical Traditions is the only place I will buy my coconut products. I use their virgin, expeller-pressed and concentrate, as well, as some of the health and beauty products. I have found them to the best tasting and I support their traditional farming methods.

I agree with using what you got to make soap and other products.

How do you eat coconut oil???

And what are the benefits of ingesting coconut oil?

You can use coconut oil anywhere you would any other fat in cooking. It also has a mild taste to eat straight off the spoon or in smoothies.

The benefits of coconut oil are numerous! Check out Tropical Traditions under "virgin coconut oil" and "health articles" for some detailed information.

Coconut oil can be used safely for cooking at high temperatures because of its stability, or eating it right off the spoon once you get over the "fat phobia" you've developed due to decades of brainwashing. It took me a good year or so to be able to eat "good" saturated fat, or any fat for that matter, without cringing and now I relish it. Coconut oil's the best, next to butter, which I also eat off the spoon. Yumm!

I put a tablespoon of the virgin oil in my tea every morning and evening, and it's really yummy that way. I also use it for any frying I do, and it does a wonderful job.

I've been using the coconut oil for cooking and it is working out very well -- I've been putting the organic coconut milk (unsweetened) in my coffee along with a little cream to smooth it all out. It is delicious and I'm excited about the benefits to metabolism and skin.