Refined vs. Unrefined Coconut oil. Confused? Which one should you stay away from? Is one better than the other? Yes! I only eat unrefined, and here’s why….
REFINED COCONUT OIL is derived from dried coconut and has been bleached by clays since contaminants arise during the drying process from the coconut. It’s also been deodorized by high heat to remove the strong coconut odor and flavor. Sodium hydroxide is also often added to prolong its shelf life. Some producers even use chemical solvents to extract as much oil as possible from the meat and (may) partially hydrogenate the oil too. This is all done just to make the coconut oil taste/smell non-existent for those that don’t want it in their food and for companies that don’t want the coconut flavor in their products.
UNREFINED COCONUT OIL is often referred to as “virgin” or “pure” coconut oil. It is coconut oil extracted from fresh coconut meat (young coconut). The fresh coconut meat undergoes one of two processes: *The quick drying method is most commonly used which quickly dries the coconut meat and the oil is expressed. *Wet milling refers to the process in which the coconut milk is expressed from the fresh meat and then boiled, fermented or separated from the milk using enzymes or centrifuge. The oil does not require bleaching or additive due to the quick process. It also isn’t exposed to high heat levels and retains it’s natural coconut smell/flavor.
Try THIS frothy coffee recipe using coconut oil or ghee (another version of MCT fat)
I don’t have a particular “go-to” brand, but I always make sure it’s contains ALL the attributes of the below:
•virgin
•unrefined
•cold-pressed
•organic (organic ALSO means it’s non-GMO).
