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Nutrition Coconut Oil - Refined or Not?

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Steve Freides

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I buy coconut oil at my local Whole Foods Market. (This grocery store chain is affectionately known as "Whole Paycheck" by some ...)

On the back of the jar of Organic, Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil, it says, "Our organic coconut oil is refined so it can withstand medium heat cooking temperatures, up to 375 degrees Farenheit."

They also sell _unrefined_, _virgin_, organic, expeller pressed coconut oil, and on the back of that jar, it says, "Our organic virgin coconut oile is expeller pressed and unrefined to withstand medium heat up to 360 degrees Farenheit."

The cost is about the same, with the unrefined, virgin stuff costing maybe 50 cent a jar more.

Can anyone shed any light on the difference between these two things? I don't really notice much, if any, difference between them.

Thanks.

-S-
 
Smoke point is the big difference flavor is the second big one.

If I'm making a dish where coconut oil flavor will bring something to the table I'll use unrefined (soups are probably my big use case, unrefined virgin coconut oil's smoke point is akin to EVOO, so I treat it like that). If I'm just using a oil to cook and want it more neutral you would want the refined version... but there are other more neutral oils with higher smoke points available for probably a lower cost.
And keep in mind that some refinement methods do create trans fats, which aren't great, but I don't think those are allowed in the states anymore.

Oh and virgin unrefined coconut oil also does have extra trace minerals and proteins which give it a bunch of flavor and aroma.

End of the day I'd skip the refined version and go with something like ghee instead for that role in your cooking.
 
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