Anyone fry in coconut oil?

[midnight armadillo]

I picked up some "organic, extra virgin, cold-pressed" coconut oil at Whole Foods. I'm interested in trying it for frying for two reasons:
1) most stable oil for high temps so I'm not frying in trans fats and plastics
2) is >50% lauric acid (also found in breast milk) which is metabolized as a medium chain triglyceride, not as a 'regular' saturated fat so it's not bad for one's arteries.
This is sort of part of my luddite-ish tendency to move towards less processed, less refined food stuffs, even though my high-temp safflower oil cooks stuff just fine.

Question: does coconut oil make things taste coconut-y or does the flavor fade when it's hot like it does with olive oil?

The other thing I'll sample soon is avocado oil. In fact, I have a ripe avocado in front me for later. Yum :-) This is another excellent high-temp oil.

Oh, and I need new olive oil. I tried a swig of my Felipe Bergio EVOO the other day and it has a nasty burnt aftertaste - I was going to use it on field greens salads with a little lemon juice, but not now. Yuck :-(

[babylonsister]

1. I don't use coconut oil as I'm not wild about the taste, but

here's a thread for your viewing:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=14630

I am curious how you make avocado oil out of fresh avocado though. And what would you be frying w/it?

[calico1]

2. Yes, I use it, and for the same reasons.

Regular vegetable oil can become highly unstable at high heats. I find that in the beginning you can smell the coconut smell, but after a bit it dissipates. I don't taste it in the food.

I watched an episode of America's Test Kitchen where they did a taste test of extra virgin olive oils. The winner with the panel was DaVinci. Chistopher Kimball preferred Colavita, which came in second with the panel. I have never tried Da Vinci but I have bought Colavita and I like it. Another one you may want to try is Goya. Its good and reasonably priced.

[midnight armadillo]

6. that's what I was hoping to hear!

Olive oil gives off a strong olive smell then gets flavorless, so I'm glad to hear coconut oil does the same.

I've seen the Colavita on the shelf, along with Goya, so I will pick up a bottle and see how it is. It can't be worse than the one I just tossed :-)

[calico1]

7. Just so you know....

They gave Carapelli terrrible marks. It was either the lowest rated or close. So don't get that one. :hi:

[Warpy]

3. The only thing we used it for at the health food store

was as a general lubricant. It was especially good on squeaky hand truck wheels and the bearings in the grain mill.

I can see using it for Thai food. It would be a little weird with other stuff.

[Tab]

4. Or maybe deep fried coconut shrimp

I don't know what the smoke point on the stuff is, though.

[spindrifter]

5. Coconut, like the other tropical oils

can be hard for some people to digest. (Like me.)

[charlie]

8. Try making popcorn

If you're old enough, you'll remember the popcorn was once as much reason to go to the movies as the movie itself. Coconut oil was what they used back then.